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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application Serial Number 10-2008-0089835, filed on Sep. 11, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for managing a user schedule that provides a computing environment capable of performing a job which a user must perform for schedule management by using a user schedule registered in a schedule management program and peripheral devices in the vicinity of the user.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In general, free programs provided from a predetermined web site, which has a function of a memo pad type using a calendar executed on the Internet are primarily used in personal schedule information management. In recent years, additional functions in which the schedule management programs are synchronized with each other are provided, but the schedule management programs are not interlocked with a technology of providing a computing environment in which jobs such as a document job can dynamically be performed in accordance with the user schedule.
[0006] Recently, as the number of CPU cores of a computer increases, the resources that do not fully utilize the functions of the computer at the time of using the computer remain. In order to utilize the remaining resources, a virtualization technology is introduced and primarily utilized in a server-level computer. This tendency is also reflected to a personal computer and a virtual machine which several persons can use with one personal computer is created, such that a technology of providing a virtual environment in which each user uses each user's own computer is in full development.
[0007] In the computing environment, a method of setting a resource which the user intends to individually use by using a virtual machine monitor and creating a user's virtual machine is possible. However, since the user must allocate the resources in order to generate the user's virtual machine in the computing environment for performing the scheduled job, a system error may occur when a person who is not familiar with the computing environment sets a development use environment before a job. In particular, when different computing environments are required for each schedule, there is a problem in that the user must create the virtual machine whenever performing the corresponding scheduled job.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] There is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for managing a user schedule that automatically create a virtual machine of a computing environment for performing a corresponding scheduled job to perform a corresponding user scheduled job through the virtual machine.
[0009] In order to achieve the object, according to an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for managing a user schedule that manages a schedule of a user by receiving schedule information from a schedule management server includes: a schedule management unit that collects schedule information registered with respect to a corresponding user by accessing the schedule management server while access of the user and extracts information on a scheduled job to be performed; an execution environment management unit that determines a work environment for performing the corresponding scheduled job from the extracted schedule information and allocates resources in accordance with the determined work environment; and a processing unit that creates a user virtual machine for performing the scheduled job of the corresponding user in the work environment formed by using the resources allocated by the execution environment management unit.
[0010] The processing unit dynamically creates the user virtual machine in accordance with work environment determined by the extracted schedule information.
[0011] Further, the processing unit selects an application program for performing the extracted scheduled job and provides the corresponding application program to the user virtual machine, and the user virtual machine includes a plurality of application programs, and detects and executes a corresponding application programs among the plurality of application programs on the basis of information provided from the processing unit.
[0012] Meanwhile, the apparatus for managing a user schedule further includes an authentication unit that performs user authentication for a corresponding user on the basis of user information inputted from the user. At this time, the authentication unit performs authentication of the corresponding user by receiving user profile information from a user authentication terminal in which user authentication information for the user authentication is stored.
[0013] Further, the apparatus for managing a user schedule further includes a user information management unit that manages the user authentication information for the user authentication.
[0014] Meanwhile, in order to achieve the object, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method for managing a user schedule that manages a schedule of a user by receiving schedule information from a schedule management server includes: collecting schedule information of a corresponding user from the schedule management server while access of the user and extracting information on a schedule to be performed among the collected schedule information; determining a work environment for performing the corresponding scheduled job from the extracted schedule information and allocating resources in accordance with the determined work environment; and creating a user virtual machine for performing the scheduled job of the corresponding user in the work environment formed by using the allocated resources.
[0015] Further, the method for managing a user schedule further includes selecting an application program for performing the extracted scheduled job and providing the corresponding application program to a virtual machine.
[0016] Meanwhile, the method for managing a user schedule further includes, before collecting the schedule information of the user, performing authentication of the user on the basis of user authentication information provided from the user.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, even though a user does not perform an additional action, registered schedule information can be automatically provided by collecting user's schedule information and extracting a job which a corresponding user must perform.
[0018] Further, when a schedule of the corresponding user is performed, a work environment of the performed scheduled job is determined and resources are automatically allocated, such that the user scheduled job is performed through the virtual machine of the computing environment that will perform the corresponding work. Therefore, since the user needs not to set computing resources through a complicated process in order to perform the corresponding scheduled job, user convenience is increased.
[0019] In addition, as an application program for performing the corresponding work in the created virtual machine is automatically executed, user convenience is increased by performing the corresponding scheduled job. The user scheduled job can continuously be performed by dynamically creating the virtual machine depending on a work environment of the scheduled job to be performed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for illustrating a configuration of an apparatus of managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a manager virtual machine adopted in an apparatus for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a schedule management server adopted in an apparatus for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a user virtual machine adopted in an apparatus for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0024] FIGS. 5 to 6 are flowcharts illustrating an operation flow of a method for managing a user schedule according to an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0026] The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing a user schedule by executing an application program through a user virtual machine dynamically created by a manager virtual machine on a user terminal having the manager virtual machine.
[0027] FIGS. 1 and 4 are diagrams for illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, FIG. 1 illustrates an entire configuration of the apparatus for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 1 , the apparatus for managing a user schedule according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a manager virtual machine 110 , a user virtual machine 120 , and a schedule management server 200 .
[0029] At this time, the manager virtual machine 110 and the user virtual machine 120 are implemented in a user terminal 100 and serves to schedule a Java application program in link with the schedule management server 200 that manages a general task such as the user schedule, etc.
[0030] Herein, the manager virtual machine 110 creates the user virtual machine 120 for performing a corresponding scheduled job on the basis of information on the user schedule and allocates resources such as a CPU, a memory, an input/output device 150 , etc. of the user virtual machine 120 depending on a work environment of the corresponding schedule. Further, the user virtual machine 120 is dynamically created by the manager virtual machine 110 and allows a user to perform the corresponding scheduled job by executing an application program corresponding to the task such as the user schedule, etc. At this time, the manager virtual machine 110 manages a life cycle of the user virtual machine 120 .
[0031] At this time, the user terminal 100 includes a virtual machine monitor (VMM) 130 and is implemented by the virtual machine monitor 130 while calling the manager virtual machine 110 or the user virtual machine 120 . In addition, the user terminal 100 houses a platform for a basic hardware device of the user terminal 100 . At this time, a plurality of input/output devices 150 that are connected to a hardware platform 140 are used as an input/output resource.
[0032] The schedule management server 200 is linked with a plurality of schedule management programs such as a Google calendar, an Outlook, a Thunderbird, etc. The schedule management programs synchronize schedule information each other through a synchronization module. Therefore, the manager virtual machine 110 collects schedule information of a corresponding user through an open API provided from the plurality of schedule management programs by accessing the schedule management server 200 . A detailed configuration of the schedule management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .
[0033] Meanwhile, the apparatus for managing a user schedule according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a user authentication terminal 300 that provides user authentication information for user authentication in the manager virtual machine 110 . Herein, user profile information for user authentication and device profile information of the user authentication terminal 300 are stored in the user authentication terminal 300 and the user authentication terminal 300 provides the stored user profile information and device profile information while being connected to the user terminal 100 in a wired or wireless method to the manager virtual machine 110 .
[0034] Therefore, the manager virtual machine 110 performs the user authentication on the basis of the user profile information and the device profile information that are provided from the user authentication terminal 300 . Of course, in addition to the user authentication terminal 300 , a method of performing the user authentication such as a method of performing the user authentication on the basis of information inputted by the user is not limited to any one method.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a configuration of a manager virtual machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2C , the manager virtual machine 110 includes a device connection management unit 111 , an authentication unit 112 , a user information management unit 113 , a schedule management unit 114 , a processing unit 115 , and an execution environment management unit 116 .
[0036] The device connection management unit 111 , as a means for managing connection with the user authentication terminal 300 , receives the user profile information and the device profile information from the user authentication terminal 300 when being connected with the user authentication terminal 300 . Further, the device connection management unit 111 transfers the user profile information and the device profile information that are received from the user authentication terminal 300 to the authentication unit 112 and the user information management unit 113 .
[0037] The authentication unit 112 , as a means for performing the user authentication in order to provide the schedule information to the corresponding user, performs the user authentication on the basis of user authentication information inputted from the device connection management unit 111 and the user. Further, the authentication unit 112 notifies that authentication of the corresponding user is completed to the schedule management unit 114 when the user authentication of the corresponding user is completed.
[0038] When the user authentication of the corresponding user is completed by the authentication unit 112 , the schedule management unit 114 accesses the schedule management server 200 and provides the corresponding user information and receives predetermined schedule information of the corresponding user from the schedule management server 200 . Further, the schedule management unit 114 extracts a desired schedule in the schedule information provided from the schedule management server 200 and provides the desired schedule to the processing unit 115 . Herein, the schedule management unit 114 basically extracts a scheduled job to be next performed on the basis of a current time, but is not limited thereto and may be changed in accordance with setting.
[0039] The processing unit 115 reads the schedule information extracted by the schedule management unit 114 to acquire relevant information. In other words, the processing unit 115 reads the schedule information to acquire information such as a scheduled job performance content, a scheduled job performance start timing, a scheduled job performance end timing, a scheduled job performance place, etc. Further, the processing unit 115 acquires work environment information for performing an additional scheduled job. Herein, the work environment information for performing the scheduled job includes a work type, software information for performing the scheduled job, resource information for executing software, etc.
[0040] The execution environment management unit 116 creates the user virtual machine 120 by allocating the resource on the basis of the information acquired by the processing unit 115 . For example, when a work type of a scheduled job to be performed is a document work, the execution environment management unit 116 calls a virtual machine setting option basically defined for the document work and allocates resources such as a CPU, a memory, a mouse, a keyboard, a monitor, etc. to create the user virtual machine 120 for the document work. Meanwhile, when the work type is web-browsing, the execution environment management unit 116 calls a virtual machine setting option basically defined for the web-browsing and allocates the resources such as the CPU, the memory, the mouse, the keyboard, the monitor, etc. to create the user virtual machine for the web-browsing.
[0041] If the work type is not defined, a user interface which can be set at the time of configuring the user virtual machine 120 is displayed and presentation which can directly be selected by the user is provided. When user selection is completed, the user virtual machine 120 is created by allocating the resource on the basis of corresponding information.
[0042] Herein, a work of which type can be differentiated can be created, edited, and deleted with a document having a format created by the manager virtual machine 110 . Therefore, the manager virtual machine 110 can define various work type and has different virtual machine creation options with respect to a newly defined work type.
[0043] Further, the execution environment management unit 116 detects information of an application program which must be executed in order perform the corresponding scheduled job and transfers the application program information to the user virtual machine 120 through the processing unit 115 .
[0044] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a configuration of a schedule management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3 , the schedule management server 200 includes a plurality of schedule management programs 200 a, 200 b, and 220 c, as described above. Herein, the schedule management programs 200 a, 200 b, and 200 c include open API modules 210 a, 210 b, and 210 c, schedule management modules 220 a, 220 b, and 220 c, and synchronization modules 230 a, 230 b, and 230 c, respectively.
[0045] The open API modules 210 a, 210 b, and 210 c support connection with the manager virtual machine 110 . The schedule management modules 220 a, 220 b, and 220 c store schedule information for each user and serves to manage the stored schedule information. If the manager virtual machine 110 calls schedule information of a predetermined user, the schedule management modules 220 a, 220 b, and 220 c extract the schedule information of the corresponding user and provides the schedule information to the manager virtual machine 110 through the open API modules 210 , 210 b, and 210 c. The synchronization modules 230 a, 230 b, and 230 c are connected to each other at a predetermined cycle and share the schedule information for each user stored in the corresponding schedule management programs 200 a, 200 b, and 200 c each other to be synchronized.
[0046] Therefore, when the manager virtual machine 110 accesses any one schedule management program, the manager virtual machine 110 can provide schedule information provided from the other schedule management programs through the corresponding schedule management program.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a configuration of a user virtual machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 4 , the user virtual machine 120 includes a plurality of application programs 125 a and 125 b for performing the user scheduled job. At this time, a scheduled job performance unit 121 of the user virtual machine 120 detects and executes a corresponding application program from information of an application program provided from the manager virtual machine 110 . Further, the scheduled job performance unit 121 receives a predetermined control command from the user and performs a work corresponding to the control command inputted from the user on the executed application program.
[0049] The above-configured operation of the present invention will now be described.
[0050] FIGS. 5 to 6 are flowcharts illustrating an operation flow of a method for managing a user schedule according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0051] First, FIG. 5 illustrates an overall flow of the method for managing a user schedule according to the embodiment of the present invention. When a manager virtual machine 110 receives user information (S 500 ), the manager virtual machine 110 performs user authentication by using the inputted user information (S 505 ) and stores user authentication information (S 510 ).
[0052] In addition, when the user authentication is completed, the manager virtual machine 110 requests connection to a schedule management server 200 of the schedule management server 200 (S 515 ) and when the manager virtual machine 110 receives a response signal from the schedule management server 200 , the manager virtual machine 110 is connected to the schedule management server 200 when receiving a response signal from the schedule management server 200 (S 520 ). When the manager virtual machine 110 is connected to the schedule management server 200 , the manager virtual machine 110 transmits the authenticated user information (S 525 ) and the schedule management server 200 detects user schedule information corresponding to the user information transmitted from the manager virtual machine 110 and transmits the user schedule information to the manager virtual machine 110 (S 530 ).
[0053] The manager virtual machine 110 extracts a scheduled job to be performed on the basis of a current time from the schedule information of the corresponding user, which is provided from the schedule management server 200 (S 535 ). At this time, the manager virtual machine 110 analyzes the extracted schedule information to acquire information on a scheduled job performance content, scheduled job start and stop timings, a work type, a resource path, etc. Therefore, the manager virtual machine 110 determines a work environment for performing the corresponding scheduled job on the basis of the acquired information, allocates resources in accordance with the determined resource environment (S 540 ), and creates a user virtual machine 120 of the work environment which will perform the corresponding scheduled job (S 545 ).
[0054] Lastly, the manager virtual machine 110 selects an application program for performing the corresponding scheduled job in the user virtual machine 120 (S 550 ) and transmits the corresponding information to the created user virtual machine 120 (S 555 ). The corresponding user virtual machine 120 extracts and executes an application program corresponding to the application program information transmitted from the manager virtual machine 110 (S 560 ) and transmits a response signal to the manager virtual machine 110 (S 565 ).
[0055] Meanwhile, FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of acquiring user authentication information according to an embodiment of the present invention and illustrates an operation of acquiring the user authentication information through a user authentication terminal 300 .
[0056] Referring to FIG. 6 , the user authentication terminal 300 requests connection to the user terminal 100 of the manager virtual machine 110 when the user authentication terminal 300 is connected to the user terminal 100 in a wired or wireless method. At this time, the manager virtual machine 110 responds to the request, such that the manager virtual machine 110 and the user authentication terminal 300 are connected to each other.
[0057] At this time, the user authentication terminal 300 detects stored user profile information and device profile information (S 620 ) and transmits the detected profile information to the manager virtual machine 110 for the user authentication in the manager virtual machine 110 .
[0058] Therefore, the manager virtual machine 110 stores the profile information provided from the user authentication terminal 300 (S 640 ) and performs the user authentication on the basis of the stored profile information (S 650 ). When the user authentication of the corresponding user is completed, a response signal is transmitted to the user authentication terminal 300 (S 660 ). If the user authentication is failed, the authentication information of the corresponding user may be requested to the user authentication terminal 300 again.
[0059] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in an apparatus and a method for managing a user schedule, the configuration and method of the embodiments described as above cannot be limitatively adopted, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all the embodiments or some of the embodiments so that various modifications can be made.
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The present invention estimates a schedule of a user by collecting and analyzing information on a user-related work to be performed by accessing a schedule management program on the basis of corresponding user information when the user enters a region capable of using computing resources and executes a service application program that can perform the corresponding scheduled job through a virtual machine by automatically creating the virtual machine of a computing environment that can perform the estimated scheduled job. According to the present invention, a virtual machine is dynamically created so as to execute a work grasped as a work that the user must perform by analyzing a current schedule while access of the user and an application program for performing the corresponding work in the created virtual machine is automatically executed, such that user convenience is increased.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to information processing systems and more particularly to a system and methodology for enabling automatic adjusting of a toll amount in response to detected vehicle traffic.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many areas where vehicle traffic is heavy at times, toll roads or toll road segments have been created to enable drivers to go from one location to another in a shorter time period than if they had taken non-toll alternative routes. The use of toll road segments is becoming a burgeoning and proposed trend in many countries. The use of toll and non-toll segments of certain routes between two locations may be implemented, for example, by separate multi-lane roads or even with a toll segment of a single multi-lane highway in order to enable the toll segment to be utilized as efficiently as possible such that free flow of vehicles can be maintained even during high volume “rush hour” periods. Typically, a non-toll road segment has traffic control systems and crossroads where traffic can cross whereas, for the same general route, a toll segment will have no crossroads or traffic signals. Even with toll and non-toll segments however, at times, there may be more traffic on one segment and less on the other segment and this situation may result in an inefficient use of toll and non-toll segments between two locations along a travel route.
For toll roads, electronic toll collection has been available for many years now. The contradiction of a regular toll is that for frequent travelers, the use of a tolled road segment becomes second nature—the idea of paying for the trip becomes so natural that they use the toll road without even thinking. As a result, many of today's toll roads, originally built to save time, are often more congested than the roads they were originally built to replace. Express Toll Lanes exist where lanes of traffic are reserved for vehicles that wish to pay in order to increase the probability of receiving a shorter duration to complete the journey between two specific locations where both a tolled and a non-toll road exists. As traffic congestion increases, the cost of using the road increases to act as a deterrent to using the tolled road segment. The primary issue with this type of approach is that drivers may not receive any benefit from the usage of the toll road instead of the non-toll roads, therefore not receiving value for payment of the toll. If the estimated time taken to drive the non-toll lanes is around the same time to drive the tolled lanes, then there is no value in using the tolled lanes. Also, paying a premium to use the toll lane does not necessarily guarantee free moving traffic.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system in which the amount of toll being charged in tolled segments of a travel route which includes both tolled and non-tolled segments, is adjusted so that the likelihood of free-flowing traffic in conjunction with providing value for money for the drivers in the vehicles which are using the tolled road segment is insured and maintained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and system are provided in which average vehicle speeds of tolled and non-tolled road segments between two locations are monitored and saved for reference in providing dynamic adjustment of the toll amount to be charged for use of the tolled segment in order to insure an efficient use of the tolled segment and a determination of an appropriate toll amount to be charged drivers in the tolled segment in view of real time traffic conditions of the tolled and the non-tolled segment. In an exemplary embodiment, a desired free-flow average vehicle speed is determined and input to a toll calculating system. When the calculated actual average speed of vehicles on the tolled segment is less than the desired free-flow average vehicle speed, a toll increase is processed, and when the calculated actual average speed of vehicles on the tolled segment is equal to or less than the desired free-flow average vehicle speed, a toll decrease is processed. The toll adjustments are determined based upon the difference between actual average speeds of the tolled segment and actual average speeds of the non-tolled segment such that the toll adjustments are dynamic and depend upon real time traffic conditions in both the tolled and non-tolled segments of the travel route.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an overall system schematic illustrating an exemplary arrangement in which the present invention may be implemented;
FIG. 2 is a system diagram illustrating a typical interconnection scheme which may be used with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of several of the components of a traffic control server device which may be used with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an example of a portion of a data base which may be implemented in accordance with the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary functional sequence in one implementation of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary methodology in determining when a toll adjustment is requested;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary methodology in determining an amount of toll increase; and
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary methodology in determining an amount of toll decrease.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It is noted that circuits and devices which are shown in block form in the drawings are generally known to those skilled in the art, and are not specified to any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention.
As herein disclosed, the core idea of this invention surrounds better calculation of toll charges, in real time, in order to: (1) optimize the tolled lanes to increase the likelihood that the tolled lanes are able to carry free moving vehicles even during peak volumes; and (2) ensure that the toll price is calculated based on the improvement of service (or faster trip time than using the non-toll road lanes) to the drivers of each vehicle. In order to more effectively calculate the toll charge, the processing takes three inputs: (1) the average speed of vehicles currently in the tolled road segment; (2) the average speed of vehicles currently in the non-toll road segment; and (3) the actual time taken for the vehicle to travel the tolled segment. The processing can be customized to determine what is the threshold that defines “free moving traffic”. For example, if the preferred average speed of vehicles is set to 50 mph, this speed can be preset and used in the processing to set toll charges accordingly to maximize the probability that a vehicle will travel at around 50 mph. The average speed of vehicles in the tolled section will be calculated by optically scanning the license plates, using one of many forms of electronic tagging in conjunction with radio frequency identification, or performing any other forms of electronic, visual or non-visual vehicle recognition as they enter and leave the tolled lane segment. The speed of each vehicles is obtained across various segments throughout the duration of the trip and this can then be averaged to show the current real time average speed of the toll lanes between any two locations.
The average speed of the vehicles in the non-toll lanes or road segment will be calculated in the same way as those in the tolled lanes or road segment using a plurality of methods including license plate OCR, visual recognition or other Radio Frequency (RF) techniques for example. The average duration to complete the journey between two similar points on the non-toll road is also calculated and a comparison is created and updated in real time.
The actual time taken for a specific vehicle to travel the tolled road segment is calculated. This can be achieved by a plurality of different methods not limited to: (1) utilizing an RF type of smart tag in each car; (2) an initial pay booth issuing a paper ticket stamped with time entered the toll lanes and another pay booth when exiting; (3) utilizing optical license plate recognition; (4) utilizing global positioning system (GPS) technologies to monitor progress of the vehicle; and/or any other form of optical or electronic recognition schemes.
The processing utilizes the three parameters above. The purpose of the disclosed processing is to maximize the likelihood that free flow traffic can be maintained on the tolled lanes whilst ensuring that the drivers of each vehicle receive a better service than using the non-toll roads. The average speed of the vehicles in the tolled lanes is constantly monitored. If the average speed drops below the “free flow” preset or pre-determined speed, the toll is increased. If the average speed of the vehicles in the toll lane starts to exceed (or maintains) the “free flow” preset speed, the toll is reduced. The average speed of the vehicles in the non-toll section of the road is also monitored, because as the speed of vehicles starts to decrease, the increased likely hood that more cars will attempt to use the tolled section of the road. The processing will proportionally increase and decrease based on the delta of average speeds of both the toll and non-toll lanes. One aspect of one exemplary embodiment of the present invention involves how the difference or “delta” between the actual average speed of the tolled segment and the actual average speed on the non-tolled segment is used. If the delta is high when then toll needs to be raised, the amount it is raised is proportionally higher. If the delta is high when the toll needs to be reduced, the amount of reduction is inversely proportionally lower—i.e. the drop in toll will be small. Finally, in one example, at the end of the use of the tolled lanes, the average speed of the vehicle is calculated for the duration of the journey on the tolled road segment. If the average speed of the vehicle matches (or exceeds) the “free flow” preset speed, the toll does not change. If the average speed of the toll road falls below this threshold, a discount is given. Therefore the invention not only allows for efficient use of tolled lanes, but also ensures that drivers of vehicles also get premium services as appropriate.
With specific reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a routing system in which the present invention may be implemented. As shown, there are two road segments 101 and 103 by which a driver of a vehicle can go from a first location 100 designated Location A and a second location 102 designated Location B. The first road segment 101 is a toll road where a driver enters the toll road at a toll entrance 105 and exits the toll road at a toll exit 107 . The second road segment 103 is a non-toll road with cross-roads 131 and intersections 125 which may include traffic signals 127 and 129 and other traffic control devices. In FIG. 1 , vehicles A, B, C and D are illustrated on the toll road 101 moving from Location A toward Location B and will pass through the toll exit 107 to leave the toll road upon arriving at Location B. Vehicles E, F, G, H, I, J, K and L are vehicles on the non-toll road 103 moving from Location A to Location B and upon arriving at Location B will not be required to pay a toll. As shown in the illustrated example, spaced in parallel along the way at corresponding distances between Location A and Location B are a series of four vehicle detector devices for each road segment, i.e. D 1 109 , D 2 111 , D 3 113 and D 4 115 on the toll road 101 , and D 5 117 , D 6 119 D 7 121 and D 8 123 on the non-toll road 103 . The vehicle detector devices may be implemented, for example, with electronic overhead signs, which may be installed alone or at overhead bridges or bypasses, and which include one or more vehicle detecting devices arranged to detect specifically identified vehicles as they pass beneath the detectors 109 - 123 . The detectors D 1 -D 8 would also include a display device (not shown) for displaying information, including current toll charges, to the drivers of the vehicles passing beneath the detector devices D 1 -D 8 . Each vehicle on both the toll road 101 and the non-toll road 103 would be identifiable by the vehicle detectors through the use of a smart tag system or any of the other methodologies noted above for the identification of each particular vehicle. In addition, as each vehicle passes beneath a vehicle detector, certain data are made known and logged into or saved by the detector tracking system. For example, when a vehicle passes beneath a vehicle detector, the identity of the vehicle is known as well as its position on the road segment and the time that has elapsed since that vehicle has passing by the previous vehicle detector. It is noted that the vehicle detector devices may take on many forms and may, for example, instead of being overhead detectors, be sign-post detectors at the side of the road segments in a similar parallel toll/non-toll positional arrangement as that shown for the overhead example. Further, the toll road system may also be implemented in various arrangements. In another example, the toll segment may be a high-speed lane or lanes of a multi-lane highway.
As shown in FIG. 2 , each detector D 1 -D 8 , 109 , 111 , 113 , 115 and 117 , 119 , 121 and 123 are arranged for connection to a traffic control server 219 through an interconnection network 217 . The interconnection network 217 and the connections to the detectors D 1 -D 8 and also to the traffic control server 219 may be hard-wired or wireless or any combination of wired and wireless connections.
FIG. 3 illustrates several of the major components of the server 219 . As shown, the server 219 includes a CPU 301 coupled to a main bus 303 . Also coupled to the main bus is a memory unit 307 along with a storage unit 309 , input means 305 , output means 311 and a network interface 313 for coupling to an interconnection network, for example 217 . Other devices and systems may also be coupled to the main bus as appropriate and/or necessary for particular applications.
In FIG. 4 , there is shown an exemplary database 401 which may be maintained by the server 219 in association with the dynamic toll system of the present invention. As shown, there is an record for each vehicle, e.g. A-D, which includes a point of entry 403 for the vehicle, the average speed 405 and 407 of each vehicle at each detector location relative to the previous detector location D(m) . . . D(m+1), and also relative to the starting point, as well as the road exit point 409 of each vehicle and the entry-to-exit (E-E) average speed 411 for each vehicle. Average speeds can be calculated and maintained for each vehicle using the known distance between the vehicle detectors and the time it takes for each vehicle to travel between successive detectors as well as between entry and exit points.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary processing methodology which may be used in one implementation of the present invention. As shown, when a vehicle is exiting the toll road segment, the exit toll process 501 retrieves an entrance-to-exit base toll 503 and then determines the average E-E average speed 505 for the particular vehicle exiting the toll road. If the overall or E-E average speed is less than a predetermined threshold number 507 , which means a driver has driven at a slower rate than a desired free flow rate, then a discount is determined 509 and the toll charge is processed using the discount. If the E-E average speed for the particular exiting vehicle is not less than the threshold or free flow rate of speed 507 , then the toll is processed using the base toll without discount. The toll processing may be an actual collection of the toll at the exit or an electronic accounting entry by the server 219 into a driver's account which is periodically billed to the driver or debited from a driver's account.
As a means to control the number of vehicles, and therefore presumably the average speed for all of the vehicles on the toll road 101 , the toll charge may be dynamically varied depending upon the amount of traffic and the average speed of the vehicles on the toll road 101 . In one example of an implementation of this scheme, an electronic sign may be arranged at an entry point 105 to the toll road 101 and also included in each of the detector devices D 1 -D 8 . The sign will display the current toll between points on the toll road 101 . As the measured average speed of the vehicles on the toll road decreases, the toll charged for travel between any two points on the toll road is increased so that fewer vehicles will be entering the toll road. As the overall average speed again increase approaching a predetermined free-flow average speed, then a decrease in the toll charge is determined and may be displayed at the entrance to the toll-way 105 . The manner in which the toll is dynamically increased or decreased depends upon detected average speeds for both the toll segment 101 and the non-toll segment 103 as is explained in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 6-8 .
As shown in FIG. 6 , the amount of toll charged for travel between any two detector locations on the toll road 101 is determined by continuously determining an average speed 601 for all vehicles between the two detector locations in question. The average speed for vehicles traveling on a corresponding segment (i.e. between corresponding detector locations) of the non-toll road 103 is also determined 603 . Next, the predetermined free-flow average setting or speed is retrieved 605 . If the actual average for vehicles on the toll road segment in question is less than the predetermined free-flow setting, the a toll increase is requested 609 and posted on the system display devices visible to the drivers on the toll system in order to alert drivers that the average speed is slower than desirable and to deter some drivers from using the toll road. If the actual average for vehicles on the toll road segment in question is not less than the predetermined free-flow setting, the a toll decrease is requested 611 and posted on the system display devices visible to the drivers on the toll system in order to alert drivers that traffic is running either at or exceeding the predetermined free-flow average speed and the tolls are decreased.
As shown in FIG. 7 , when a request for toll increase is processed 701 , the difference between the average speed on the toll segment TA 101 and the average speed on the non-toll segment NTA 103 is determined 703 . The amount of the toll increase is then determined using, for example, the difference between TA and NTA, with that difference divided by a factor F 1 , wherein F 1 is a predetermined amount, for example ten dollars ($10). Next the toll amount for the particular segment being determined is adjusted and rounded-off 707 and the calculated dynamic new toll charge for the particular road segment is processed, stored and displayed 709 on the system display devices.
As shown in FIG. 8 , when a request for toll decrease 801 is processed, the difference between the average speed on the toll segment TA 101 and the average speed on the non-toll segment NTA 103 is determined 803 . The amount of the toll decrease is then determined using, for example, a second factor F 2 divided by the difference between TA and NTA, wherein F 2 is a predetermined amount, for example the number “25”. Next the toll amount for the particular segment being determined is adjusted and rounded-off 807 and the calculated dynamic new toll charge for the particular road segment is processed, stored and displayed 809 on the system display devices.
As each vehicle exits the tolled road segment the actual average speed is calculated. If this speed fell under the threshold, a discount is then given. This discount can be a predetermined advertised discount, for example, 50%.
In a specific example, the dynamic toll determining system would initially determine that the average speed of the non-toll lanes is 30 miles per hour (mph). The current average speed of the tolled lanes is 40 mph. The free flow average speed threshold has been set to 50 mph. The current charge to use the toll road from the entrance 105 to the exit 107 is $4.00. The system raises an alert that the toll road charge needs to be increased because the average vehicle speed using the toll road has fallen under the threshold of 50 mph. The delta or difference between the average speed of the toll road and non-toll road is calculated to be (50 mph.−30 mph)=20 mph. The system calculates that the toll increase is calculated to be (difference in speed/10) dollars. In this case 20/10=$2 increase. The toll is now set to $6 to deter drivers from using the toll road.
Because the toll is now relatively high, fewer vehicles are using the toll road 101 and more vehicles are using the non-toll road 103 . The tolled lanes start to speed up. The average speed of vehicles using the toll road 101 starts to increase. The average speed of the vehicles on the non-toll lanes start to decrease to 25 mph. The average speed of the tolled lanes now reaches the threshold average speed of 50 mph. An alert to reduce the toll is generated. The delta of the two average speeds is now 50−25=25 mph. The system calculates that the toll decrease is (25/difference in speed) dollars as adjusted to the nearest dollar. In this case 25/25=$1. The toll is therefore reduced by $1 to $5.
The algorithm therefore quickly increases the toll when the average toll road speed is too low, but maintains a high toll whilst the delta between toll and non-toll traffic is high in order to maintain value of service to toll road users.
The method and apparatus of the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment as disclosed herein. The disclosed methodology may be implemented in a wide range of sequences, menus and screen designs to accomplish the desired results as herein illustrated. Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain variants thereof, many other varied embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the invention may be easily constructed by those skilled in the art, and even included or integrated into a processor or CPU or other larger system integrated circuit or chip. The disclosed methodology may also be implemented solely or partially in program code stored on a CD, disk or diskette (portable or fixed), memory stick or other memory device, from which it may be loaded into memory and executed to achieve the beneficial results as described herein. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A method and system are provided in which average vehicle speeds of tolled and non-tolled road segments between two locations are monitored and saved for reference in providing dynamic adjustment of the toll amount to be charged for use of the tolled segment in order to insure an efficient use of the tolled segment and a determination of an appropriate toll amount to be charged drivers in the tolled segment in view of real time traffic conditions of the tolled and the non-tolled segment. The toll adjustments are determined based upon the difference between actual average speeds of the tolled segment and actual average speeds of the non-tolled segment such that the toll adjustments are dynamic and depend upon real time traffic conditions in both the tolled and non-tolled segments of the travel route.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with improvements of side stays of heddle frames for looms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The side stays of heddle frames are usually made of wood or metal such as aluminum, the former having the disadvantages of being mechanically weak and unable to endure a long period of service. And the latter has the disadvantages of requiring complicated joint structure of the side stay and side beam, resulting in difficult manufacturing of the side stay, is not adequate for mass production, and also has the disadvantage of heavy side stay weight which if being reduced by using, for example, aluminum base material, leads to higher material cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is proposed in consideration of and to correct above conventional disadvantage for the purpose of offering a side stay of a heald frame which is adequate for mass production because it is easy to form and has high mechanical strength, sufficient to be applied to heavy duty high speed looms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view of a heddle frame assembled with a side stay of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 seen from the arrow direction at line II--II, and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III--III of FIG. 1 and seen in the arrow direction.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are partial sectional views of the side stay of other example embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, numeral 1 designates a hollow metal frame with a nearly square cross section, the interior of which is poured and filled with plastic material 2. Any rigid plastic, such as A.B.S., may be used.
Numeral 3 designates a side beam to which a square fitting-hole 4 is formed as shown in FIG. 3, and is usually made of aluminum material and formed by drawing in the shape shown in the figure.
Numeral 5 designates a hole cut in the side of the hollow metal frame 1, located in the position corresponding to the point of attachment with the side beam 3, and made similar in form and dimension with those of the fitting hole 4 of the side beam 3.
Numeral 6 designates a supporting element consisting of plastic material and supporting the side beam 3, the supporting element 6 being formed as one body with the plastic material 2 poured into the hollow metal frame 1, and protrudes from the hole 5 formed in the side of the hollow metal frame 1 by a predetermined length as shown in the drawing.
The supporting element 6 which protrudes from the hole 5 is inserted into the fitting-hole 4 at the end of the side beam 3. The inserted supporting element 6 and side beam 3 are connected and fixed by means of a rivet 8, through the hole 7 which is formed in the side face of the ends.
Numeral 9 designates a rod-bushing which is inserted into a hole formed on the side of the hollow metal frame 1 and fixed by a screw A rod 10 is fixed to the hole formed in the center of the rod-bushing, to fix the rod 10.
As will be obvious from the above description, the side stay of this invention is composed of the hollow metal frame 1, the plastic material 2 poured and filled in it and the supporting element 6.
Although in the above embodiment, the supporting element 6 is formed as one body with the plastic material 2, which is poured into the hollow metal frame 1, it may also be formed by locating a metal sheet in the middle of the supporting element 6, and enclosing the metal sheet with plastic material 2 as one body for the purpose of increasing the strength of the supporting element 6.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are partial sectional views of the side stay in another embodiment of this invention in which the supporting element is composed of independent plastic pieces, and fixed to the side of the hollow metal frame poured and filled with plastic material.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a hole 5' is cut in the side of the hollow metal frame 1 which is poured and filled with plastic material 2, and an end of the supporting element 6', which is composed of separately manufactured plastic material, is fit into the hole 5'. Spot facings 11 are formed at two points of the opposite side of the hollow metal frame 1, from which tapping screws 12 are screwed so that their ends are buried deep in the supporting element 6' and fix the supporting element 6' strongly to the side of the hollow metal frame 1. In the drawing, numeral 7 designates a rivet-hole to connect and fix the side beam 3.
FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the invention in which a hole 5" having two deep holes at the sides by the hollow metal frame 1 are poured and filled with plastic material 2 as shown in the figure. A separately manufactured plastic material supporting element 6" having two legs is inserted by fitting the legs into the deep holes of the hole 5"; the face of the opposite side of the hollow metal frame 1 is spot faced, through which a bolt 13 is screwed to make the end protrude into the tapered groove 14 formed in the end center of the supporting element 6" and screwed into the head of the cotter piece 15 which is fit into the tapered groove 14 so that the tightening of the bolt 13 makes the cotter piece 15 press in the tapered groove 14 to fix supporting element 6" strongly, to form a side stay.
In the drawing, numeral 7 designates a rivet-hole to connect and fix the side beam 3. Although the supporting element 6' or 6" shown above in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are made separately with plastic material, another embodiment can also be used which makes supporting elements 6' and 6" as one body with the plastic material 2 poured and filled in the hollow metal frame 1 as shown in FIG. 1, and screws in tapping screw 12 or bolt 13 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 for the purpose of reinforcing the supporting element.
Now, as shown in FIG. 5, by fitting cotter piece 15 into the tapered groove 14 formed in the end of the supporting element 6", the opening of both sides of the tapered groove 14 will be slightly expanded by the elasticity of the plastics, causing the upper and lower sides of the end of the supporting element 6" to be pressed towards the upper and lower inside faces of the fitting hole 4 of the side beam 3, resulting in the advantage of preventing loosening of the joining tightness between the supporting element 6" and the side beam 3.
As explained above in detail, this invention, embodied in forming the side stay of the heddle frame by pouring and filling plastic material in the interior of a hollow metal frame having a nearly square cross section and formed at the side of the hollow metal frame at the position corresponding to the attaching portion of the side beam, a hole of almost the same form as the fitting hole of the end of the side beam, protruding a supporting element of plastic material fit into the fitting-hole of the side beam from the hole of the hollow metal frame, the supporting element being one body with the plastic material poured into the hollow metal frame, and with connecting means connect and fix the sides of the fitted support element and the end of the side beam with rivets, etc., and has many advantages as:
(1) Because of hollow metal frame is poured with plastic material, it is made quite light and suitable for heavy weight high speed looms, as well as allowing easy forming and low cost manufacture and is suitable for mass production.
(2) Because the plastic material is poured and filled in the hollow metallic frame, it does not deform by expansion because the frame has a larger section modulus and larger bending strength.
(3) Because the supporting element fit into the fitting-hole is made of plastic, bending stress or shock load arising in the side beam can effectively be absorbed, resulting in low noise.
The side stay of this invention is far more functional compared with a conventional one and can offer a quite practical and convenient side stay of the heddle frame.
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A side stay for a heddle frame is disclosed. The heddle frame has a hollow metal frame member which is filled with a plastic material and has an opening in one wall thereof. A supporting element extends from the plastic material through the opening in the metal frame and is insertable within a hollow side beam of the heddle frame, to which it may be fixed. The supporting element can be either unitary with the plastic material or connected to the frame via connecting elements.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/347,467, filed on Dec. 31, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,945. The present application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/061,567, filed Jun. 13, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER”, and 61/091,246, filed Aug. 22, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER”, and 61/122,941, filed Dec. 16, 2008, entitled “MOBILE BARRIER” each of which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of trailers and other types of barriers used to shield road construction workers from traffic. More specifically, the present invention discloses a safety and construction trailer having a fixed safety wall and semi tractor hookups at both ends.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Various types of barriers have long been used to protect road construction workers from passing vehicles. For example, cones, barrels and . flashing lights have been widely used to warn drivers of construction zones, but provide only limited protection to road construction workers in the event a driver fails to take heed. Some construction projects routinely park a truck or other heavy construction equipment in the lane between the construction zone and on-coming traffic. This reduces the risk of worker injury from traffic in that lane, but does little with regard to errant traffic drifting laterally across lanes into the construction zone. In addition, conventional barriers require significant time and effort to transport to the work site, and expose workers to significant risk of accident while deploying the barrier at the work site. Therefore, a need exists for a safety barrier that can be readily transported to, and deployed at the work site. In addition, the safety barrier should protect against lateral incursions by traffic from adjacent lanes, as well as traffic in the same lane.
SUMMARY
[0004] These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments and configurations of the present invention. In contrast to the prior art in the field, the present invention can provide a safety trailer with a fixed safety wall and semi tractor hookups at one or both ends.
[0005] In a first embodiment, a safety trailer includes:
[0006] (a) first and second removably interconnected platforms, at least one of the first and second platforms being engaged with an axle and wheels, the first and second platforms defining a trailer; and
[0007] (b) a plurality of wall sections supported by the trailer, the wall sections, when deployed to form a barrier wall, are positioned between the first and second interconnected platforms
[0008] (c) wherein at least one of the following is true:
[0009] (c1) the trailer supports a ballast member, the ballast member being positioned near a first side of the trailer and the ballast member near a second, opposing side of the trailer, the ballast member offsetting, at least partially, a weight of the plurality of wall sections, and
[0010] (c2) the axle of the trailer is engaged with a vertical adjustment member, the vertical adjustment member selectively adjusting a vertical position of a surface of the trailer.
[0011] In a second embodiment, a safety trailer includes:
[0012] (a) first and second platforms;
[0013] (b) a plurality of interconnected wall sections positioned between and connected to the first and second platforms, the plurality of wall sections defining a protected work area on a side of the trailer;
[0014] (c) wherein each wall section has at least one of the following features:
[0015] (c1) a plurality of interconnected levels, each level comprising first and second longitudinal members, a plurality of truss members interconnecting the first and second longitudinal members, and being connected to an end member;
[0016] (c2) a longitudinal member extending a length of the wall section, the longitudinal member being positioned at the approximate position of a bumper of a vehicle colliding with the wall section;
[0017] (c3) a plurality of full height and partial height wall members, the full height wall members extending substantially the height and width of the wall section and the partial height wall members extending substantially the width but less than the height of the wall section, the full height and partial height members alternating along a length of the wall section; and
[0018] (c4) first and second end members, each of the first and second end members comprising an outwardly projecting alignment member and an alignment-receiving member, the first and second end members having the alignment and alignment-receiving members positioned in opposing configurations.
[0019] In a third embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0020] (a) a trailer body;
[0021] (b) a removable caboose engageable with the trailer body, the caboose having a nose portion and at least one axle and wheels; and
[0022] (c) a caboose receiving member, the caboose receiving member comprising an alignment device, wherein, in a first mode when the caboose is moved into engagement with the trailer body, the alignment device orients the caboose with a king pin mounted on the trailer body and, in a second mode when the caboose is engaged with the trailer body, the alignment device maintains a desired orientation of the caboose with the trailer.
[0023] In a fourth embodiment, a safety system includes:
[0024] (a) a vehicle;
[0025] (b) first and second platforms;
[0026] (c) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space; and
[0027] (d) a caboose, wherein the vehicle and caboose are engaged with the first and second platforms, respectively, wherein the vehicle has a movable king pin plate engaged with a first king pin on the first platform, and wherein the caboose has a fixed king pin plate engaged with a second king pin on the second platform.
[0028] In a fifth embodiment, a safety system includes:
[0029] (a) a vehicle;
[0030] (b) first and second platforms;
[0031] (c) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space; and
[0032] (d) a caboose, wherein the vehicle and caboose are engaged with the first and second platforms, respectively, wherein the vehicle and caboose have braking systems that operate independently.
[0033] In a sixth embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0034] (a) first and second platforms;
[0035] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections and wherein the interconnected wall sections slidably engage one another.
[0036] In a seventh embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0037] (a) first and second platforms;
[0038] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected work space, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections and wherein the interconnected wall section telescopically engage one another.
[0039] In an eighth embodiment, a trailer includes:
[0040] (a) first and second platforms;
[0041] (b) a barrier engaged with the first and second platforms, the barrier and first and second platforms forming a protected area, wherein the barrier is formed by a plurality of interconnected wall sections, and wherein at least one of the following is true:
[0042] (b1) a bottom of the barrier is positioned at a distance above a surface upon which the trailer is parked and wherein the distance ranges from about 10 to about 14 inches;
[0043] (b2) a height of the barrier above the surface is at least about 3.5 feet; and
[0044] (b3) a height of the barrier from a bottom of the barrier to the top of the barrier is at least about 2.5 feet.
[0045] The present invention can provide a number of advantages depending on the particular configuration.
[0046] In one aspect, the barrier (and thus the entire trailer) is of any selected length or extendable, but the wall is “fixed” to the platforms on one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the semi tractor attaches. This dual-ended, fixed-wall design thus can eliminate the need for complex shifting or rotating designs, which are inherently weaker and more expensive, and which cannot support the visual barriers, lighting, ventilation and other amenities necessary for providing a comprehensive safety solution. The directional lighting and impact-absorbing features incorporated at each end of the trailer and in the caboose can combine with the fixed wall and improved lighting to provide increased protection for both work crews and the public, especially with ever-increasing amounts of night-time construction. End platforms integral to the trailer's design can minimize the need for workers to leave the protected zone and eliminate the need for separate maintenance vehicles by providing onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and related power, fuel, water, storage and portable restroom facilities. Optional overhead protection can be extended out over the work area for even greater environmental relief (rain or shine). The fixed wall itself can be made of any rigid material, such as steel. Lighter weight materials having high strength are typically disfavored as their reduced weight is less able to withstand, without significant displacement, the force of a vehicular collision. The trailer can carry independent directional and safety lighting at both ends and will work with any standard semi tractor. Optionally, an impact-absorbing caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional safety lighting and impact protection.
[0047] In one aspect, the trailer is designed to provide road maintenance personnel with improved protection from ongoing, oncoming and passing traffic, to reduce the ability of passing traffic to see inside the work area (to mitigate rubber-necking and secondary incidents), and to provide a fully-contained, mobile, enhanced environment within which the work crews can function day or night, complete with optional power, lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling, and overhead protection including extendable mesh shading for sun protection, or tarp covering for protection from rain, snow or other inclement weather.
[0048] Platforms can be provided at both ends of the trailer for hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment and supplies, including portable restroom facilities. The trailer can be fully rigged with direction and safety lighting, as well as lighting for the work area and platforms. Power outlets can be provided in the interior of the work area for use with construction tools and equipment, with minimal need for separate power trailers or extended cords. Both the caboose and the center underside of both end platforms can provide areas for fuel, water and storage. Additional fuel, water and miscellaneous storage space can be provided in an optional extended caboose of like but lengthened design.
[0049] In one aspect, the trailer is designed to eliminate the need for separate lighting trucks or trailers, to reduce glare to traffic, to eliminate the need for separate vehicles pulling portable restroom facilities, to provide better a brighter, more controlled work environment and enhanced safety, and to, among other things, better facilitate 24-hour construction along our nation's roadways. Other applications include but are not limited to public safety, portable shielding and shelter, communications and public works. Two or more trailers can be used together to provide a fully enclosed inner area, such as may be necessary in multi-lane freeway environments.
[0050] With significant shifts to night construction and maintenance, the trailer, in one aspect, can provide a well-lit, self-contained, and mobile safety enclosure. Historical cones can still be used to block lanes, and detection systems or personnel can be used to provide notice of an errant driver, but neither offers physical protection or more than split second warning for drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants, or who, for whatever reason, become fixated on the construction/maintenance equipment or lights and veer into or careen along the same.
[0051] The trailer can provide an increased level of physical protection both day and night and workers with a self-contained and enhanced work environment that provides them with basic amenities such as restrooms, water, power, lighting, ventilation and even some possible heating/cooling and shelter. The trailer can also be designed to keep passing motorists from seeing what is going on within the work area and hopefully facilitate better attention to what is going on in front of them. Hopefully, this will reduce both direct and secondary incidents along such construction and maintenance sites.
[0052] Embodiments of this invention can provide a safety trailer with semi-tractor hookups at both ends and a safety wall that is fixed to one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the semi-tractor attaches. A caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional lighting and impact protection. Optionally, the trailer can be equipped with overhead protection, lighting, ventilation, onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment, as well as related fuel, water, storage and restroom facilities and other amenities.
[0053] These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention(s) contained herein.
[0054] As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
[0055] It is to be noted that the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.
[0056] The preceding is a simplified summary of the invention to provide an understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the invention and its various embodiments. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention but to present selected concepts of the invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0057] FIGS. 1A-1E show a loaded trailer, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0058] FIGS. 2A-2C show a deployed protective wall, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0059] FIGS. 3A-3C show a wall section in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0060] FIGS. 4A-4H show a platform and its components in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0061] FIGS. 5A-5B show a caboose, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0062] FIGS. 6A-6G show a truck mounted attenuator attached to the caboose shown in FIGS. 5A-5B ;
[0063] FIG. 7 shows an interconnection member between a platform and a truck mounted attenuator;
[0064] FIG. 8 shows a forced air system, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
[0065] FIG. 9 shows the loaded trailer, including a storage compartment;
[0066] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method of deploying a protective barrier;
[0067] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of balancing the weight of a protective barrier;
[0068] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of changing the orientation of a protective barrier/trailer;
[0069] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method of disassembling a protective barrier and loading the component parts for transport;
[0070] FIGS. 14A-C are illustrations of a fixed wall protective barrier in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention;
[0071] FIG. 15A-C are illustrations of a fixed wall protective barrier in accordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0072] FIG. 16 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment;
[0073] FIG. 17 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment; and
[0074] FIG. 18 shows a configuration of the caboose according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0075] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a mobile traffic barrier. In one embodiment, the mobile traffic barrier includes a number of inter-connectable wall sections that can be loaded onto a truck bed. The truck bed itself includes two (first and second) platforms. Each platform includes a king pin (not shown); the king pin providing a connection between the selected platform and either a caboose or a tractor. By enabling the tractor to hook at either end, the trailer can incorporate a rigid fixed wall that is open to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the tractor is connected. The side wall and the ends of the trailer define a protected work area for road maintenance and other operations. The tractor and caboose may exchange trailer ends to change the side to which the wall faces. The dual-hookup, fixed-wall design can enable and incorporate compartments (in the platforms) for equipment and storage, onboard power for lighting, ventilation, and heating and/or cooling devices and power tools, and on-board hydraulics for hydraulic tools. The design can also provide for relatively high shielding from driver views, and in general, a larger and better work environment, day or night.
[0076] Referring initially to FIG. 1A , a trailer in accordance with an embodiment is generally identified with reference numeral 100 . The trailer 100 includes two (first and second) platforms 104 a,b and a number of wall sections 108 a - c . As described in greater detail below, the wall sections 108 a - c are adapted to interconnect to each other and to the platforms 104 a,b to form a protective wall. In FIG. 1A , the wall sections 108 a,b are disconnected from each other and secured in a stored position on top of the interconnected platforms 104 a,b . In this position, the trailer 100 is configured so that it may be transported to a work site. In the transport configuration illustrated in FIG. 1A , the platforms 104 are bolted to each other to form a truck bed that is operable to carry the wall sections 108 and other components.
[0077] In addition to the wall sections 108 a - c , the platforms 104 a,b carry two rectangular shaped ballast members 112 a,b , which are shown as boxes of sand. As will be appreciated, the ballast members can be any other heavy material. The weights of ballast boxes 112 a,b counter balance the weights of the wall sections 108 a - c , when the wall sections 108 a - c are deployed to form a protective barrier and when being transported atop the platforms. The ballast boxes 112 a,b hold between about 5,000 and 8,000 lbs. of weight, particularly sand. At 8,000 lbs., the ballast boxes 112 a,b counter balance three wall sections 108 a - c , when the wall sections are deployed or being transported. In one configuration, the wall sections 108 a - c weigh approximately 5,000 lbs. each.
[0078] The truck bed formed by the interconnected platforms 108 a,b is connected at one end to a standard semi-tractor 116 and at the other end to an impact-absorbing caboose 120 . Both of the platforms 108 a,b include a standard king pin connection to the tractor 116 or caboose 120 , as the case may be. The caboose 120 may include an impact absorbing Track Mounted Attenuator (“TMA”) 136 , such as the SCORPION.™. manufactured by TrafFix Devices, Inc. in accordance with alternative embodiments, the caboose 120 and/or tractor 116 may include a rigid connection to the rear platform 104 .
[0079] FIG. 1B shows a reverse side of the trailer 100 shown in FIG. 1A . Each platform 104 a,b includes at least one storage compartment 124 . The doors 128 to the storage compartment 124 are shown in FIG. 1 A. The reverse perspective of FIG. 1B shows a rigid wall 132 forming the rear of the storage compartment 124 .
[0080] FIG. 1C shows a rear view of the trailer 100 . In FIG. 1C , the TMA 136 is shown in its retracted position. FIG. 1D shows a rear view of the trailer 100 with the TMA 136 in a deployed position.
[0081] FIG. 1E shows a top plan view of the trailer 100 . As can also be seen in FIGS. 1D and 1E , the trailer 100 includes three wall sections 108 stored on top of the platforms 104 a,b . Two of the wall sections 108 a,b nearest the right side of the trailer are positioned end-to-end, with one being positioned on top of each platform. The third wall section 108 c is positioned between the wall sections 108 a,b and the ballast boxes 112 and is approximately bisected by the longitudinal axis A of the trailer (or the first and second platforms). Effectively, by substantially co-locating the longitudinal axis of the third wall section 108 c with the longitudinal axis A of the trailer, the weight of the third wall section 108 c is effectively counter-balanced. The weight of ballast box 112 a therefore counterbalances effectively the first wall section 104 a and ballast box 112 b counterbalances effectively the second wall section 104 b . The platforms 104 a,b are asymmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis A. Accordingly, the weights of the ballast boxes can be greater than the weights of the wall sections to counter balanced the asymmetrical portion of the platforms. The loading of the trailer shown in FIG. 1E thus serves to balance the weight of the various trailer components with respect to the longitudinal axis A.
[0082] Referring now to FIG. 2A , the trailer 100 is shown in its unloaded or deployed configuration. As can be seen in FIG. 2A , the wall sections 108 a - c have been removed from their loaded positions on top of the platforms 104 a,b and connected between the platforms 104 a,b to form a protective barrier 200 . This is accomplished by removing the wall sections 108 a - c , such as for example through the use of cranes or a forklift, and then disconnecting the two platforms 104 a,b from each other. After the platforms 104 a,b have been disconnected, the platforms 104 a,b are spatially separated and the wall sections 108 a - c are then inserted there-between. As can be seen in FIG. 2A , the two ballast boxes 112 a,b remain in place on top of the platforms 104 a,b . The ballast boxes provide a counter-balance to the weight of the wall sections 108 a - c , which are disposed on the opposite side of the platforms 104 a,b.
[0083] FIG. 2A shows a view of the protective barrier 200 from the perspective of the protected work zone area. From the protected work zone, the storage compartment doors 128 and other equipment are accessible. The protected work zone area 204 can seen in FIG. 28 , which shows a top plan view of the protective barrier 200 shown in FIG. 2A . As can be seen, the protective barrier creates a protected work area 204 , which includes a space adjacent to the wall sections 108 a - c and between the platforms 104 a,b . The road or other work surface is exposed within the work zone area 204 . The work zone area 204 is sufficiently large for heavy equipment to access the work surface.
[0084] FIG. 2C shows the traffic-facing side of the protective barrier 200 . As can be seen in FIG. 2C , the protective barrier 200 presents a protective wall 208 proximate to the traffic zone. The protective wall 208 includes the rigid wall 132 and number of wall sections 108 a - c , which are interconnected to the two platforms 104 a,b . The bottoms of the wall sections 108 a - c are elevated a distance 280 above the roadway 284 . FIGS. 5A-B additionally show a portion of the caboose 120 , which interconnects to and is disposed underneath a selected one of the platforms 104 a,b . The wheels of the caboose 120 , in the deployed position of the trailer 100 shown in FIG. 2C , are covered with a piece of sheet metal 212 . During transport, this piece of sheet metal 212 can be disconnected from the platform 104 and positioned in a stowed manner on top of one of the platforms 104 .
[0085] Although stands 290 are shown in place at either end of the protective harrier 200 and may be used to support individual wall sections 108 of the barrier 200 , it is to be understood that no stands are required to support the barrier 200 . The barrier 200 has sufficient structural rigidity to act as a self-supporting elongated beam when supported on either end by the tractor 116 and caboose 120 . This ability permits the barrier 200 to be located simply by locking the tractor and caboose brakes and relocated simply by unlocking the brakes, moving the barrier 200 to the desired location, and relocking the brakes of the tractor and caboose. Requiring additional supports or stands to be lowered as part of barrier 200 deployment can not only immobilize the barrier 200 but also increase barrier rigidity to the point where it may cause excess damage and deflection to a colliding vehicle and excess ride down and lateral G forces to the occupant of the vehicle.
[0086] The wall section height preferably sufficient to prevent a vehicle colliding with the barrier 200 from flipping over the wall section into the work area and/or the barrier 200 from cutting into the colliding vehicle, thereby increasing vehicle damage and lateral and ride-down G forces to vehicular occupants. Preferably, the height of each of the wall sections is at least about 2.5 feet, more preferably at least about 3.0 feet, even more preferably at least about 3.5 feet, and even more preferably at least about 4.0 feet. Preferably, the height of the top of each wall section above the surface of the ground or pavement 284 is at least about 3.5 feet, more preferably at least about 4 feet, even more preferably at least about 4.5 feet, and even more preferably at least about 5 feet.
[0087] The protective wall or barrier 200 may additionally include attachment members 216 operable to interconnect a visual barrier 220 to the protective wall 200 . A visual barrier 220 in accordance with embodiments is mounted to the protective wall 200 and extends from the top of the protective wall 200 to approximately four feet above the wall 200 . The visual barrier 220 is interconnected to attachment members 216 , such as poles, which are interconnected to the wail 200 . In accordance with an embodiment, the attachment members 216 comprise poles which extend 10 feet upwardly from the wall section 200 . Each pole may support a 6 lb. light head at the top which generates over 3,000 alums of light. The poles may additionally provide an attachment means for the visual barrier 220 . While attached to the poles, the visual barrier 220 extends approximately 4 feet upwardly from the protective wall 200 .
[0088] The visual barrier 220 provides an additional safety factor for the work zone 204 . Studies have shown that a major cause of highway traffic accidents in and around work zone areas is the tendency for drivers to “rubber-neck” or look into the work zone from a moving vehicle. In this regard, it is found that such behavior can lead to traffic accidents. In particular, the “rubber-necking” driver may veer out of his or her traffic lane and into the work zone, resulting in a work zone incursion. The present invention can provide a structurally rigid wall 200 that prevents incursion into the work zone 204 , as well as a visual barrier 220 which discourages this so called, “rubber necking” behavior.
[0089] Studies have indicated that people are drawn to lights and distractions, and that they tend to steer and drive into what they are looking at. This is particularly hazardous for construction workers, especially where cones and other temporary barriers are being deployed on maintenance projects. Studies also indicate that lighting and equipment movement within a work zone are important factors in work site safety. Significant numbers of people are injured not only from errant vehicles entering the work zone, but also simply by movement of equipment within the work area. The trailer can be designed not only to keep passing traffic out of the work area, but also to reduce the amount of vehicles and equipment otherwise moving around within the work area.
[0090] In terms of lighting, research indicates more is better. Current lighting is often somewhat removed from the location where the work is actually taking place. Often, the lighting banks are on separate carts which themselves contribute to equipment traffic, congestion and accidents within the job site.
[0091] These competing considerations of motorists, at night, steering towards lights and roadside workmen being safer at night with more lighting can be satisfied by the trailer. The trailer can use the light heads 270 to provide substantial lighting where it is needed. If the work moves, the lighting moves with the work area, rather than the work area moving away from the lighting. Most importantly, the safety barrier—front, back and side—can move along too, providing simple but effective physical and visual barriers to passing traffic. Referring to FIGS. 28 and 2C , the light heads 270 positioned along the barrier 200 have a direction of illumination that is approximately perpendicular or normal to the direction of oncoming traffic. This configuration provides not only less glare to oncoming motorists but also less temptation for motorists to steer towards and into the barrier 200 .
[0092] FIGS. 2A-2C show the protective barrier 200 deployed for use in connection with a work-zone area. The design of the support members and the traffic facing portion of the protective barrier 200 , serve to provide a safe means for mitigating the effects of such a collision. In particular, the barrier 200 can re-direct the impacted moving car down the length of the protective wall 208 . Here, the moving car is not reflected back into traffic. Further incidents are prevented by not reflecting the moving car back from the mobile barrier into other cars, thereby enhancing safety not only of the driver of the vehicle colliding with the barrier but also of other drivers in the vicinity of the incident. The inherent rock/roll movement in the tractor 116 and trailer (caboose) springs and shocks assist dissipation of shock from vehicular impact. In addition, by deflecting the moving vehicle down the length of the protective wall 208 , the work zone 200 is prevented from sustaining an incursion by the moving vehicle, thereby enhancing safety of workers.
[0093] A number of factors are potentially important in maintaining this desirable effect. Firstly, the protective barrier 204 is maintained in a substantially vertical position. This is accomplished through a ballasting system and method in accordance with an embodiment. In particular, the wall sections 108 are balanced in a first step with the ballast boxes 112 . In a following step, a more precise balancing of the protective barrier 200 position is achieved through a system of movable pistons associated with the caboose 120 . This aspect of the invention is described in greater detail below. Second, the structural design of the wall sections 108 serve to provide optimal deflection of an incoming car. Finally as shown in FIG. 2B , the protective wall or barrier 200 is substantially planar and smooth (and substantially free of projections) along its length to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction to an oncoming vehicle. As will be appreciated, projections can redirect the vehicle into the wall and interfere with the wall's ability to direct the vehicle in a direction substantially parallel to the wall.
[0094] Turning now to FIG. 3A , an individual wall section 108 is shown in perspective view from the traffic side of the wall section 108 . As can be seen in 3 A, the wall section 108 includes a wall skin portion 300 , which faces the traffic side of the protective barrier 200 and is smooth to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction to a colliding vehicle. The wall skin 300 is adapted to distribute the force of the impact along a broad surface, thereby absorbing substantially the impact. As additionally can be seen in FIG. 3A , the wall section 108 includes a first end portion or wall end member 304 a . The first end portion 304 a includes a conduit box 308 , a number of bolt holes 312 , a protruding alignment member, which is shown as a large dowel 315 a , and an alignment receiving member, which is shown as a small dowel receiver hole 320 a . As will be appreciated, the alignment member can have any shape or length, depending on the application. The first end portion 304 a of wall section 108 is adapted to be interconnected to a second end portion 304 b of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . A second end portion 304 b can be seen in FIG. 38 , which shows the opposite end 304 b of the wall section 108 shown in FIG. 3A , including a protruding small dowel 316 b and a large dowel receiver hole 320 b . For each wall section 108 , the large dowel 316 a disposed on the top of the first end portion 304 a is operatively associated with a large dowel receiver hole 320 b in the second end portion 304 b of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . Similarly, the small dowel 316 b on the second end portion 304 b is operatively associated with the small dowel receiver hole 320 a in the first end portion 304 a of an adjacent wall section 108 or platform 104 . Additionally, the wall sections 108 are interconnected through a screw-and-bolt connection using the bolt holes 312 associated with the wall ends 304 . The conduit box 308 is additionally aligned with an adjacent conduit box 308 , providing a means for allowing entry and pass-through of such components as electrical lines, air hoses, hydraulic lines, and the like.
[0095] In FIG. 3B , a portion of the wall skin 300 is not shown in order to reveal the interior of the wall section 108 . As can be appreciated, such a partial wall skin 300 is shown here for illustrative purposes. As can be seen in FIGS. 3B and 3C , the wall section 108 includes three bracing sections 324 a - c vertically spaced equidistant from one another. Each of the bracing sections 324 includes two opposing horizontal beams 328 a - b , with the free ends being connected to the adjacent wall end member 304 a,b . The two horizontal beams 328 a - b are interconnected with angled steel members 332 to form a truss-like structure. The wall section 108 includes three bracing sections: the first bracing section 324 a being at the top, the second bracing section 324 b being at the middle and the third bracing section 324 c being at the bottom. Additionally, the wall section 108 includes a number of full-height vertical wall sections 336 a,b , the wall end members 304 a,b , and a number of partial-height vertical wall sections 340 a - c . As shown in FIG. 3A , the full-height wall sections 336 a,b and partial-height wall sections 340 a - c alternate. Additionally, it can be seen that the angled steel members 332 intersect at points where the partial-height wall 340 or full height wall 336 section, as I case may be, meets the horizontal beam 328 a,b , which, on one side, faces the traffic side of the wall section 108 . Additionally, the wall section includes a fourth horizontal member 344 . Unlike the structural members 328 and 336 which are preferably configured as rectangular steel beams, this fourth horizontal member 344 is configured as a steel C-channel beam. The C-channel is preferably positioned substantially at the height of a car or SIN bumper. In use, the bottom of the wall section 108 sits approximately eleven inches off of the ground, and the fourth horizontal member 344 sits approximately twenty inches off of the ground.
[0096] The wall sections 108 constructed as described and shown herein are specifically adapted to prevent gouging of the wall as a result of an impact from a moving car. In particular, gouging as used herein refers to piercing or tearing or otherwise drastic deformation of the wall section, which results in transfer of energy from a moving car into the mobile barrier 200 . As described herein, by deflecting the car down the length of the protective wall 200 , a desirable amount of energy is absorbed by the wall and therefore not transferred to other portions of the protective wall 200 . It is additionally noted that the floating king pin plate of the standard trailer 116 provides a shock absorbing effect for impacts which are received by the protective wall 200 . The shock absorbing effect of the trailer's 116 floating king pin plate 500 is complemented by fixed king pin plate associated with the caboose 120 (which is discussed below).
[0097] In accordance with an embodiment, the dimensions of the various trader and wall components vary. By way of example, the length of each wall section 108 preferably ranges from about 10 to 30 feet in length, more preferably from about 15 to 25 feet in length, and more preferably from about 18 to 22 feet in length. The width of each of the wall sections preferably ranges from about 18 to 30 inches, more preferably from about 22 to 28 inches, and more preferably from about 23 to 25 inches. The height of each of the wail sections 108 preferably ranges from about 3 to 4.5 feet, more preferably from about 3.75 to 4.25 feet, and more preferably from about 3.9 to 4.1 feet. It should be noted that these height ranges and distances measure from the base of a wall section 108 to the top of the wall section 108 and do not include the wall section's height when it is displaced with respect to the ground. In use, the wall section 108 typically is disposed at a predetermined distance from the ground. In particular, this distance preferably ranges from about 10 to 14 inches, more preferably from about 11 to 13 inches, and more preferably from about 11.5 to 12.5 inches. In accordance with an embodiment, a wall section is approximately 20 feet long, 24 inches wide, 4 feet high as measured from the base of the wall section to the top of the wall section and, when deployed, disposed at a distance of 12 inches from the ground.
[0098] The beams 328 a and 328 b span the length of the entire wall section. In accordance with an embodiment, the horizontal beams 328 a and 328 b measure from about 3-5 inches by about 5-7 inches, more preferably from about 3.5 inches to 4.5 inches by 5.5 inches to 6.5 inches, and even more preferably are about 4 inches by 6 inches. In accordance with an embodiment, the longer dimension of the beam is disposed in the horizontal direction. For example, with 4.times.6 beams, the 4-inch dimension is disposed in the vertical direction and the 6-inch dimension in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment with three sets of horizontal beams, the bottom and middle beams are separated by about 18 inches and the middle and the top beams also by about 18 inches. in this configuration, the total height of the wall section is 4 feet. In other portions of the mobile barrier 200 , the orientations of the horizontal beams may differ. In particular, the longer 6 inch dimension may be in the vertical direction, and the shorter 4 inch dimension may be in the horizontal direction. In accordance with an embodiment, this orientation for the horizontal beams is implemented in connection with the platforms 104 .
[0099] The wall skin 300 may be comprised of a single homogeneous piece of steel that is welded to the wall section 108 . The wall skin 300 is preferably between about 0.1 and 0.5 inch thick, more preferably between about 0.2 and 0.4 inch, and even more preferably approximately 0.25 inches thick. These dimensions are also applicable to the partial-height and full height wall members 340 , 336 . The wall end portions or plates 304 b and 304 a are preferably between about 0.25 and 1.25 inch thick, more preferably between about 0.5 and 1 inch thick, and even more preferably are about 0.75 inch thick.
[0100] In accordance with a preferred embodiment where the wall sections 108 are approximately 20 feet in length, a work space area 204 is defined when these wall sections are deployed that measures approximately 80 feet in length. In particular, the three wall sections total 60 feet in addition to 10 feet on each side of additional space provided by the interior portions of the platforms 104 .
[0101] Referring again to FIG. 3C , a wall section 108 may include a number of attaching devices, which provide a means for interconnecting various auxiliary components to the wall section 108 . In particular, a wall section 108 may include an attachment member mounting 348 , operable to mount an attachment member 216 , such as a pole. The attachment member mounting shown in FIG. 3C includes a lever which, through a quarter turn, is operable to lock the light pole in place. A pole may be used to mount a light in connection with using the wall barrier during night-time hours. As can be appreciated in such conditions, the work area will be required to be illuminated. Such illumination can be accomplished by light poles and corresponding lights which are mounted to the wall section. The light poles, lights and other auxiliary components may be stored in the storage compartments 124 .
[0102] The wall section 108 additionally may include attachments for jack stands 352 . The jack stands 352 provide a means for supporting the wall section 108 at the above-mentioned height of approximately eleven inches from the ground.
[0103] The wall section 108 may additionally include, so called, “glad hand boxes” (not shown), which provide means for accessing 12, 110, 120, 220, and/or 240 volt electricity. In accordance with the embodiments, the protective barrier 200 includes an electric generator and/or one or more batteries (which may be recharged by on-board solar panels) providing electricity which is accessible through the glad hand box and is additionally used in connection with other components of the protective barrier 200 described herein. The generator and/or the batteries may additionally be stored the storage compartments 124 , and the batteries used to start the generator and support electronics when the generator is turned off or is not operational.
[0104] The wall section 108 may be comprised of, or formed from, any suitable material which provides strength and rigidity to the wall section 108 , in accordance with embodiments, the beams of the wall section are made of steel and the outer skin of the wall section is made from sheets of steel. In accordance with alternative embodiments, the wall section 108 is made from carbon fiber composite material.
[0105] Referring now to FIG. 4A , a side perspective view of a platform 104 is shown. In FIG. 4A the platform is resting on a jack stand 352 . Additionally, the outline of the caboose 120 is shown in FIG. 4A . With the caboose 120 attached, the platform 104 shown in FIG. 4A would correspond to the rear of the protective barrier 200 and/or the rear of the loaded trailer 100 . As can be seen in FIG. 4A , the platform includes a king pin 400 . The king pin 400 provides an interconnection between the platform 104 and the caboose 120 . The king pin 400 is disposed on the underside of the platform 104 in a position that allows the king pin 400 to connect with a standard floating king pin plate associated with a semi-tractor 116 or a fixed king pin plate associated with the caboose 120 . In this way, either the caboose 120 or the semi-tractor 116 may be connected to the platform 104 using the king pin 400 . A nose receiver 404 portion of the platform 104 provides a means for receiving the end, or nose portion of the caboose 120 . This aspect of the invention is described in greater detail below.
[0106] In FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C , two opposed platforms 104 are shown with a central external cover plate of the central portions of the platforms being removed to show the structural members while the ballast box external support plates are in position, in FIG. 4D , a platform is shown with all exterior cover plates removed, and in FIG. 4G a platform is shown with all external cover plates in position. As can be seen, the first end 408 of the platform 104 is wider than the second end 412 of the platform 104 . Here, the platform 104 includes support members 421 for supporting the king pin (not shown), a sloping plate 428 for receiving the nose portion of the caboose, a flat plate assembly 422 positioned above and supporting the jack stands 423 , and a sloped or narrowing section 416 , which slopes from the larger, first-end 408 width, to the smaller, second-end 412 width. This sloped portion 416 of the platforms 104 includes the storage compartment 124 . The two second-ends 412 of the platform 104 are adapted to be interconnected to each other. The two first-ends 408 of the platform 104 are adapted to interconnect to either the tractor 116 or the caboose 120 , as described above. As can be seen in FIG. 4D , the platform 104 includes two side channels 420 a - b . Typically, the channel 420 a proximate to the work zone is adapted to receive a ballast box 112 , both in the mobile and the deployed positions.
[0107] FIGS. 4D , 4 E, and 4 F further show the structural members of each of the platforms. The platforms are identically constructed but are mirror images of one another. The traffic-facing, or elongated, side 460 of the platform 104 includes upper, middle, and lower horizontal structural members 464 , 468 , and 472 . The upper, middle, and lower horizontal structural members are at the same heights as and similar dimensions to the upper, middle, and lower horizontal beams 328 , respectively. The members 464 , 468 , and 472 , unlike the beams 328 , are oriented with the long dimension vertical and the shorter dimension horizontal. By orienting the members differently from the beams, the need for a member similar to the fourth horizontal member 344 is obviated. The upper structural member 464 is part of an interconnected framework of interconnected members 476 , 480 , 484 , 488 , 490 , and 492 defining the upper level of the platform. Lateral structural members 494 provide structural support for the ballast boxes, depending on where they are positioned, and lateral members 496 provide further structural support for the upper level and for the king pin and other caboose interconnecting features discussed below. The first end of the lower structural member attaches to a corner member 497 and second ends of the upper and lower structural members to the second end member 498 . At the level of the lower structural member 472 , lower structural members 473 , 474 , 475 , and 477 define the lower level of the platform. Additional vertical and corner members 478 , 479 , and 481 attach the lower and upper levels of the platform and horizontal support member 483 interconnects corner members 497 and 481 and vertical members 478 and 479 . The lower level further includes lateral members 475 and elongated member 477 to provide further structural support for the lower level and provide support for the bottom of the storage compartment.
[0108] In FIGS. 4G and 4H , portions of the platform 104 are shown, which include the underside of a platform 104 . As can be seen in FIG. 4E , the platform 104 includes a king pin 400 disposed substantially in alignment with a longitudinal axis 405 bisecting a space 407 defined by the nose receiver portion 404 . The nose receiver portion 404 includes two angled components 424 a,b as well as a downwardly facing deflection plate 428 . FIG. 4H shows, in plan view, the components 424 a,b , each of which includes a straight portion 409 a,b and angled portion 411 a,b . The space 407 between the angled portions is in substantial alignment with the king pin 400 .
[0109] As the caboose 120 is backed into the space underneath the platform 104 , the king pin 400 is received in a king pin receiver channel 524 ( FIG. 5 ) in a fixed king pin plate on the caboose 120 , and the nose of the caboose is received in the nose receiver 404 portion of the platform 104 . The nose receiver portion 404 , namely the angled portions of the components 424 a,b and sloped deflection plate 428 , guide the an angled front-nose portion 520 ( FIG. 5 ) of the caboose as the caboose is brought into position underneath the platform 104 to align the king pin with the king pin receiver channel 524 ( FIG. 5 ). In particular, the two angled components 424 operate to provide lateral guidance for the position of the caboose 120 . Here, the two angled components 424 ensure that the king pin 400 is received in the king pin receiver channel 524 associated with the caboose 120 . The downwardly facing deflection plate 428 exerts a downward force on the nose 520 of the caboose that results in the rear of the caboose 120 raising up to engage the rear of the platform 104 . The interconnection between the caboose 120 and the rear of the platform 104 is described in greater detail below.
[0110] In FIG. 5A , a side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. As shown in FIG. 5A , the caboose 120 includes the fixed king pin plate 500 . The king pin plate 500 includes a king pin receiver channel 524 provided at the end of the plate 500 . This pin receiver channel 524 is adapted to receive the king pin 400 and provides a locking mechanism for locking the caboose 120 to the end of the platform 104 . In addition, the caboose 104 includes a vertical adjustment member, which is shown as movable pneumatically or hydraulically actuated piston 508 (as can be seen in FIG. 4A ), disposed on each side between the two wheels of the caboose 120 . Although a piston is shown, it is to be understood that any suitable adjustment member may be used, such as a mechanical lifting device (e.g., a jack or crank). The movable piston 508 is associated with a piston cylinder and is interconnected to a top 512 portion and a bottom portion 516 of the caboose 120 . The bottom portion 516 provides a mounting for the wheel axles as well as the wheel suspension. The movable piston 508 , as described in greater detail below, is operable to be inflated, thereby adjusting the height of the selected, adjacent side of mobile barrier 200 . More specifically, the movable piston 508 moves the caboose 120 off of its suspension or leaf springs.
[0111] In FIG. 5A , a side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. As can be seen in FIG. 5B , the fixed king pin plate 500 includes the king pin receiver channel 524 . The king pin receiver channel 524 includes a front, wide portion 528 , which leads into a rear, narrow portion 532 , as this king pin receiver channel 524 allows the caboose 120 to be positioned properly while the caboose is being backed into and underneath the platform 104 . In this regard, the nose 520 of the caboose 120 is additionally received in the nose receiver portion 404 , disposed on the underside of the platform 104 . This aspect of the present invention is described in greater detail below.
[0112] Referring now to FIG. 5B , an additional side perspective view of the caboose 120 is shown. In 5 B, the king pin plate 500 is shown removed from the caboose 120 . As can be seen in FIG. 5B , underneath the king pin plate 500 , the caboose 120 includes a number of air cylinders 536 . These air cylinders 536 are associated with a standard ABS braking system and operate independently of the braking system of the tractor 116 . As described in greater detail below, the air cylinders 536 can be locked by an auxiliary mechanism associated with the caboose 120 to hold the caboose 120 in place. The auxiliary mechanism may be adjusted to allow the brakes to be engaged and the caboose 120 held in place even if the caboose 120 is disconnected from the platform 104 . This mechanism additionally provides a means for inflating and deflating the movable piston 508 disposed on either side of the caboose 120 .
[0113] FIGS. 5A , 5 B, and 8 depict the removable attachment mechanism between the caboose and the platform. The caboose includes permanently attached first al d second pairs 580 a,b of opposing attachment members 584 a,b . Each attachment member 584 a,b in the pair 580 a,b has matching and aligned holes extending through each attachment member. In FIG. 8 , first and second pairs 804 a,b of attachment members 808 a,b are permanently attached to the platform. Each attachment member 808 a,b in the pair includes matching and aligned holes extending through the attachment member 808 . When the caboose is in proper position relative to the platform, the holes in the attachment members 584 a,b and 808 a,b are aligned and removably receive a pin 802 having a cotter pin or key 810 to lock the dowell 802 in position in the aligned holes of each set of engaged pairs of attachment members 580 and 804 .
[0114] An embodiment includes a truck mounted crash attenuator, or equivalently, a Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA). Referring again to FIG. 1A , a truck mounted attenuator 136 is shown interconnected to the trailer 100 at the caboose 120 . In FIG. 1A , the truck mounted attenuator 136 is shown in a retracted position. The truck mounted attenuator 136 includes a first portion 140 and a second portion 144 . In the retracted position, the first portion 140 is positioned substantially vertically and supports the weight of the second portion 144 , which is held in a substantially horizontal position over the caboose 120 . A movable electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 (which can provide a selected message to oncoming traffic) is located underneath the second portion 144 of the truck mounted attenuator 136 .
[0115] The deployment of the truck mounted attenuator 136 and the electronic billboard and light bar 148 is illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6G . As shown in FIG. 6A through FIG. 6F , the truck mounted attenuator 136 is extended and lowered into a position wherein both the first portion 140 and the second portion 144 are substantially horizontal and proximate to the ground. As shown in FIG. 6G , the electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 are then raised. Referring to FIG. 7 , the TMA 136 is typically bolted by a bracket 700 to the caboose 120 . The TMA is thus readily removable simply by unbolting the TMA from the vertical plate of the bracket 700 . Additionally, the bracket 700 and associated components provide a means for attaching the electronic billboard 148 and light bar 150 to the caboose 120 . The bracket 700 is mounted to provide a desirable height for the truck mounted attenuator in its deployed position, more specifically, approximately ten to eleven inches off of the ground. The bracket 700 is additionally mounted to provide visibility of the caboose brake lights and other warning lights associated with the trailer 100 . In FIG. 1C , a rear view of the loaded trailer 100 is illustrated. As shown herein, the truck mounted attenuator 136 is raised into its tracked position. As can be seen, the brake lights 152 of the caboose 120 are visible underneath the truck mounted attenuator 136 . A beacon 156 is also visible, despite the presence of the truck mounted attenuator 136 . The beacon 156 provides a visual indication of an end portion of the trailer 100 . As with the caboose 120 , the truck mounted attenuator 136 may be associated with either of the two platforms 104 and thereafter either end of the trailer.
[0116] Turning now to FIG. 8 , a forced air system 800 in accordance with an embodiment is shown. The forced air system 800 includes two lever attenuators 804 operable to lock the brakes of the caboose 120 independently of the brakes of the tractor 116 . As used herein, locking the brakes includes disconnecting or disabling the automatic brake system, typically associated with the caboose 120 . Here, the brakes are forced into a locked position, thereby locking or preventing movement of the caboose 120 . Also shown in FIG. 8 is a knob 808 operable to control the inflation and/or deflation of the moveable pistons 508 . As described above, the pistons 508 are used to provide a finer grade vertical adjustment of the balancing of the protective barrier 200 by vertically lifting or lowering a selected side of the caboose and interconnected platform. In other words, inflating the piston on a first side of the caboose lifts the first side of the platform relative to the second side of the platform and vice versa. In accordance with embodiments, the air provided to the pistons 508 is delivered from an air supply associated with the trailer 116 and not from an air compressor.
[0117] The interconnection between the platform 104 and the king pin plate 500 is illustrated in FIG. 8 . A removable pin interconnects the platform to the caboose. The pin is removable, and may be locked in place with attachment member 802 .
[0118] Turning now to FIG. 9 , a loaded trailer 100 is shown from the work area-side of the trailer 100 . As shown herein, the wall sections 108 are loaded on top of the platforms 104 and the platforms 104 are interconnected. As described above, this loaded position corresponds to an arrangement of the various components, which can be used to transport the entire system. As shown in FIG. 9 , the platform includes a storage compartment. Various auxiliary components described herein are stored in this storage compartment 124 . As can be seen in FIG. 9 , such components, as the light poles 900 , the corresponding lights themselves 904 , the visual barrier 220 , as well as various electrical components, are shown inside of the compartment. For example, FIG. 9 includes an onboard computer 908 and a generator 912 . In this configuration or in the deployed configuration, various lines 916 , such as electrical lines or air lines, may run along the length of a wall section 108 through the various adjacent conduit boxes 308 .
[0119] Referring now to FIG. 10 , a flow chart is shown which illustrates the steps in a method of deploying a mobile barrier in accordance with an embodiment. Initially at step 1004 , the trailer arrives at a worksite. At step 1008 , the wall sections 108 are unloaded from the trailer bed. This may be done with the use of cranes, a fork lift, and/or other heavy equipment operable to remove and manipulate the weight associated with the wall sections 108 . At step 1012 , the platforms 104 are disconnected from each other. More particularly, the bolt connections that interconnect the platforms 104 are removed. At step 1016 , the platforms 104 are separated. Here, the brakes of the caboose 120 may be locked and the disconnected platform portion of the trailer 116 attached to the tractor 116 may be driven away from the location of the caboose 120 and its attached platform. A dolly or castor wheel may be connected to the end of the platform 104 to provide mobility for the portion of the platform 104 attached to the tractor 116 , thereby allowing the platform to move into position to be engaged with the end wall section. Alternatively, a first platform connected to the tractor 116 is positioned at the desired location before disconnection of the platforms. Jacks attached to the first platform are lowered into position with the roadway. The platforms are then disconnected, with the second platform being supported by the caboose. A forklift or other vehicle is used to move the second platform into position for connection with the wall sections. In any event at step 1020 , the platforms 104 and wall sections 108 are interconnected to form a protective barrier 200 . At this point a continuous protective barrier 200 is formed from the various components of the trailer. Next, a number of steps or operations may be employed. At step 1024 , it may be determined that the protective barrier 200 must be balanced. More particularly, the weight of the protective barrier 200 must be adjusted such that the protective barrier 200 wall comes into a substantially vertical alignment. If no balancing of the protective barrier 200 is needed, work may be commenced within the protected area 204 of the protective wall 200 . At step 1028 , it may be determined that the direction or orientation of the protective barrier 200 may need to be changed. This may be done by jacking the second platform, disconnecting the caboose, and reversing the positions of the tractor 116 and caboose 120 . Alternatively, the jack stands may be retracted and the truck, while the wall sections are deployed, driven, while attached to the barrier, to a new location. At step 1032 , work may be completed and the protective barrier 200 may then be disassembled for transport.
[0120] Turning now to FIG. 11 , a method of balancing a protective barrier 200 (step 1024 ) is illustrated. This method assumes that the ballast boxes are not adequate o counter-balance completely the deployed barrier. At step 1104 , the protective barrier 200 or wall is inspected to determine whether or not the wall is disposed at a substantially vertical orientation. This can be done using a manual or automatic level detection device. If at decision 1108 the wall is substantially vertical, step 1112 follows. At step 1112 the process may end. If at decision 1108 , it is determined that the wall is not substantially vertical, step 1116 follows. At step 1116 , one or more of the piston cylinders 508 are inflated or deflated to provide a counter balance to the weight of the protective barrier 200 and desired barrier 200 orientation.
[0121] FIG. 12 illustrates a method of changing directions for the protective barrier 200 . Initially, at step 1204 , the caboose-engaging platform is placed on jack stands and thereafter the caboose is disconnected from the platform to which it is attached. At step 1208 , the caboose is towed out from underneath the platform 104 . Here, the caboose 120 may be connected to or otherwise attached to a tractor, forklift, or pickup truck, which is operable to tow the caboose 120 . At step 1220 , the tractor-engaging platform is placed on jack stands and the tractor 116 is disconnected from the platform 104 to which it is attached. At step 1216 , the tractor 116 is driven out from underneath the platform 104 . At step 1220 , the positions of the caboose 120 and tractor 116 are interchanged. At 1224 , the caboose 120 is positioned underneath and connected to the platform 104 to which the tractor 104 was formally attached. As described above, this includes a nose receiver portion 404 , providing guidance to the caboose 120 in order to guide the king pin 400 into the king pin receiver channel 532 associated with the king pin plate. At step 1228 , the tractor 116 is positioned with respect to and connected to the platform 104 to which the caboose 120 was formally attached.
[0122] Referring now to FIG. 13 , a method of loading a trailer in accordance with embodiments is illustrated. Initially at step 1304 , the platforms 104 and wall sections 108 are placed on jack stands and disconnected from one another. This includes removing the bolt connections which interconnect the opposing faces of the platforms 104 and/or wall sections 108 . At step 1308 , the platforms 104 are brought together. As described above, this includes interconnecting a castor or dolly wheel to at least one platform end and driving the platform 104 in the direction of the opposing platform. Alternatively, the platform engaging the caboose is taken off of its jack stands and maneuvered by a vehicle to mate with the other, stationary platform. At step 1312 , the platforms 104 are interconnected by such means as bolting the platforms together. At step 1316 , the wall sections 108 are loaded onto the truck bed. Because the ballast boxes typically do not counter-balance precisely the loaded wall sections and vice versa, the piston cylinders 508 are inflated or deflated, as desired, to provide a level ride of the trailer. Finally, at step 1320 , the trailer 100 departs from the worksite. In one configuration, castor or dolly wheels may be put on each of the two platforms so that, when they are disconnected from end wall sections of the barrier, the first and second platforms may be moved into engagement with and connected to one another. The wall sections may then be disconnected from one another and loaded onto the connected platforms.
[0123] The above discussion relates to a mobile barrier in accordance with an embodiment that includes a number of interconnectable wall sections, which are, in one configuration placed on the surface of a truck bed. In a second configuration, these wall sections are removed from the truck bed and interconnected with portions of the trailer to form a protective barrier. In this way, a fixed wall is formed that provides protection for a work area. The present invention can provide a non-rotating wall that is deployed to form the protective barrier. Alternative embodiments of a fixed wall mobile barrier are illustrated in FIGS. 14A-C and FIGS. 15A-C .
[0124] FIGS. 14A-C illustrate a “sandwich” type extendable protective war. As shown in FIG. 14A , the mobile barrier 1400 includes two platforms 104 and three interconnected wall sections 1404 a , 1404 b and 1404 c . FIG. 14A illustrates a contracted or retracted position wherein the wall sections 1404 a - c are disposed adjacent to one another in a “sandwich position”. FIG. 14B illustrates an intermediate step in the deployment of the mobile barrier 1400 . Here, the platforms 104 are moved away from each other and the sandwiched wall sections extended. From this intermediate position, the sections 1404 a and 1404 c move forward to a position adjacent to the forward position of the wall section 1404 a . In accordance with embodiments, the wall sections 1404 a - c are disposed on sliding rails which allow the displacement shown in FIG. 14B-C . Additionally between wall sections 1404 a and 1404 a (similarly 1404 b and 1404 c ) an articulating mechanism is provided, which allows motion between the adjacent wall sections. FIG. 14C shows the final position of the mobile barrier 1400 . Here, the various wall sections 1404 a - c and the platforms 104 provide a continuous mobile barrier included a protected work space.
[0125] FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate a telescoping type protective wall system 1500 . FIG. 15A shows a retracted, or closed, position of the protective barrier 1500 . The protective barrier includes opposing platforms 104 . The protective barrier in this embodiment includes two wall sections, the first wall section 1504 encloses the second wall section 1508 in the contracted position shown in FIG. 15A . In the intermediate position shown in FIG. 15B , the second wall section 1508 is extended outward from the first wall section 1504 in a telescopic manner. In the final position shown in FIG. 15C , the second wall section 1508 moves forward to a position adjacent to the first wall section 1504 . In the final position shown in FIG. 15C , the first wall section 1504 , second wall section 1508 and portions of the two platforms 104 form a continuous protective barrier including protective interior space.
[0126] A number of alternative caboose embodiments will now be discussed.
[0127] Referring to FIG. 16 , the caboose 1600 has one or more steerable or articulating axles 1604 a,b or wheels 1608 a-d to avoid a selected area 1612 , such as a work area containing wet concrete. The wheels 1608 a-d are turned to a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, so that, when the trailer is pulled forward by the tractor 116 , the trailer moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . This may be effected in many ways. In one configuration, steering arms (not shown) are attached to the axles 1604 , and the arms are controlled by electrically operated hydraulic cylinders incorporated into the caboose frame assembly. The caboose axles are turned out when pulling ahead to more quickly move the rear of the trailer out and away from the area 1612 . Once the tractor and trailer are out of alignment with the area 1612 , the axles are returned, such as by the hydraulics, to their original positions in alignment with the tractor wheels. The electronics controlling the hydraulics are controlled from the tractor cab or a special switch assembly located in the caboose or on the trailer near the caboose. Alternatively, the axles or wheels may be steered manually, such as by a steering wheel mounted on the platform or caboose. The nose portion of the caboose remains stationary in the members 404 a,b , or the caboose does not rotate about the kingpin but remains aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence.
[0128] Referring to FIG. 17 , the caboose 1700 articulates or rotates about the king pin 400 . One or more electrically driven hydraulic cylinders at the front of the caboose laterally displaces the nose 1704 in a desired orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer. When the caboose is rotated to place the wheels 1708 a-d in a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, the tractor pulls the trailer forward. The trailer moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . The hydraulics then push the nose of the caboose to the aligned, or normal, orientation in which the wheels of the caboose are in alignment with the wheels of the tractor. The hydraulic cylinder(s) can be connected directly to a front pivot (not shown) or incorporated into the nose portion or the current “V” wedge assembly, which includes the members 404 a,b . In the latter design, the members 404 a,b are mounted on a movable plate, and the hydraulic cylinder(s) move the plate to a desired position while the nose portion 1704 is engaged by, or sandwiched between, the members 404 a,b . Unlike the prior caboose embodiment, the caboose rotates about the kingpin and does not remain aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence.
[0129] Referring to FIG. 18 , the caboose 1800 has an elongated frame with articulated steering on one or more axles 1804 a - c , with the rear axle 1804 a being preferred. When only the rear axle is steerable, the axle 1804 a is steered, as noted above, to place the wheels 1808 a,b in the desired orientation. After the caboose is rotated to place the wheels 1808 a,b in a desired orientation, which is out of alignment with the tractor 116 tires, the tractor pulls the trailer forward. The trailer rotates about the king pin 400 and moves both forward and laterally out of alignment with the path of movement of the tractor 116 . The wheels 1808 are then moved back into alignment with the wheels of the tractor. Like the prior embodiment, the caboose rotates about the kingpin and does not remain aligned with the longitudinal axis of the trailer throughout the above sequence. To make this possible, the nose portion of the caboose may need to be removed from engagement with the members 404 a,b , such as by moving a movable plate, to which the members are attached, away from the nose portion.
[0130] In another embodiment, the caboose is motorized independently of the tractor. An engine is incorporated directly into the caboose to provide self-movement and power. In one configuration made possible by this embodiment, the platforms could engage simultaneously two cabooses with a TMA positioned on each caboose to provide crash attenuation at both ends of the trailer. One or both of the cabooses is motorized. This is particularly useful where the trailer may be on site for longer periods and needs only nominal movement from time-to-time, such as at gates, for spot inspection stations, or for security and/or military applications where unmanned and/or more protected movement is desired.
[0131] In other embodiments, the caboose is attached permanently to the platform. In this embodiment, different tractor/trailers, that are mirror images of one another, are used to handle roadside work areas at either side of a roadway.
[0132] The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, sub combinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of implementation.
[0133] The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining, the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0134] Moreover, though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.
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In one embodiment, a safety trailer has semi-tractor hitches at both ends and a safety wall that is fixed to one side of the trailer. That side, however, can be changed to the right or left side of the road, depending on the end to which the truck attaches. A caboose can be attached at the end of the trailer opposite the tractor to provide additional lighting and impact protection. Optionally, the trailer can be equipped with overhead protection, lighting, ventilation, onboard hydraulics, compressors, generators and other equipment, as well as related fuel, water, storage and restroom facilities and other amenities.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/621,424 (Attorney Docket No. NSC1P362), entitled “Apparatus and Method for Wafer Level Fabrication of High Value Inductors on Semiconductor Integrated Circuits.”
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to wafer level fabrication of high value inductors on semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly, to the optimization of power inductor arrays on integrated circuits for switching regulator applications.
[0004] 2. Background of the Invention
[0005] Inductors are commonly used in the electronics industry for storing magnetic energy. Providing an electric current though a metal conductor, such as a metal plate or bar, typically creates an inductor. The current passing though the metal conductor creates a magnetic field or flux around the conductor. The amount of inductance is measured in terms of Henries. In the semiconductor industry, it is known to form inductors on integrated circuits. The inductors are typically created by fabricating what is commonly called an “air coil” inductor on the chip. The air coil inductor is usually either aluminum or some other metal patterned in a helical, toroidal or a “watch spring” coil shape. By applying a current through the inductor, the magnetic flux is created.
[0006] Inductors are used on chips for a number of applications. Perhaps the most common application is DC-to-DC switching regulators. In many situations, however, on chip inductors do not generate enough flux or energy for a particular application. When this occurs, very often an off-chip discrete inductor is used.
[0007] There are a number of problems in using off-chip inductors. Foremost, they tend to be expensive. With advances in semiconductor process technology, millions upon millions of transistors can be fabricated onto a single chip. With all these transistors, designers have been able to cram a tremendous amount of functionality onto a single chip and an entire system on just one or a handful of chips. Providing an off-chip inductor can therefore be relatively expensive compared to the overall cost of the system. Off-chip inductors can also be problematic in situations where space is at a premium. In a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) for example, it may be difficult to squeeze a discrete inductor into a compact package. As a result, the consumer product may not be as small or compact as desired.
[0008] An apparatus including an integrated circuit die with an inductor formed thereon is therefore needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The claimed invention relates to arrangements of inductors and integrated circuit dice. One embodiment pertains to an integrated circuit die that has an inductor formed thereon. The inductor includes an inductor winding having a winding input and a winding output. The inductor also comprises an inductor core array having at least first and second sets of inductor core elements that are magnetically coupled with the inductor winding. Each inductor core element in the first set of inductor core elements is formed from a first metallic material. Each inductor core element in the second set of inductor core elements is formed from a second metallic material that has a different magnetic coercivity than the first magnetic material. The inductor further comprises a set of spacers that electrically isolate the inductor core elements.
[0010] In another embodiment, an integrated die with an inductor formed thereon includes multiple inductor windings and multiple core elements. Each of the core elements in the inductor substantially surrounds and is magnetically coupled with at least one inductor winding. Some of the inductor core elements substantially surround and are magnetically coupled with more than one of the inductor windings. Some of the core elements are formed from a different metallic material than other core elements. The different metallic materials may have different magnetic coercivities. In some embodiments, the metallic materials have different compositions. Particular embodiments involve inductor core elements whose lengths vary such that not all of the core elements interact with all of the inductor windings and at least some of the inductor core elements are magnetically coupled to multiple inductor windings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of power regulator system.
[0012] FIG. 1B is a circuit diagram of a power regulator circuit.
[0013] FIGS. 2A is a plot illustrating the relationship between flux density versus magnetic field intensity in the inductor and core of the power regulator circuit of FIG. 1B .
[0014] FIG. 2B , a plot illustrating the relationship between the inductance and the current in the coil of the power regulator circuit of FIG. 1B .
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a semiconductor chip having a power regulator circuit fabricated thereon according to the present invention.
[0016] FIGS. 4A through 4D illustrate various embodiments of a core array of the power regulator circuit according to the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross section of a core element of the core array according to the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 6A is a block diagram of the phase control circuit used in the regulator circuit of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an output signal at the output node of the regulator circuit of the present invention.
[0020] FIGS. 7A-7H are a sequence of cross sections of a semiconductor chip illustrating the sequence of fabricating core elements of the core array used in the regulator circuit of the present invention.
[0021] Like elements are designated by like reference numbers in the Figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1A , a block diagram of a common power regulator system is shown. The system 10 includes a regulator circuit 12 and a controller 14 coupled between a power supply 16 and a device 18 , such as micro-controller, that requires a steady direct current (DC) voltage. The regulator circuit 12 includes an inductor (L) and a core (both not illustrated). The input voltage Vin is typically a pulsed input signal from the power supply 16 having a frequency (f) and an amplitude equal to Vin. With each positive and negative pulse transition, the inductor is cyclically energized and then de-energized, causing the flux in the core to increase and then decrease respectively. The output Vout of the regulator circuit 12 is coupled to the device 18 . Ideally, the output voltage is steadily maintained at the desired output voltage. If the output voltage strays, the controller 14 causes the frequency (i.e., sometimes referred to as the duty cycle) of the pulses of the input voltage Vin to either increase or decrease as needed to maintain a steady output voltage.
[0023] ΔV is a measure of the input voltage Vin minus the output voltage Vout. This relationship can be expressed by equation (1) below:
[0000] ΔV=Vin−Vout (1)
[0000] ΔV can also be expressed as the rate of change of current over time through the inductor (L). This relationship is expressed by equation (2) below:
[0000] ΔV=L di/dt (2)
[0000] ΔV can further be expressed in terms of the switching frequency (f) of the input voltage Vin. This relationship is expressed by equation (3) below:
[0000] ΔV=L/f (3)
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1B , a circuit diagram of the regulator 12 is shown. The circuit 12 includes two transistors T 1 and T 2 with their channels coupled in series between Vcc and ground. A first capacitor C 1 is also coupled between Vcc and ground in parallel with the channels of transistors T 1 and T 2 . One end of the inductor coil L is coupled between the two transistors Ti and T 2 and the opposite end is coupled to the output node Vout. A core 20 is provided adjacent the inductor L. A second capacitor C 2 is coupled between the output node Vout and ground. The gate of transistor T 1 is coupled to receive the pulsed input signal Vin. The gate of transistor T 2 is coupled to receive the complement of signal Vin. The instantaneous energy E in the inductor L is defined by equation (4) below:
[0000] E=∫BHdh (4)
[0000] Where B is the flux density or Webers per cm2; and
[0025] H is the magnetic field intensity
[0026] The regulator circuit 12 operates in alternating high and low phases. During the high phase, a positive voltage pulse of Vin is applied to the gate of transistor T 1 , while a complementary or negative pulse is applied to the gate of transistor T 2 . This causes transistor T 1 to turn on and transistor T 2 to turn off. With transistor T 1 on, current is pulled through transistor T 1 from Vcc to energize the coil of inductor L, creating a flux in the core 20 . The low phase occurs when the input pulse transitions low at the gate of transistor T 1 and high at the gate of transistor T 2 . When this occurs, the transistor T 1 turns off and transistor T 2 turns on. As a result, the inductor L pulls current from ground through transistor T 2 , causing the inductor to de-energize and the flux in the core 20 to collapse. The aforementioned cycle is repeated with each pulse of Vin and the complement is applied to transistors T 1 and T 2 . The output of the circuit 12 is ideally a steady voltage. Due to the cyclical increases and decreases of the energy in the inductor L and the flux in the core 20 , the output voltage Vout will typically have a ripple. The output capacitor C 2 is provided to smooth out the ripple.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2A , a plot illustrating the relationship between the flux density as measured in Webers per cm 2 (B) versus the magnetic field intensity as measured in ampere turns per meter (H) in the inductor L and core 20 is shown. As evident in the figure, as the magnetic field H increases, the flux density B increases, until the saturation point “Bsat”. Once Bsat is reached, the magnetic flux B remains generally constant, even with an increase in the magnetic field density. The slope of the plot or curve, calculated by B/H, defines the permeability (i.e., the propensity) of the material of the core 20 to become magnetized. Bsat is thus defined as the point where the maximum state of magnetization or flux of the material of the core 20 is achieved. In other words, the point where the curve rolls off to a minimum slope represents the flux density saturation point (Bsat). Bsat varies from material to material. For example, Iron has a high level of permeability, whereas other materials such as FeNi (permalloy) have a relatively low permeability. The higher the permeability slope the greater the ability of the system to store magnetic flux, and hence energy for a given inducing current, or magnetic field.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2B , a plot illustrating the relationship between the inductance (L) and the current (I) in the coil L is shown. With a relatively small current, the inductance L is high. As the current increases, the inductance L drops off until the saturation point Lsat is reached. FIG. 2B represents the derivative of H and B, and is plotting the slope of FIG. 2A . Inductance then, relates to the derivative of B and H or in other words is proportional to the permeability. The inductance rolls off at the point following the magnetic saturation of the core material.
[0029] The issue with common regulator circuits is that it has been difficult to fabricate cores 20 of sufficient size on an integrated circuit. The solution in the past has typically been to use an off-chip or discrete core. With the present invention, however, the core is fabricated on chip as described in detail below.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 3 , a block diagram of an integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor chip having a power regulator circuit fabricated thereon according to the present invention is shown. The integrated circuit 30 includes a plurality of regulator circuits 32 each having an input node 34 configured to receive complementary pulsed input signals 36 respectively (for the sake of simplicity, only the positive pulsed signal is shown). A plurality of inductor core windings 38 is associated with each of the plurality of regulator circuits 32 . The regulator circuits 32 are each identical to that illustrated in FIG. 1B with the exception of the core 20 . Rather than a specific core 20 associated with each circuit 32 , an engineered distributed core array 40 is provided for all of the regulator circuits 32 . The core array 40 , including a plurality of core elements (not illustrated), is positioned adjacent to and is magnetically coupled to each of the inductor windings 38 . An output node 42 is electrically coupled to the plurality of inductor windings 42 . A phase control circuit, connected between the output node 42 and the regulator circuits 32 , is provided to control the phase of each of the input signals 36 .
[0031] The general principle of the present invention is the combined use of phased multiple driver circuits 32 , each driving one or more core elements of the core array 40 . The greater the degree of the sharing among the core elements of the array 40 by the phased driver circuits, the higher the overall level of saturation of the core 40 can be achieved. By engineering the length, width, and types of materials used to fabricate the core elements of the core 40 and the windings 38 , energy storage can be maximized while minimizing core losses.
[0032] It should be noted FIG. 3 as illustrated is figurative in the sense that it shows the regulator circuit of the present invention occupying virtually all of the area on the surface of the integrated circuit chip. It should be understood, however, that it is intended that the regulator circuitry of the present invention be fabricated on a chip along with other circuitry. In various embodiments, the other circuitry can include a wide variety of functions, such as a microprocessor or microcontroller, digital signal processing, memory or just about any other analog or digital circuitry commonly found on semiconductor integrated circuits. In other words, the power regulator of the present invention may be fabricated on and used on virtually any semiconductor integrated circuit.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 4A through 4D , various embodiments of the engineered core array 40 are shown.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 4A , an embodiment of the core array 40 is shown. Core array 40 includes a plurality of core elements 50 , which are separated by spacers 52 . The purpose of the spacer 52 is to prevent eddy currents between the elements 50 . As illustrated in the figure, each of the elements 50 is positioned adjacent to and is magnetically coupled to one or more of the inductor windings 38 , which are electrically coupled between the plurality of regulator circuits 32 and the output node 42 respectively. In this embodiment, each of the core elements 50 is of the same width. The length of the core elements 50 , however, varies. In the embodiment illustrated, the three left most core elements 50 each have a length of six times (6×) a predetermined unit length and are in a non-staggered pattern with respect to one another. The remaining core elements 50 , on the right side of the array, are of different lengths and arranged in a staggered pattern. In the specific embodiment shown, the core elements 50 are four, three or two times (4×, 3×, and 2×) the predetermined length. The length of the elements 50 becomes shorter as a function of the length of the winding 38 . In an alternative embodiment, the length of the elements 50 can become longer as a function of the length of the windings.
[0035] In various embodiments, the predetermined length of the elements may range from 1 um to 10 mm and the core elements 50 may range from two to 100 times the predetermined length. In yet another embodiment, all of the core elements 50 of the core array 40 can be of various lengths and arranged in a staggered pattern.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 4B , an embodiment of the core array 40 with a plurality of the core elements 50 is shown. The plurality of the core elements 50 are made from two different types of metals, M 1 and M 2 , which have different coercivities. In this embodiment, each of the core elements 50 are of the same length and width and are arranged in a parallel, non-staggered pattern. A spacer 52 separates the core elements 50 . In the embodiment shown, the core elements 50 are divided into first and second subsets. The first subset of core elements 50 are made from a first metal M 1 , such as nickel-iron permalloy, or any ferromagnetic material with a relatively low coercivity (Hc). The second subset of core elements 50 are made from a second metal M 2 having a higher coercivity, such as colbalt-nickel-iron or materials rich in Fe. The individual cores 50 of the first and second subsets M 1 and M 2 are arranged in an alternating pattern. The metal arrangement of M 1 and M 2 , separated by spacers 52 , is distributed along the length of the inductors.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 4C , an embodiment of the core array 40 including a plurality of the core elements 50 made from the same metal is shown. In this embodiment, each of the core elements 50 are the same length and width and are arranged in a parallel, non-staggered pattern. Spacers 52 also separate each of the core elements 50 .
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4D , another embodiment of the core array 40 including a plurality of the core elements 50 made from two different types of metals M 1 and M 2 of different coercivity is shown. In this embodiment, each of the core elements 50 is of the same length, but different widths. The core elements 50 are also arranged in a parallel, non-staggered, pattern. A spacer 52 separates the core elements 50 . With this arrangement, a majority of the first subset of core elements 50 made from the first metal M 1 with a lower coercivity are located near the regulator circuits 32 and minority is located near the output node 42 . A majority of the second subset of core elements 50 made from the second metal M 2 with a higher coercivity are located near the output node 42 and a minority are located near the regulator circuits 32 . With this embodiment, the benefits of the two metals M 1 and M 2 with their different B/H curves are exploited. For example, at the input of the core array 40 , there is a relatively large alternating current component on the input signals provided onto the inductor windings 38 . It is therefore advantageous to use a low coercivity metal, which provides a lower level of energy storage. On the other hand, the signal on the inductor windings 38 near the output node 42 has a relatively higher direct current component. The use of a metal capable of a higher degree of energy storage, such as cobalt-nickel-iron, is therefore beneficial.
[0039] At the switching node or input node 34 near the transistors T 1 and T 2 along the windings 38 , there is a relatively large level of ripple. In one embodiment, the core 40 is therefore engineered to be weighted with high resistivity (to minimize eddy currents) and low coercivity (to minimize hysterisis losses) elements 50 near the driver circuits 32 . The trade-off of this arrangement, however, is reduced permeability and Bsat. At the output node 42 on the other hand, there is less ripple voltage. Consequently, the elements 50 of the core 40 near the output can be weighted with elements 50 having a higher Bsat and cooercivity material, while trading off higher conductivity and coercivity.
[0040] It should be noted again that the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4A through 4D are merely exemplary. The number, length, width, pattern (staggered, non-staggered, or a combination thereof), types of metals, and specific arrangement of the individual core elements 50 can be selected in a wide combination of different designs, depending on a specific application. In no way should the specific arrangements as illustrated be construed as limiting the invention.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 5 , a cross section of a core element 50 of the core array 40 according to the present invention is shown. Each of the core elements 50 includes a first core member 50 a positioned adjacent to and above the windings 38 and a second member 50 b positioned adjacent to and below the core windings 38 . Together, the first core member 50 a and the second core member 50 b substantially form a loop around the core windings 38 . A gap 54 is provided between the first and second members 50 a and 50 b . The gap allows a drop in the magnetic field between the two members 50 a and 50 b . In the particular embodiment shown, the core element 50 has a length that spans three windings 38 . With this arrangement, each of the three windings 38 is magnetically coupled by the one core element 50 . It should be understood, however, that this length is arbitrary and that the two members 50 a and 50 b of each core element 50 may be fabricated to span any number of windings 38 .
[0042] Referring to FIG. 6A , a block diagram of the phase control circuit 46 of the present invention is shown. The phase control circuit 46 controls the phase of the plurality of pulsed input signals so that each is 360 degrees/N out of phase with respect to one another, where N equals the number of the regulator circuits 32 . For example, if there are one hundred regulator circuits 32 (N=100), then the phase control circuit 46 controls the input signals 36 so that they are each 3.6 degrees out of phase with respect to one another. With this arrangement, any voltage ripple on the individual windings 38 tend to destructively interfere with one another, substantially cancelling each other out in the aggregate. As a result, a generally steady output voltage at the output node 42 is generated, which is the sum of the instantaneous voltage on each of the plurality of inductor windings respectively. Since the output signal at node 42 is relatively ripple-free and steady, the smoothing capacitor C 2 can be either eliminated altogether or the size of the input capacitor C 1 and, to some degree, the output capacitor C 2 can be significantly reduced.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 6B , a diagram plotting the output voltage at the output node 42 over time is shown. The diagram illustrates a number of signals 58 , each of which is representative of the voltage on the individual windings 38 . As can be seen in the figure, the individual signals 58 are out of phase with respect to one another. As a result, the voltage ripple on the individual windings 38 tend to cancel each other out under low load conditions. Similarly the referred ripple to the input power supply are cancelled to a significant degree. The sum of the instantaneous voltage 58 on each of the plurality of inductor windings 38 , however, is a relatively constant with the cancellation effect. The net result is a steady output signal or voltage 59 at the output node 42 , represented by the thick black line in FIG. 6B .
[0044] Furthermore, with the arrangement the core elements 50 each spanning one or more windings 38 , the magnetic coupling tends to average out or be substantially evenly shared or distributed across the core array 40 . As a net result, the amount of magnetization “ripple” across the windings 38 is further minimized, resulting in a more steady output voltage signal at the node 42 . Without this distributed coupling across the array 40 , the individual core elements 50 would experience a greater level of magnetization ripple, leading to a higher level of hysteresis, radiative and eddy current related loss factors. As a result, the size of smoothing capacitor at the output node and input node 42 may be significantly reduced or eliminated all together.
[0045] The phase control circuit 46 also optionally includes a modulation circuit 56 . The modulation circuit is configured to modulate the phase differences between the plurality of pulsed input signals 36 to either increase or decrease the transient current demands at the output node 42 . Meeting high speed transient demand is often a challenge from a design perspective. By modulating the phase difference, typically for short periods of time, a transient surge in energy demand can be achieved. This phase modulation or short-term frequency modulation scheme thus enables spontaneous maximization of the energy transfer from the core to the output node.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 7A-7H , a sequence of cross sections of a semiconductor substrate (e.g., a wafer) illustrating how the core elements 50 of the core array 40 are fabricated is shown.
[0047] In FIG. 7A , a seed layer 60 is formed over a substrate 62 in the location where the core elements 50 of the array 40 are to be formed. According to one embodiment, the seed layer 60 actually includes three layers of metal, for example, a Ti—Cu—Ti or Ti—FeNi—Ti, formed over the substrate surface by either sputtering or physical vapor deposition.
[0048] In the next step as illustrated in FIG. 7B , a blanket layer of molding material 64 , such as photoresist or BCB, is applied over the seed layer 60 .
[0049] The molding material 64 is then patterned using conventional lithography to form recess regions 66 , as illustrated in FIG. 7C . Note the seed layer 66 is exposed at the bottom of the recess regions 66 .
[0050] In the next step, the substrate is immersed in an electroplating bath. In the bath, the metal in the plating solution is plated onto the seed layer 62 , forming the metal regions M as illustrated in FIG. 7D .
[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 7E , optionally, a nitride layer 68 is formed over the remaining molding material 64 and the metal M in the recess regions 66 . A “lift off” gap 70 is provided under the nitride layers 68 on the molding material 64 . In the next step, the molding material 64 is completely removed by exposure to a solvent through the lift off gaps 70 .
[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 7F , a layer of low temperature oxide, nitride or a combination of the two is formed across the surface of the substrate 62 , covering the top and side surfaces of the metal regions M.
[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 7G , a reactive ion anisotropic etch is then performed, which removes the oxide layer 72 and nitride layer 68 on the top surface of the metal regions M. The remaining oxide (or oxide/nitride) on the sidewalls of the metal regions M forms the spacers 52 described above. According to various embodiments, the thickness of the spacers may range from 500 Angstroms to 10 microns. The creation of the spacers 52 thus uses a novel processing scheme to electroplate the core elements in two stages on either side of the spacers, with the core elements sharing the electroplating seed layer.
[0054] In a final step as illustrated in FIG. 7H , the substrate undergoes a second plating bath, forming additional metal regions M, each separated by a spacer 52 . The second metal regions M are thus self-aligned with the original metal regions M 1 by the spacer 52 .
[0055] The aforementioned process can be used to create the core elements 50 of the core array 40 as illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4D . In other words, the process can be used to make core elements 50 of different or the same lengths and widths, in a uniform or staggered pattern, or of different metals (i.e., M 1 and M 2 ). In embodiments using two different metals, the core elements 50 of the first metal M 1 are plated during the first electroplating operation and the core elements 50 of the second metal M 2 are plated during the second plating operation. Similarly, the core members 50 a and 50 b can be formed using the same technique. After the lower members 50 b are fabricated on the substrate, the windings 38 are formed by a copper metallization step. Thereafter, the above process is again repeated to form the upper members 50 a . A dielectric layer is typically provided between the core members 50 a , 50 b and the winding 38 so that they are each electrically isolated from one another respectively. In various embodiments, the metals M 1 and M 2 may include a nickel-iron permalloy (80:20) or Orthonol (50:50); ZrCo, FeNiSi, FeNiCu, FeCo, CoMnZnFeNi, FeNiCo, or doped and non-doped combinations thereof.
[0056] While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alteration, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. For example, the steps of the present invention may be used to form a plurality of high value inductors 10 across many die on a semiconductor wafer. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
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The claimed invention relates to arrangements of inductors and integrated circuit dice. One embodiment pertains to an integrated circuit die that has an inductor formed thereon. The inductor includes an inductor winding having a winding input and a winding output. The inductor also comprises an inductor core array having at least first and second sets of inductor core elements that are magnetically coupled with the inductor winding. Each inductor core element in the first set of inductor core elements is formed from a first metallic material. Each inductor core element in the second set of inductor core elements is formed from a second metallic material that has a different magnetic coercivity than the first magnetic material. The inductor further comprises a set of spacers that electrically isolate the inductor core elements. Some embodiments involve multiple inductor windings and/or multiple inductor core elements that magnetically interact in various ways. Particular embodiments involve core elements having different compositions and/or sizes.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the storage of graphical images and, more specifically, to a method and system for reducing the size of graphical images for storage or communication within computing environments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A variety of image processing systems for compressing image data and decoding the compressed data to display decoded image data have been proposed with the increased demands for digital images. Extremely high-speed image processing and image reading allow image data, recorded in a compressive form, to be reconstructed in a much more efficient manner. However, for large images, the ability to transfer and process an image may be hampered unless it is efficiently compressed.
[0003] Known processes of image data compression include orthogonal transform coding, discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding, and Huffman coding. A known image coding and compressing method by orthogonal transform is an H.261 image coding process of CCITT (Comite Counsultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique). An example of DCT compression for color images is an image coding method based on a J-PEG (Joint Photographics Expert Group) algorithm d.
[0004] In conventional image compression processes, image data is coded in block units according to an irreversible transform where original image data is not reconstructed perfectly by decoding. Continuity of an original image may thus be interrupted undesirably on a boundary of adjacent blocks. An interblock distortion removal filter is conventionally used to eliminate such discontinuity. This filter stores decoded video data and executes a filter operation or, more concretely, calculates a weighted average of data of adjacent pixels while reading data of adjacent blocks.
[0005] The conventional image processing and decoding systems described above have problems in efficiently handling upsampled continuous tone (“contone”) images, especially upsampled contone images that incorporate linework in the image as well. Upsampling is the process of taking an original image and increasing the image by taking a single pixel and turning it into an image component of “n×n” pixels. For example, a single pixel may be tripled in the horizontal and vertical axes to create a 9-pixel (3×3) upsampled image component. One interesting image type, which includes both contone and linework data, is an image that includes upsampled contone backgrounds with linework details. The upsampled contone background includes a significant quantity of redundant information. However, the linework details generally do not have the same type of redundant information. Processing uncompressed images with both upsampled and linework data can be difficult for the reasons noted above with regard to large images. Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient compression algorithm for upsampled images that includes both contone and linework data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides for a method and system for reducing the storage and bandwidth required to transmit digital images. In general, the reduction in storage is accomplished by coalescing identical pixels that are adjacent to each other within a particular area or block of an image, e.g., within an “n×n” pixel area of an image. More specifically, a determination is made as to whether each of the pixels in a first row within the block is identical to each of the pixels along a second row within the block and, if they are identical, the first and second rows of pixels are coalesced together. For example, if two rows of pixels all have identical color values, then they may be coalesced. The process is repeated along each of the rows within the block and preferably also between each of the columns such that an image resulting from the compression is significantly smaller, especially if the image was originally upsampled.
[0007] The present invention reverses the upsampling process to create a reduced size image. Additionally, the present invention allows for differentiation between upsampled contone data and linework data that may overlay the upsampled contone data. In particular, image data that are determined to be linework data are treated as wild card pixels in the image and may be matched with any colored adjacent pixel when coalescing rows or columns.
[0008] The categorization of linework and contone data may be accomplished by a number of processes. In one exemplary embodiment, the number of pixels in an image that are the same color are counted to determine if a number of pixel colors is significantly more common than other pixel colors in the image. Those significantly more common pixel colors are designated as linework colors and are treated as such for purposes of the invention.
[0009] In another exemplary embodiment, categorizing colors in an image as linework or contone data is accomplished by determining a regular pattern of pixels from the image, locating pixels of a particular color(s) that does not conform to the determined regular pattern, then setting those pixels of the color(s) as linework pixels for purposes of the present invention. In one particular embodiment of the present invention, determining regular patterns includes calculating color transitions along one axis and color transitions along a second axis. These determinations help find pattern boundaries of contone pixels based on high transition counts as indicating pattern boundaries. This in turn allows for determining a regular pattern in the image based on the pattern boundaries.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of a portion of a graphical image, the portion containing a 16×16 grid of pixels with different color values;
[0012] FIG. 2A is a graphical representation of the portion of the graphical image of FIG. 1 that has been vertically reduced in accordance with the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2B is a graphical representation of the portion of the graphical image as shown in FIG. 2A that has been horizontally reduced in accordance with the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a representative screen shot of a color frequency chart for use in the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4A is an exemplary graphical image containing pixels of different color values;
[0016] FIG. 4B is an upsampled graphical image of the graphical image in FIG. 4A of the upsampled graphical image further including linework pixels overlaying the original upsampled pixels;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating several components of a computing device used to reverse upsample graphical images in accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 is an overview flow diagram illustrating a reverse upsampling routine used by the computing device of FIG. 5 in accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIGS. 7-9 are overview flow diagrams, each illustrating a subroutine for detecting linework and contone pixels within a graphical image in accordance with the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 10 is an overview flow diagram illustrating a subroutine for determining patterns in a graphical image as used by the subroutines in FIGS. 8 and 9 in accordance with the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 11 is an overview flow diagram illustrating a subroutine for coalescing rows and columns as used by the routine in FIG. 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] The present invention is directed to providing a method and system for reducing the storage required for graphical images. One embodiment of the invention provides for increased reduction in graphical image storage size by utilizing differences between linework and continuous tone (“contone”) pixels within a graphical image. FIGS. 1, 2A , and 2 B provide illustrations of the operation of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exemplary block of pixels that have not been compressed. FIG. 2A represents the same block as FIG. 1 , but in an intermediate stage of compression. Finally, FIG. 2B illustrates the compressed version of FIG. 1 .
[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a grid of pixels 100 having a set of rows 105 and a set of columns 110 . Additionally, FIG. 1 has row labels 115 that are numbered from “0” to “15,” and column labels 120 that are also labeled from “0” to “15.” In addition to the assorted pixels of various colors, FIG. 1 also includes linework pixels 125 represented by darker shading than the other pixels. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the linework pixels are saved, separately from the contone pixels, at their full resolution. As will be more fully understood below, the pixels containing linework data are treated as “wild cards” for purposes of coalescing an image in accordance with the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 2A represents a vertically coalesced graphical image in which the linework pixels 225 have been treated as wild card pixels in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2A has been coalesced by combining each row that is identical with adjacent rows (taking wild card pixels into account). Therefore, the rows with labels 0 and 1 of FIG. 1 have been coalesced into a single row 0 of FIG. 2A . Note, however, that the row 2 of FIG. 1 remains labeled as row 2. Accordingly, when reproducing the graphical image, the present invention is able to determine that there is an identical row to row 0 that comes between rows 0 and 2. In FIG. 1 , there is no adjacent row identical to either row 2 or 3. Accordingly, rows 2 and 3 are left the same in FIG. 2A . However, rows labeled 4, 5, and 6 are identical for purposes of the present invention. Even though rows 5 and 6 include linework pixels, linework pixels are treated as wild card pixels and may be combined with pixels of adjacent rows of any color. Accordingly, rows 4, 5, and 6 are combined into a single row 6 of FIG. 2A . Similarly, rows 7, 8, and 9 are combined; rows 10, 11, and 12 are combined; and rows 14 and 15 are combined. Row 13 is not combined with any other row. As can be seen from the coalesced image in FIG. 2A , the amount of information that needs to be stored to reproduce the image of FIG. 1 has been greatly reduced. Instead of 256 pixels that need to be represented in FIG. 1 , only 128 pixels need to be represented in FIG. 2A .
[0025] This process may be repeated on columns as well. Accordingly, FIG. 2B represents a coalescing of the columns 210 of FIG. 2A . Once the columns of FIG. 2A have been coalesced, the graphical image 255 of FIG. 2B only holds 64 pixels that need to be stored to represent the contone data of FIG. 1 . Considering that contone images are conventionally of a higher bit depth (e.g., contain more color information per pixel), even a marginal reduction in the number of pixels that need to be stored for a contone image results in a much greater increase in efficiency of storing, transmitting, and processing contone images.
[0026] In order to treat the linework pixels as wild cards, the linework pixels have to be differentiated from contone data in a graphical image. One method of differentiating contone data from linework data is from the observation that linework data is always of a particular color and, accordingly, will occur much more frequently in a graphical image than colors in the contone data. This is readily apparent, as contone data generally includes a myriad of different colors and shades, none of which tends to dominate the overall image. Accordingly, if a particular pixel color is much more frequent (e.g., an order of magnitude or more frequent) than any other colors in the graphical image, it will generally be linework data or substantially common enough that, for all intents and purposes, it can be treated as linework data and still increase the efficiency of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a color frequency chart of pixels in an exemplary graphical image. Note that two bars 305 of the chart are substantially higher than the bars in the rest of the chart representing pixel colors that occur much more frequently than other pixels in the image. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that FIG. 3 is merely an exemplary chart and that a substantially more frequent pixel color could be relatively more or less frequent than illustrated in FIG. 3 .
[0027] One reason that mixed contone and linework images may benefit from the present invention is that a common method of creating a contone image is to upsample a smaller contone image to create a larger graphical image. Then, linework pixels are added to the upsampled contone image. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate such an upsampling. FIG. 4A contains a graphical image 400 , in which 3 pixels have been noted, pixels 405 A-C. FIG. 4B illustrates a new graphical image 450 that has been upsampled, by tripling the height and width of the pixels in FIG. 4A . Accordingly, pixel 405 A becomes the group of 9 pixels 455 A, the pixel 405 B becomes a group of 9 pixels 455 B, and the pixel 405 C becomes the group of 9 pixels 455 C. Additionally, on top of the upsampled contone data shown in graphical image 450 , linework data has been inserted into graphical image 450 and is represented by the dark pixels 460 .
[0028] As can be seen from FIGS. 4A and 4B , a relatively small amount of information represented by the graphical image 400 is expanded to form a much larger graphical image 450 ; however, the addition of the linework pixels 460 makes the reversal of the process more difficult. The present invention is able to overcome this difficulty by determining which pixels are linework pixels and which are contone pixels.
[0029] FIG. 5 depicts several of the key components of an exemplary computing device 500 used to reverse upsample graphical images in accordance with the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the computing device 500 includes many more components than those shown in FIG. 5 . However, it is not necessary that all of these generally conventional components be shown in order to disclose an illustrative embodiment for practicing the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5 , the computing device 500 includes an input/output (“I/O”) interface 530 for input and output of information to and from the computing device 500 . As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the I/O interface 530 includes the necessary circuitry for such a connection.
[0030] The computing device 500 also includes a central processing unit 510 , a display 540 , and a memory 550 connected via a bus 520 . The memory 550 generally comprises random access memory (“RAM”), read-only memory (“ROM”), and a persistent mass storage device such as a hard disk drive, tape drive, optical drive, floppy disk drive, or a combination thereof. The memory 550 stores an operating system 555 for controlling the operation of the computing device 500 . The memory 550 also includes a reverse upsampling routine 600 for reducing graphical image sizes in accordance with the present invention. The reverse upsampling routine 600 is described in greater detail below with regard to FIG. 6 . It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that these components may be stored in a computer readable medium and loaded into memory 550 of the computing device 500 using a drive mechanism associated with the computer readable medium, such as a floppy or CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive, or the I/O adapter 530 .
[0031] As mentioned above, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary logic routine 600 for reverse upsampling of a graphical image. Routine 600 starts at block 601 and proceeds to block 605 where it receives an upsampled image. Next, either subroutine 700 , 800 , or 900 is called to determine which colors in the image are linework colors and which are contone colors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of subroutines 700 , 800 , or 900 may be used, as well as other methods that differentiate linework data from contone data in a graphical image. Next, in block 1100 , a determination is made to determine which group of pixel rows and pixel columns may be coalesced. The determination method of block 1100 is described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 11 . Next, in block 610 , for each block of pixels, collapsible rows and columns of pixels are coalesced together as in FIGS. 2A and 2B . Then, in block 615 , the image with the coalesced rows and columns is stored. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that if linework pixels were distinguished, they may be stored separately. Routine 600 then ends at block 699 .
[0032] FIG. 7 illustrates the logic flow of a linework and contone categorization subroutine 700 . Subroutine 700 begins in block 701 and proceeds to block 705 where the number of pixels for all colors of pixels in a graphical image is calculated. Next, in block 710 , a determination is made if one or more colors are much more common than other colors of the image. As mentioned earlier, one of the methods of determining if particular pixels are linework pixels is by determining that they are much more common than other colors of pixels, which are most likely contone pixels within a graphical image. The linework pixels may be of a single color or possibly of multiple colors. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the linework colors are separately stored using a bit depth sufficient to represent the number of colors used in the linework pixels. For example, if only one linework color was used, then a bit depth of 1 would be sufficient. However, if 2 or 3 colors were used to represent linework data, then 2 bits of information would be used to store the linework pixels and so forth.
[0033] Next, in subroutine 700 , logic flows to decision block 715 where a determination is made if any of the colors occur much more commonly than other colors. As noted before, one threshold is if any color or colors occur, by an order of magnitude, more often than the other colors in the graphical image. If, in decision block 715 , it is determined that there are no colors that occur much more often, then subroutine 700 continues to block 730 where all colors are assigned as contone colors and subroutine 700 then ends at block 799 . Otherwise, if in decision block 715 , a determination is made that one or more colors occur much more often than the remaining colors, then, in block 720 , the more common colors are assigned as linework colors, and next, in block 725 , all remaining colors are assigned as contone colors. Subroutine 700 then ends in any case at block 799 and processing returns to the calling routine.
[0034] FIG. 8 also illustrates the logic flow of an alternate linework and contone categorization subroutine 800 , which may be used by the reverse upsampling routine 600 . Subroutine 800 starts at block 801 and proceeds to block 1000 which calls a subroutine for determining a regular pattern of pixels from a graphical image. Subroutine 1000 is shown in FIG. 10 and described in greater detail below with regard to FIG. 10 . Once subroutine 1000 returns, logic flow continues to block 810 where pixels that do not fit the pattern returned from subroutine 1000 are looked for. Next, in block 815 , any color or colors of pixels that do not fit the pattern as determined in subroutine 1000 are assigned as linework pixels and colors. Then, in block 820 , all remaining colors of pixels are assigned as contone pixels and colors. Subroutine 800 then returns the linework and contone colors in block 899 to the calling routine.
[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary logic flow of yet another alternative linework and contone categorization subroutine 900 . Subroutine 900 combines features of subroutines 700 and 800 . Subroutine 900 starts at block 901 and proceeds to block 700 where subroutine 700 is executed. Next, in block 905 , the results are stored as a first set of linework and contone colors. In block 800 , subroutine 800 is executed and the results are then stored in block 910 as a second set of linework and contone colors. In block 915 , the first and second sets of linework and contone colors are compared. If, in determination block 920 , it is found that the colors are the same, then the first set of linework and contone colors is returned in block 999 . Otherwise, if in determination block 920 it is found that the colors are different, then the linework and contone colors of the second set are returned in block 998 . Those of ordinary skill in the art and others will appreciate that the other alternative embodiments are possible. For example, in yet another exemplary alternate embodiment of a similar routine, if in determination block 920 it is found that the colors are different, then the linework and contone colors of the first set are returned in block 998 .
[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a pattern determination subroutine 1000 for determining regular patterns of pixels in a graphical image. Subroutine 1000 begins at block 1001 and proceeds to block 1010 where color transitions are counted for the columns in the image. Transitions occur when two adjacent pixels are of a different color. Next, in block 1015 , the color transitions for rows are also counted. Then, in block 1020 , the boundaries of contone colors are determined from the transitions counted in blocks 1010 and 1015 by looking for regular transition counts in both the rows and columns. For example, the image 450 of FIG. 4B includes regular patterns of blocks of 9 pixels each. An observation of the regular transitions illustrated in image 450 will show that at every three rows and every three columns there is usually a transition. Accordingly, subroutine 1000 would determine that there is a pattern of 9 pixel blocks in image 450 . Subroutine 1000 ends at block 1099 and returns the pattern that it has determined to the calling routine.
[0037] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary logic flow diagram of a method for determining which groups of pixel rows and pixel columns may be coalesced. Generally described, the method incrementally determines which rows may be coalesced with an adjacent row. Once all of the rows are processed, the method incrementally determines which columns may be coalesced with an adjacent column. Although this process shows one embodiment where the rows are processed before the columns, the method may include other embodiments where the columns are processed before the rows. Now referring to FIG. 11 in conjunction with the example shown on FIGS. 1, 2A , and 2 B, one embodiment of the determination method 1100 will be described.
[0038] The determination method 1100 begins at block 1105 where a program variable storing a row count is initialized. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a program variable storing the row count indicates the current row being processed. To illustrate one working example of the present invention, the row count can be set to the first row of an image file. With reference to the example of FIG. 1 , the first row is referenced as row zero (0).
[0039] Next, at process block 1110 , the method determines if the current row is coalesceable with one or more of the following rows. In this part of the process, a current row is determined to be coalesceable if one or more following rows contains an identical pixel arrangement. For instance, with reference to the example shown in FIG. 1 , row zero (0) and row one (1) are determined to be coalesceable because the rows contain an identical pixel arrangement.
[0040] In one embodiment, the process of decision block 110 determines that a row is coalesceable if the pixel arrangement of the current row is identical to the adjacent row, or if the current row would be identical to the adjacent row when the linework pixels of one row are replaced with the color of a corresponding pixel in the adjacent row. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 1 , when row four (4) is being processed, it is determined that row 4 may be coalesced with rows five (5) and six (6) because the arrangement of the pixels of five (5) and six (6), without regard to the linework pixels, are identical to the pixels of row four (4). Thus, in this example, as shown in FIG. 2A , it is determined that row four (4) is coalesceable with rows five (5) and six (6). Once it is determine that the current row may be coalesced with one or more following rows, the method proceeds to decision block 1112 , where a determination is made to see if one of the rows to be coalesced contains at least one linework pixel.
[0041] At decision block 1112 , if it is determined that the rows to be coalesced do not contain at least one linework pixel, the determination method 1100 proceeds to block 1115 where the rows are marked as coalesceable rows. In this part of the process, individual variables or arrays of variables may be used to mark coalesceable rows. Next, the determination method 1100 proceeds to decision block 1120 , where the method determines if the current row is the last row in the image file. In this part of the process, the last row may be any predetermined row, such as the last row of an image file, the last row of a tile, etc. At decision block 1120 , if it is determined that the current row is not the last row in the image file, the method proceeds to process block 1121 where the method increments the row count. In this part of the process, the method increments the row count to a subsequent row that has not been processed by the determination method 1100 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the process of block 1121 would increment the row count to row two (2) after the processing of rows zero (0) and row one (1). After the processing of block 1121 , the method returns to decision block 1110 where the above-described process is repeated until the last row of the image file is processed.
[0042] In the above-described method, at process block 1110 , if the method determines that the current row is not coalesceable with one or more of the following rows, the determination method 1100 proceeds to block 1111 where the method marks the current row as a row that is not coalesceable. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the process of block 1111 is optional, as the reverse upsampling method 600 described in FIG. 16 , may operate by reading the variables generated in the process of block 1117 .
[0043] In the above-described method, at process block 1112 , if the method determines that one of the rows to be coalesced contains at least one linework pixel, the method proceeds to block 1115 where the method assigns colors to the linework pixels. In this part of the process, the linework pixels are assigned the color of a corresponding pixel of a row to be coalesced. For instance, with reference to FIG. 1 , if the method is to coalesce rows four (4), five (5), and six (6), the method would assign the color of the pixels referenced as row four (4), columns 9-11, to the linework pixels of rows five (5) and six (6). The result of this process is shown in row four (4) of the modified image file of FIG. 2A .
[0044] Now returning to decision block 1120 , if it is determined that the current row is the last row to be processed, the determination method 1100 continues to blocks 1122 - 1129 , where the columns of the image file are processed. The process of blocks 1122 - 1129 is carried out in a manner described above with respect to process blocks 1105 - 1121 . Generally described, the process of block 1122 initializes the column count to the first column of the image file. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the current column would be set to column zero (0). The process then cycles through process blocks 1123 - 1129 , where individual columns are processed to determine which columns should be coalesced. Similar to the process described above, columns are determined to be coalesceable if two or more columns have identical pixel patterns if the pixel arrangement of the current column is identical to the adjacent column, or if the current column would be identical to the pixel arrangement of the adjacent column when the linework pixels of one of the columns are replaced with the color of a corresponding pixel in the adjacent column. In the process of decision block 1123 , linework pixels are not considered in the analysis of the pixel patterns. In the processing of blocks 1123 - 1129 , individual columns are marked as coalesceable or as not coalesceable, and the processing continues until all of the columns are analyzed. Once the method determines that the last column of the image file has been processed, the determination method 1100 terminates and returns the representation of coalesceable rows and columns to the calling routine, which in this example is the upsampling method 600 of FIG. 6 .
[0045] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other techniques may be used to identify contone and linework data in an image. However, subroutines 700 , 800 , and 900 present exemplary techniques which may be used on their own or in combination with others to determine contone and linework data in images.
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The present invention provides for a method and system for reducing the storage required for transmitting digital images. The reduction is accomplished by coalescing identical pixels that are adjacent to each other. Accordingly, a determination is made as to whether pixels along a first axis are identical with pixels along a second axis and, if they are identical, they are coalesced together. The process is repeated along a second axis such that an image resulting from the reduction is significantly smaller, especially if the image was originally upsampled. The present invention reverses the upsampling process to create a reduced image. Additionally, the present invention allows for differentiation between upsampled contone data and linework data that may be overlaid over upsampled contone data. Image data that is linework data is treated as wild card pixels in the image and may be coalesced with any adjacent pixel when coalescing adjacent pixels.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to head arm assemblies, head stack assemblies and disk drive units.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Disk drives are information storage devices that use magnetic media to store data. A typical disk drive unit in related art comprises a magnetic disk and a head stack assembly (abbreviated as “HSA”, HSA with only one HGA is referred as “HAA” (head arm assembly)). The magnetic disk is mounted on a spindle motor which causes the magnetic disk to spin and a voice-coil motor (VCM) is provided for controlling the motion of the HSA and thus controlling slider (not labeled) on the HSA to move from track to track across the surface of the magnetic disk to read data from or write data to the magnetic disk.
[0003] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a traditional HAA 13 comprises a drive arm 34 , a suspension 14 coupled with the drive arm 34 , and a slider 203 mounted on the suspension 14 (the suspension 14 with the slider 203 is referred as “HGA”). In the related art, as shown in FIG. 1 , the suspension 14 comprises a flexure 32 and a load beam 33 . A dimple 329 is formed on the load beam 33 to support the flexure 32 . Referring to FIG. 3 , when the slider 203 is mounted on the flexure 32 , the loading force keeps being applied to the center area of the slider 203 through the dimples 329 of the load beam 33 .
[0004] However, the traditional HAA has not a good shock performance because of its rather large and complicated structure. The structures of the traditional HAA not only influence its static performance, but also influence its dynamic performance. At the same time, with the disk drive units being widely used in many consumer electronics products, such as PDA, cell phone, digital camera, digital video, etc, the shock performance of the HAA used by the disk drive unit is more important for these precise products. In addition, the complicated structure of the HAA also makes the manufacturing and assembly process of the disk drive unit rather time-consuming, and accordingly increases the cost of manufacturing disk drive unit.
[0005] Hence, it is desired to provide a head arm assembly which can attain a better shock performance and overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A main feature of the present invention is to provide a HAA with small mass and a good shock performance, and a disk dirve unit having such a HAA.
[0007] Another feature of the present invention is to provide a HSA with small mass and a good shock performance, and a disk dirve unit having such a HSA.
[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned features, a HAA of the present invention comprises a slider, a drive arm, a trace; and a load beam having a hinge portion and a slider mounting portion. The slider mounting portion has a slider support portion to support flying attitude of the slider. In the present invention, the slider support portion has a slider mounting frame with a flexible lifter to maintain the slider position in a predetermined position. The flexible lifter has a spring structure. In an embodiment, the load beam further comprises a stiffener formed in a longitudinal direction of the head arm assembly. As an embodiment, the stiffener is at least one rail formed between the hinge portion and a slider mounting portion. Each of the rails is formed by bending the side portion of the load beam. In a further embodiment, a lift tab extends from the hinge portion to front end of the slider mounting portion.
[0009] A head stack assembly comprises at least one head arm assemblies; wherein each of the head arm assemblies comprises a slider, a drive arm, a trace; and a load beam having a hinge portion and a slider mounting portion. In the present invention, the slider mounting portion has a slider support portion to support flying attitude of the slider.
[0010] A disk drive unit of the present invention comprises a disk, a spindle motor to spin the disk; and at least one head arm assemblies. Each of the head arm assembies comprises a slider, a drive arm, a trace; and a load beam having a hinge portion and a slider mounting portion; wherein the slider mounting portion has a slider supporter to support flying attitude of the slider.
[0011] Compared with the prior art, firstly, because the HAA (HSA, disk drive) of the present invention has no additional flexure so as to omit the manufacturing process of the flexure and the assembly process with the load beam. Thus, it makes manufacturing HAA (HSA, disk drive) much easily and accordingly lows down the manufacturing cost thereof. In addition, omitting the additional flexure can also reduce the whole height and weight of the HAA (HSA, disk drive), that is, reducing the whole mass of the HAA (HSA, disk drive). This is because the related art must superpose the flexure with the load beam in a certain area for assembling them together, and accordingly the superposing portions of the flexure and the load beam will increase the whole height and weight of the HAA (HSA, disk drive). At the same time, reducing the weight of HAA (HSA, disk drive) will decrease its inertia and then attain a good shock performance. Furthermore, a stiffener, i.e. rails, is provided on the hinge portion so that the load beam is stiff enough to urge the slider to maintain a desired position relative to disk surface.
[0012] For the purpose of making the invention easier to understand, several particular embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a traditional HAA;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled HAA of FIG. 1 ;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 according to slider area of the HAA;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of a HAA according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled HAA of FIG. 4 ;
[0018] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of FIG. 5 according to a first angle of view;
[0019] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of FIG. 5 according to a second angle of view;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 according to slider area of the HAA;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an assembled HAA according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 9A is a perspective view of an assembled HAA according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 9B is an exploded, perspective view of a load beam of the HAA in FIG. 9A ;
[0024] FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view of the HAA in FIG. 9A taken along line A-A; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a disk drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 4 , a HAA 13 ′ comprises a slider 203 ′, a drive arm 34 ′ and a load beam 33 ′ to load the slider 203 ′. The load beam 33 ′ has an integral structure and electric traces 309 formed thereon.
[0027] In the present invention, the load beam 33 ′ is an interconnecting piece where the electric traces 309 is integrated therewith and provide conductivity between a PCBA (not shown) and the slider 203 ′. In the invention, the load beam 33 ′ can be made by a laminate, such as trace suspension assembly (TSA), circuit integrated suspension (CIS), or flex suspension assembly (FSA). After the load beam 33 ′ are formed, it will be coupled to the drive arm 34 ′ by welding or other traditional method.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 4 , the load beam 33 ′ comprises a hinge portion 391 , a slider mounting portion 392 and a connecting portion 399 to connect the hinge portion 391 and the slider mounting portion 392 . In the present invention, when a force is applied to the slider 203 ′, it will cause a shearing force to exert in the load beam 33 ′. As is known to all, an object is easily deformed when being applied to a shearing force while pressing force and/or pulling force only cause a little deformation of the object to which being applied. In order to transfer the shearing force exerted in the load beam 33 ′ into pressing force and/or pulling force, a stiffener is formed in a longitudinal direction of the load beam 33 ′. Thus, the deformation of the load beam 33 ′ can be reduced, accordingly, the stiffness of the load beam 33 ′ is increased greatly so that a load-unload operation can be successfully processed. In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 6 , the stiffener is at least one rails, such as two rails 393 , 394 , which is formed by bending two side portions of the connecting portion 399 . In addition, the rail 394 also serves as a lift tap which engages with and is lifted by a ramp 121 (see FIG. 10 ).
[0029] Referring to FIG. 4 , the slider 203 ′ has a plurality of electrical pads 209 on one end thereof. The slider mounting portion 392 has a slider support portion (not labeled) to support flying attitude of the slider 203 ′. In an embodiment of the invention, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the slider support portion has two side beams 409 each of which has an open end, and a slider mounting frame 402 to connect with the two side beams 409 by their open ends. The slider mounting frame 402 has a flexible lifter 400 to maintain the position of the slider 203 ′ upper than the position of the two beams 409 . The slider mounting frame 402 comprises two side beams 403 and a bottom beam 405 to connect with the side beams 403 . The flexible lifter 400 has a spring structure which extends from the bottom beam 405 . In an embodiment, the flexible lifter 400 comprises a suspension tongue 328 to support the slider 203 ′, and a connection part 401 to connect the bottom beam 405 with the suspension tongue 328 . In the present invention, because the load beam 33 ′ has a stiffener (e.g. two rails 393 , 394 ) for improving the stiffness thereof so that the load beam 33 ′ is stiff enough to urge the slider 203 ′ to maintain a desired position relative to disk surface. In addition, the flexible lifter 400 has a spring structure to make the slider 203 ′ freely fly above the disk.
[0030] In the present invention, referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 , the suspension tongue 328 has a plurality of electrical pads 420 disposed on a predetermined position thereof corresponding to the electrical pads 209 of the slider 203 ′. Referring to FIG. 8 , when the electrical pads 209 of the slider 203 ′ are positioned corresponding to the electrical pads 420 of the suspension tongue 328 , a plurality of metal balls (GBB or SBB, not shown) are provided to electrically connect the slider 203 ′ with the suspension tongue 328 . In the present invention, there is no dimple to support the suspension tongue 328 , however, the slider 203 ′ can still freely fly on the disk surface due to the spring structure of the flexible lifter 400 .
[0031] According to a second embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 9 , a HAA 13 ″ comprises a load beam 33 ″, a slider 203 ′ mounted thereon, and a drive arm 34 ′ coupled with the load beam 33 ″. The load beam 33 ″ comprises a hinge portion 391 ′, a slider mounting portion 392 ′ and a connecting portion 399 ′ to connect the hinge portion 391 ′ and the slider mounting portion 392 ′. A lift tab 332 ′ extends from the connecting portion 399 ′ to front end of the slider mounting portion 392 ′. Two rails 80 are formed from two side portions of the connecting portion 399 ′ to two side portions of the slider mounting portion 392 ′ in a longitudinal direction of the HAA 13 ″. In the embodiment, no other change except the above-mentioned is happened on the structure of the HAA 13 ″ comparing with the HAA 13 ′. Therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted herefrom.
[0032] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 9A , a HAA 3 comprises a load beam 63 , a slider 203 ′ mounted thereon, and a drive arm 34 ′ coupled with the load beam 63 . In an embodiment, referring to FIGS. 9B-9C , the load beam 63 is made of FSA, which comprises a stainless steel substrate 67 and a flex on suspension (FOS) portion 62 on the stainless steel substrate 67 . The FOS portion 62 is attached to the stainless steel substrate 67 with adhesive or other traditional method. As an embodiment, the FOS portion 62 is mainly made of polyimide (PI), which is formed a PI layer (insulation layer); electric traces 309 are built on the PI layer. In the embodiment, the load beam 63 comprises a hinge portion 75 , a slider mounting portion 73 and a connecting portion 72 to connect the hinge portion 75 and the slider mounting portion 73 . A lift tab 78 extends from the connecting portion 72 to front end of the slider mounting portion 73 . Also, two rails 66 are formed from two side portions of the connecting portion 72 to two side portions of the slider mounting portion 73 in a longitudinal direction of the HAA 3 . In the embodiment, the slider mounting portion 73 comprises a slider support portion 79 which has a flexible lifter 70 . The flexible lifter 70 comprises a front tongue part 69 and a rear tongue part 68 . The front tongue part 69 is connected with the connecting portion 72 by two side beams 65 , while the rear tongue part 68 extends from the connecting portion 72 directly. A dimple 61 is formed on the end of the rear tongue part 68 adjacent to the front tongue part 69 . When the slider 203 ′ is mounted on the load beam 63 , the dimple 61 leans against the FOS portion 62 and then supports the slider 203 ′ to maintain the position of the slider 203 ′ upper than the position of the two side beams 65 . Obviously, the load beam can also be made of CIS or TSA, which has a similar structure to the load beam 63 . In the present invention, a HSA also can be formed by assembled two or more HAA of the present invention (e.g. HAA 13 ′, 13 ″ or 3 ).
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 4-9C , in the present invention, the slider 203 ′ are coupled with the load beam 63 , 33 ′ or 33 ″ by epoxy glue or an epoxy-free bonding method. In an embodiment of the present invention, connecting the slider 203 ′ with the load beam 63 , 33 ′ or 33 ″ electrically are performed as follows (using the load beam 33 ′ as an example): using a plurality of metal balls (GBB or SBB) to electrically connect the electrical pads 209 of the slider 203 ′ with the electrical pads 420 so as to electrically connect the slider 203 ′ with the electric multi-traces 309 of the load beam 33 ′. Through the electric multi-traces 309 , the slider 203 ′ can be connected with a PCBA (not shown).
[0034] In the present invention, referring to FIG. 10 , a disk drive unit 100 ′ of the present invention can be attained by assembling a disk drive housing 90 , a disk 101 ′, a spindle motor 102 ′ with the HAA 13 ′ (also can be HAA 3 , 13 ″ or HSA) of the present invention. Because the structure and/or assembly process of a disk drive unit by using the HAA 13 ′ (also can be HAA 3 , 13 ″ or HSA) of the present invention are well known to persons ordinarily skilled in the art, a detailed description of such structure and assembly is omitted herefrom.
[0035] Comparing with the related art, the present invention omits an additional flexure so as to omit the manufacturing process of the flexure and the assembly process with the load beam. Thus, it makes manufacturing HAA (HSA, disk drive) much easily and accordingly lows down the manufacturing cost thereof. In addition, omitting the additional flexure can also reduce the whole height and weight of the HAA (HSA, disk drive). This is because the related art must superpose the flexure with the load beam in a certain area for assembling them together, and accordingly the superposing portions of the flexure and the load beam will increase the whole height and weight of the HAA (HSA, disk drive). At the same time, reducing the weight of HAA (HSA, disk drive) will decrease its inertia and then attain a good shock performance.
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A head arm assembly comprises a slider, a drive arm, a trace; and a load beam having a hinge portion and a slider mounting portion; wherein the slider mounting portion has a slider support portion to support flying attitude of the slider. The slider support portion has a slider mounting frame with a flexible lifter to maintain the slider position in a predetermined position. In the present invention, the flexible lifter has a spring structure. The load beam may further comprise a stiffener formed in a longitudinal direction of the head arm assembly. The invention also discloses a head stack assembly and a disk drive using the head arm assembly.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from provisional application 60/519,922 filed Nov. 14, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditional editing for storytelling on film (and later video) created and perfected the style of inter-cutting shots of varying focal lengths and at varying angles to communicate the positional relation between characters in establishing shots and to provide increased intensity of performance by using close-ups. The ability to cut away from one perspective to another also allowed the use of different takes within the same production. These techniques have become so commonplace that they are inculcated and accepted by everyone with any media exposure whatsoever.
These techniques have also been used for many years in live productions with multiple cameras from the beginning of Television as Live Broadcast TV to today's news, awards, sports and talk shows.
Since the mid 1960's as the “Studio Tours” flourished in the Los Angeles area, “simulated” shows were created where participant could take the role of actors on sets with contemporary equipment and create short video scenes from famous shows. This type of “live” production has become a Theme Park staple over the years and many versions of custom media inserting guests into the previously produced segment have been created.
On a separate path, beginning more than 20 years ago, as MTV exploded onto the scene, the evolution of audio Karaoke to music video setups were taking the first steps of simplifying the production studio apparatus to bring some version of these expensive production techniques to a new market as a simplified production studio. These were all single camera set-ups and were not attempting to accomplish anything more than a superimposition of the guest over an interesting background while the music played. There was no intent of interacting with the background.
The next step in the evolution was to insert participants into a background entirely pre-produced specifically for the purpose of inserting a participant member of the public who could interact by answering questions or reading prompts to give them the appearance of appearing on a television show. In one example, this was showcased a decade ago at EPCOT center in Florida where guests could do a brief interview with Jay Leno. This setup was reprised at the Olympic Village in Atlanta in 1996 and has been resident at the NBC Experience in Rockefeller Plaza since 1999. There are other options in the later location and another example in “Studio 39” in San Francisco. However, in all of these installations, a single camera is used to place the participant into a back ground scene produced specifically and only for that purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A unique aspect of the invention is the utilization of the techniques of multi-Camera production and editing in tandem with the automated studio to create a short, story-driven video where the participant portrays a character and is inserted into the video using the combination of establishing shots and close-ups. This allows a whole new version of such videos to be created.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, existing television arid film media is re-edited to create the short background media. The existing media is modified to eliminate an actor or otherwise alter the background media, thus allowing insertion of the participant into a similar position in the establishing shots. The close ups of actors within the production are re-edited along with new backgrounds to compliment the establishing shots for use in new close-ups with the patron. A new script is created to work the participant's voice into the existing dialogue. This is similar to the studio production efforts that were made in various television commercials in the 1980's and in the film “Forrest Gump” in 1994.
The present invention comprises an entertainment product that utilizes multiple cameras with motion and zoom capabilities to create a digitally stored resulting performance wherein the guest appears as an actor in a short, story-driven video where the combination of wider, establishing shots which compose the participant with actors and other elements in the pre-existing background media are intercut with close-ups of the participant superimposed on appropriate backgrounds to match the backgrounds of the other actors in the pre-existing background media.
The participant position and alignment during the performance is led by “Tally” lights that indicate where the guest should be looking in order to properly align with the characters in the background media. The dialogue for the participant to speak is indicated on traditional teleprompters. These teleprompters also indicate when to speak the dialogue by transforming the text color at the desired time to speak the line along with other directions for the participant to follow to further improve the illusion of the participant interacting with the characters in the background media.
The resulting performance is displayed in real-time on one or more large monitors to be viewed by the surrounding audience and the participants queuing to take their turn performing. The surrounding audience can view both the participant and the monitor(s) whereon the performance is displayed. The performance may be re-played off of the digital storage device for viewing and/or subsequent recording to consumable recording media such as DVD. The digitally stored performance may also be modified and uploaded to a server for subsequent download by the participant via the Internet.
According to one aspect, the invention provides apparatus for creating a story driven video in which images of a live participant are inserted, real time, as an actor in a background video formed by a pre-existing, well known video/story adapted to receive images of the live participant comprising:
a digital library of background media of selectable pre-recorded, well known video media that has been adapted to receive the image of a live participant so as to appear an actor;
operator input means;
means for selecting a background media from the digital library and for playing the background media selected to provide a first signal source for video in response to operator input via the operator input means;
means providing a lighted monochrome background for performance of the live participant;
talent lights for the live participant and means for automatically illuminating the talent lights during the performance to approximate intensity and color temperature of the background media;
a first video camera and a second video camera generating, respectively; a second video signal and a third video signal representing, respectively, images corresponding to different camera shots of a live performance of a participant, means for receiving the first signal of background media from the selection means and for selecting/switching between the second video signal and the third video signal and for providing a real time combination of a selected signal with the first video signal by a chromakey process, resulting in a fourth video signal of composition video;
means for selecting between the first video signal and the fourth video signal to create a fifth video signal of combined video;
and recording the fifth video signal as participant's performance video to a server hard drive as a single file for immediate and future playback and retrieval
Preferably, the background media includes audio and the media selection means provides a first signal source for audio, further comprising: means for capturing and recording in real time a voice/sound of the participant and for mixing and combining the real time recording of the voice/sound of the participant with the first signal of background audio to provide a second audio signal; means for disabling the participant's voice/sound by selectively switching between the first and second audio signals to provide a third audio signal of composition audio; and means for combining the fifth video signal and the third audio signal as participant's performance video.
It is also preferred that means are provided for moving respective video cameras to preselected positions, based on a next scene of background media, and based on a height of a participant received by operator input via the operator input means; and, means for changing a zoom, focus and iris of the video cameras to preset positions, based on the next scene of background media, and based on the height of the participant.
More specifically, the invention includes means for retrieving a participant's performance video and modifying format thereof to a consumer broadcast standard format and recording the modified performance video to one of video tape and Digital Video Disk for purchase; and, means for retrieving a participant's performance video and modifying the format and resolution to compressed digital video for internet video streaming, and uploading to a server for later download by the participant via the internet.
According to another aspect, the invention provides a method for creating a story driven video in which images of a live participant are inserted, real time, as an actor in a familiar background video/story comprising the steps of; providing a pre-existing, well known video story; adapting the video story to receive images of the live participant by selecting scenes from the video story, creating an alternative background to provide a place for insertion of another image by creating an image layer using a frame image of a selected scene as a template, creating an opaque area visually matching the background video scenes on a previously transparent background layer on the frame image template to obscure a selected part of the video image; and layering the opaque area with the original video frame to provide a back ground video; saving and inserting the frames into a remainder of the original video; preparing a synchronized script; providing the script to the participant and taking selected shots of the participant performing the script with a video camera and inserting the shots in respective selected frames of the back ground video to provide a participants performance video.
A series of different background media are made and stored for access on demand in a digital library.
This brief summary is provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood. In addition, a specific example of the invention is described in significantly more detail in the following Description of the Preferred Embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which, together, form a complete description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , when combined, represent a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the invention showing the main electronic and electrical “active” components and their relation to each other. Power to the components other than Show Controlled Lighting is not shown.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the major components of one embodiment of the invention. The structures for this embodiment and the monochrome backdrop illumination have been removed for clarity. The enclosures for camera 1 and camera 2 are cut-away to expose these elements.
FIG. 3 is a right elevation view of the major components of one embodiment of the invention. The structures for this embodiment and the monochrome backdrop illumination have been removed for clarity. Also the participant's view television monitor is removed for clarity. The enclosures for camera 1 and camera 2 are cut-away to expose these elements.
FIG. 4 shows a frame of a representative scene of video as it appears in the original recognizable video and audio presentation.
FIG. 5 shows a frame of a representative scene of video as it appears after digital modification. The modification removes a character or other background elements to allow for the insertion of the participant(s) into a scene in the recognizable video and audio presentation.
FIG. 6 shows a frame of a representative scene of video as the participant appears inserted into the scene of recognizable video and audio presentation.
FIG. 7 shows a parts list of the components of the preferred embodiment. wherein product ID numbers correspond to those in FIGS. 1 , 2 & 3 .
FIG. 8 is a signal flow diagram.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic block diagrams showing the video, audio and control interconnections of active components of the invention.
A first camera 1 has associated with it a zoom lens 2 , a pan-tilt unit 3 with receiver/driver 4 , (with motion and zoom lens control such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,236 issued May 14, 1996 to Sergeant et al.) and analog to digital (A to D) converter with frame sync 12 . This camera generates a video composite signal and red, green and blue video signals of the participant's performance for input to the A to D Converter. This camera also takes a composite signal as reference as input to the frame sync module located in the A to D converter 12 . This signal is from video decoder located in the integrated media server 11 , (manufactured by Granite Precision, Pine Mountain, Calif.).
A second camera 5 has associated with it a zoom lens 6 , a pan-tilt unit 7 with receiver/driver 8 , and analog to digital (A to D) converter with frame sync 13 . This camera generates a video composite signal and red, green and blue video signals of the participant's performance for input to the A to D converters 3 . This camera also takes a composite signal as reference as input to the frame sync module located in the A to D converter 13 . This signal is from video decoder located in the integrated media server 11 .
If more than two cameras angles are required in another embodiment of the invention, the arrangement of the components described for the first and second cameras would be repeated for subsequent cameras. This would enable additional angles of video capture of the participants performance.
The production switcher 14 , (manufactured by Ross Video, Toronto, Canada) receives the background video as a serial digital signal from the Integrated media server 11 . The background video signal is used as fill in a digital chroma key process, (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,039 issued Sep. 28, 1993 to Chaplin, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,107 issued Apr. 19, 1994 to Gale et al.), where the monochrome background from the cameras 1 , 5 is replaced with this background image. The production switcher 14 switches the background signal to the output when only background video is desired. Alternatively, the production switcher 14 is able to switch to any one of the composite signals created by the chroma key process described above. In this embodiment, there are two composite signals to choose from. The first of these composite signals is the video signal from camera 1 as the foreground and the background video signal from the integrated media server 11 . The second of these composite signals is the video signal from camera 5 as the foreground and the background video signal from the integrated media server 11 . The production switcher 14 is also able to add other video effects to enhance the output video signal. These include, but are not limited to mattes, dissolves and fades. The production switcher 14 in this preferred embodiment is controlled via serial RS-232 control from the integrated media server 11 .
The serial digital output signal from the production switcher 14 is routed to a digital to analog converter (D to A) 25 . This device converts the signal back to an analog NTSC video signal, and also distributes the signal to other devices. The devices the analog signal is routed to include the audience view monitor 29 , the participant view monitor 30 and a video encoder/decoder located in the recording server 26 , (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,618 issued Dec. 29, 1992 to Ueda et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,720 issued Mar. 3, 1992 to Krause et al.). In this embodiment, the encoder in the recording server 26 encodes the analog NTSC video signal to MPEG 2 format and stores the performance as a video file in the performance media library of the recording server 26 hard drive for later use. There is a KVM switch that enables a keyboard 18 , mouse 19 and monitor 17 to be shared between the integrated media server 11 and the recording server 26 .
Audio for the participant's performance is captured using a wired lav (“lavaliere”) microphone 22 and power supply 23 . In this embodiment, there are two lav microphones 22 and two power supplies 23 . This enables multiple participants to perform simultaneously. An audio processor 24 combines the participants' voice audio signal with the background audio from the integrated media server 11 in the audio processor 24 . The audio processor 24 also performs other functions such as audio switching, equalization and delay, (with audio incorporation such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,146 issued Dec. 8, 1998 to Slattery). The audio signal is routed from the audio processor 24 , to an audience view monitor 29 , a participant view monitor 30 and to the video encoder/decoder located in the recording server 26 . In this embodiment, the video encoder/decoder in the recording server 26 encodes the stereo audio and analog NTSC video signal to MPEG 2 format and stores the performance as a video file in the performance media library of the recording server 26 for later use.
The recording server 26 can output the video and combined audio from a previously recorded performance. The video signal is decoded and distributed to a VHS recorder 31 . The performance video can be monitored by the operator during recording by viewing a preview monitor 32 . The recording server 26 communicates device control to the video recorder 31 via a Serial RS-232. The performance video can also be authored/edited and burned to a DVD automatically utilizing DVD authoring and burning software and hardware provided in the recording server 26 for such task.
The timing and automation of the devices to sync with the background media is all pre-programmed in the show control software of the integrated media server 11 . The participant is cued to speak lines and given directions for actions by two teleprompters 15 , 16 consisting of LCD screens viewed through semi-reflective glass in front of each camera 1 and 5 , respectively. Multiple tally lights 9 instruct the participant where to look during the performance to align properly with characters and elements in the background media. The timing of these tally lights is communicated through Serial RS-232 from the integrated media server 11 to the pan/tilt receiver/driver units 4 , 8 . The tally lights 9 are auxiliary outputs of the receiver/driver units 4 , 8 . An additional auxiliary output of receiver/driver unit 4 lights the “Quiet Please, Recording” light box 33 .
Four talent lights 35 are automated during the performance to match, approximately, the lighting on the foreground participant with lighting in the original background media. The lights are cued by the integrated media server 11 which communicates via DMX 512 to the lighting dimmer 34 , (such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,139 issued Jun. 13, 1978 to Symounds et al.)
The selection of the background media, and its associated device control, is initiated by an operator. The operator communicates to the integrated media server 11 using the (conventional) computer keyboard 18 , mouse 19 and monitor 17 . The process is automated with operator prompts on monitor 17 . The point of sale functions for VHS tape and DVD sales are also automated by the recording server 26 which communicates serially with, and controls, a receipt printer 20 and cash drawer 21 , via a RS-232.
In FIG. 2 , a participant is shown in the approximate performance position, situated in front of an illuminated monochrome screen 37 . The participant is illuminated by talent lights 35 , 36 . The tally lights 9 are distributed around the perimeter right side and bottom.
The lav microphone 22 and power supply 23 for the performance audio are attached to the participant. The signal cable is routed to other audio components housed in the electronics enclosure 10 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B .
The audience view monitor 29 is located on the lower left, and for display to an audience situated to the left in plan view. The participant view television monitor 30 is located directly in front of the participant.
The operator control and point of sale items located to the left of the main electronics enclosure 109 include the keyboard 18 , mouse 19 , monitor 17 , receipt printer 20 and cash drawer 21 . These route directly to the integrated media server 11 , not shown, which is located in electronic enclosure 10 .
Electronic enclosure 10 is cut away to show the video camera 1 , zoom lens 2 , pan/tilt unit 3 , the teleprompter monitor 15 the teleprompter glass 38 and one of the tally lights 9 . Other components located in electronic enclosure 10 but not shown in this view include: pan/tilt receiver-driver 4 , video A to D converters 12 , 13 , production switcher 14 , integrated media server 11 , audio processor 24 , video D to A converter 25 , recording server 26 , VHS recorder 31 , and lighting dimmer 34 .
Electronic enclosure 39 is cut away to show the video camera 5 , zoom lens 6 , pan/tilt unit 7 , the teleprompter monitor 16 the teleprompter glass 38 and one of the tally lights 9 . Other components located in electronic enclosure 39 but not shown in this view include the pan/tilt receiver-driver 8 .
In FIG. 3 , a participant is shown in the approximate performance position, situated in front of an illuminated monochrome screen 37 . The participant is illuminated by talent lights 35 , 36 . Tally lights 9 are distributed at approximate eye level.
The lav microphone 22 and power supply 23 for the performance audio is shown attached to the participant. The cabling for this device is not shown, but is routed to other audio components in the electronics enclosure 10 , as indicated in FIGS. 1A and 1B
The audience view monitor 29 is located on the upper left behind the electronic enclosure 10 . The participant view television monitor 30 has been omitted to better show other items in the electronic enclosure 10 .
The operator control and point of sale items are not shown in this view but are located behind the main electronics enclosure 10 . These include the keyboard 18 , mouse 19 , monitor 17 , receipt printer 20 and cash drawer 21 .
Electronic enclosure 10 is cut away to show the video camera 1 , zoom lens 2 , pan/tilt unit 3 , the teleprompter monitor 15 the teleprompter glass 42 and one of the tally lights 9 . Other components located in electronic enclosure 10 but not shown in this view include: pan/tilt receiver-driver 4 , video A to D converters 12 , 13 , production switcher 14 , integrated media server 11 , audio processor 24 , video D to A converter 25 , recording server 26 , VHS recorder 31 , and the lighting dimmer 34 .
Electronic enclosure 39 is cut away to show the video camera 5 , zoom lens 6 , pan/tilt unit 7 , the teleprompter monitor 16 the teleprompter glass 38 and one of the tally lights 9 . Also shown here is the pan/tilt receiver-driver 8 attached to the structure for electronic enclosure 39 .
A description of the methods used to create the background media follows:
Recognizable, well-known media such as a movie or television show is converted to video format (if not already in that format). With the final integration of a participant actor in mind, the video is edited to a shorter, story-driven series of video segments using a computer-based video editing system such as Final Cut Pro from Apple Computer, Inc. or the Avid editing system from Avid Technology, Inc. The result is media prepared for incorporation of video and audio of the participant and a position is made for the insertion by the chromakey process.
Once the video is edited, the scenes in which the participant will perform are selected and a representative frame of video from each scene is captured and converted and exported as an image format such as JPEG. This process is accomplished using the editing software described above. One image per scene is selected to act as a template for the next step. FIG. 4 is a representation of this step of the method.
Each image selected is then altered using a photo editing system such as Photoshop from Adobe Systems, Inc. In the alteration process an alternate background is created to provide a place for the future insertion of the (image of) the participant actor by the system devices of the invention described previously. In the photo editing software a image layer is created using the original video frame image as a template. An opaque area is created on a normally transparent background layer to cover over part of the video image. This opaque area is artistically edited to match the video colors, quality and character. When layered with the original video frame, a place is created for the future integration of the participant actor as represented in FIG. 5 . Note that several of these frames can be made for use in the video editing system if animation of the background is desired.
These images are then saved in an appropriate resolution (720×480 in this embodiment) as an image file, such as JPEG to be imported to the video editing system. Once the frames are imported, they are then inserted into the video timeline at the appropriate position as a layer of video on top of the original video sequence. This results in a video sequence ready for integration of the participant actor as in FIG. 5 .
The audio is then edited to accommodate the participant actor's spoken lines and, optionally, audio sweetening, music or other audio manipulations are performed in a studio or with other audio editing software, to create audio that is similar in character, volume and background score to the original yet still allow for incorporation of the participant actor's voice.
On completion of the video and audio, the entire sequence is then exported/converted in a compressed video format such as MPEG2. This background media file is then incorporated into the video background media library of the integrated media server 11 for later use. The system then integrates the participant actor with the background in the appropriate locations, as represented by FIG. 6 .
A description of the signal flow follows, with reference to FIG. 8 .
Operator input to show control software in the integrated media server 11 first sets variables that automate the devices in the system. The variables that are initially set are; the episode that will be displayed (background media and show control sequence), the height of the individual (chosen from five height ranges) and the name of the participant (for use in identifying the individuals file later in the recording server 26 ).
Setting the episode variable causes the show control software to initiates the video sequence by directing the video decoder to locate and buffer the appropriate video file from the background media library. Once buffered, the video file is started by the show control software. Further, the episode variable setting selects in the show control software the show sequence that will be run. On setting this variable the show control software initiates control of the devices of the system, and sets them to their initial position settings through the serial control interface (RS-232) and the DMX-512 control interface. The devices that are initialized are the production switcher 14 , the camera control units 4 & 8 , the audio processor 24 and the lighting dimmer 34 .
The participant's height variable further modifies the show control software setting select commands sent to the camera control modules once the show is started, to select from a different set of presets in the camera control units 4 & 8 which conform to the height range of the participant and a particular scene of the background media file.
The variable for the name of the participant is used by the show control software to initialize the recording server 26 from the serial control interface of the integrated media server 11 and to the recording server 26 . Furthermore, the software provides packet information used by the recording server 26 to name the video file that will be created, (which name is derived from the participant initials, the time and the date of the performance). In this process, the recording server 26 communicates internally using the encoding/recording software to the video encoder/decoder to encode an incoming signal to a compressed video file (MPEG-2), and to save this file in a specified folder in the performance media library. Also the encoding/recording software communicates a time in seconds that the video encoder/decoder will encode the video stream. The actual encoding process starts once the show sequence is started. This is a command from the integrated media server 11 via the same serial control interfaces mentioned earlier.
Operator input to the integrated media server 11 causes it to start the selected show sequence. The show control software commands the video decoder to start the pre-selected video sequence. On show sequence start, the system devices change, if necessary, to accommodate the height of the individual for the first scene. The changes are communicated from the integrated media server 11 to the camera control units 4 & 8 . Also on start, the integrated media server 11 communicates to the recording server 26 to start the encoding process referred to earlier.
Once the show has started the integrated media server 11 updates and changes the communications to the system devices based on show control software settings in the integrated media server 11 and based on presets in the system devices. The system devices that are continuously controlled during the performance are the production switcher 14 , the camera control units 4 & 8 , the audio processor 24 and the lighting dimmer 34 . All the communications are from the serial interface of the integrated media server 11 to the serial input of the device except the lighting dimmer 34 . The lighting dimmer 34 receives a signal from the DMX-512 control interface of the integrated media server.
While the show sequence is running the show control software sends teleprompter text to the computer display of the integrated media server 11 . The computer display interface (video graphic card) is set to two monitors side by side at 1120×768 resolution. One of the two monitors is used as the operators GUI of the integrated media server 11 , while the other monitor receives the teleprompter text that is displayed in a backwards font. This backward text signal is split and sent to two LCD monitors that are viewed reflected from a partially reflective glass surface. These are the teleprompters 15 & 16 . The show control software in the integrated media server 11 displays the teleprompter text in “white” and the changes the color to “green” at the appropriate moment for the participant to speak the dialog. Acting instructions are displayed in “red”.
The cameras 1 & 5 signals are analog RGB signals routed to analog to digital (A to D) converters 12 & 13 . These A to D converters have a frame sync module to allows the cameras to sync to a remote sync signal based on the “green” signal of the respective camera. For clarity the sync signals are not shown in FIG. 8 . The A to D converters 12 & 13 convert the signal to serial digital video which are routed to the production switcher 14 .
The production switcher 14 receives serial digital video signals from the integrated media server 11 (the background media) and from each of the cameras 1 & 5 (participant in front of a monochromatic background). The production switcher 14 processes the serial digital video signal in response to commands from the show control software of the integrated media server 11 via the serial control interface. A typical command set will first set the production switcher to a set of preset functions such as chroma key, mask, dissolve, cut etc. Each of the functions can be in the on or off state (routed to the output of the production switcher, or not) depending on what is required for the show sequence. The next command will take any one or any number of these functions to the opposite state. For example the participant can be cut into the background (chroma key+cut) in a single frame of video, or dissolved-in (chroma key+dissolve) over a number of seconds. The next command might set up the next scene, and so on.
The audio processor 24 receives a background media audio signal from the video decoder on the integrated media server 11 . It also receives audio signals from one or more lav microphones and power supplies 22 & 23 . Show control software in the integrated media server 11 commands the audio processor 24 , via the serial control interface (RS-232), to presets during the show sequence. Each preset has internal settings for routing, equalization and delay. In this way the participants voice can be muted during non-dialog moments.
The lighting dimmer 34 receives DMX-512 serial signals during the show sequence. Unlike the other show system devices, the lighting dimmer 34 does not use presets, but instead changes the intensity of each light 35 independently, based on the DMX-512 protocol. The lights 35 are illuminated individually or in groups to illuminate the participant in a way that approximates the lighting of the background media and actors.
Immediately before ending the show sequence, the show control software in the integrated media server 11 communicates with all system devices and returns them to an initial setting.
When the show sequence has finished the recording, server 26 has a compressed video file (MPEG-2) of the participant's performance in the appropriate folder of the performance media library. The GUI interface of the encoding/recording software permits the operator to select the participant's performance video file, and record it to VHS tape or to burn it to a DVD.
If the participant chooses to have the performance recorded to VHS tape, the operator will select the file and select the “record to VHS” option in the GUI of the recording server 26 encoding/recording software. When this is selected the encoding/recording software communicates to the video encoder/decoder to decode a video file and directs it to the specified location in the performance media library of the participant's performance video file. Further it communicates a time in seconds to continue the video decoding process. Simultaneously, the encoding/recording software in the recording server 26 communicates to the VHS recorder 31 through the serial control interface (RS-232). The VHS recorder 31 is initialized and is queried if a VHS tape is installed. If not the encoding/recording software in the recording server 26 will recognize this, and instruct the operator to install a tape. Once the tape is installed the operator can start the recording sequence using the GUI of the encoding/recording software of the recording server 26 to command the VHS recorder 31 to start recording while it commands the video encoder/decoder of the recording server 26 to decode the selected video. Once the video has been recorded the encoder/recorder software commands the video encoder/decoder to stop decoding the video file. It further commands the VHS recorder 31 to stop recording and to eject the tape.
If the participant chooses to have the performance on a DVD, the operator will select the file and select the “burn to DVD” option in the GUI of the recording server 26 encoding/recording software. When this is selected the encoding/recording software communicates to the DVD authoring & burning software in the recording server 26 , to author a video file and directs it to the specified location in the performance media library of the participant's performance video file. The DVD authoring and burning software will author the compressed video file to DVD compatible files, as well as add a main menu and appropriate images (from the DVD authoring & burning software). The DVD authoring & burning software will then communicate with the DVD burner in the recording server 26 to burn the DVD. The encoding/recording software continuously gets progress status from the DVD authoring & burning software and displays this on the GUI. Once the DVD burning process is complete the DVD disk is ejected and the encoding/recording software returns to a state ready for the next participants video file to be recorded to VHS tape or burned to DVD.
A brief synopsis of the participant's experience follows:
When the participant agrees to perform, the operator first obtains information from the participant including name, height, episode (background media) in which to star, and possibly e-mail address. From this information the participant is instructed where to stand by the operator and where to look during the performance. This instruction includes which tally lights will be operational and when to look at them. It also includes information coming to the participant from the teleprompters such as lines, when to say them, and timely acting instructions.
Once the participant is ready the performance begins and the process is automated. The lines on the teleprompter appear in sync with the background media. The tally lights illuminate to cue the participant where to look at the appropriate time. The camera position, as well as zoom and focus are adjusted automatically to match the scene of background media and the height of the participant. In addition talent lights are illuminated at the appropriate time to approximate the lighting on the participant to that of the background media.
While the participant is performing, the production switcher automatically switches, at pre-determined intervals, between the background only scene signal and that of the composite scene of first camera plus background or the second camera plus background. More cameras can be used if required, resulting in additional video signals from which to choose.
During performance, the video signal output of the performance is being encoded to a digital computer file by the video encoder/decoder in the recording server. This digital file is cataloged and stored as an MPEG2 video file on an internal hard drive of the recording server.
On finishing the live performance, the participant is invited by the operator to purchase a video copy of the performance as a VHS tape, or a DVD with a choice of NTSC, PAL, SECAM or other consumer broadcast standard format. Once the selection is made, the integrated media server automates the task of decoding the digital video file and recording this to VHS tape, if chosen. If the participant chooses a DVD the integrated media server authors the digital video file to record to DVD, and then records the DVD via an internal DVD recording drive.
The participant may further choose to have the digital video file uploaded to a server for later retrieval via the internet for which the operator selects a function in the integrated media server to create a lower resolution version of the file, transfers the file to another computer via hard drive, disk or TCPIP, from any of which the file is later uploaded to a server for later retrieval.
All of the automated tasks are controlled by the integrated media server at pre-determined intervals that match that of the action in the background media, the height of the participant and the selection made concerning purchase of the video. These controls are in the form of Serial RS232 controls to (and from) the production switcher, the camera receiver/drivers, the VHS recorder and the receipt printer and cash drawer. All of these devices are controlled via RS232 protocols provided by the manufacturers of the devices. Controls for the talent lights and the audio router are in the form of digital I/O or DMX512.
The software controlling the integrated media server is customized to control the components of the participatory entertainment product.
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The apparatus inserts a participant realistically into familiar background media to provide similar results to a completely original movie with multi-camera studio production and editing. An automated and simplified studio has multiple cameras and traditional studio devices such as teleprompters and controlled lighting presented to the consumer as an entertainment product. Previously produced, familiar media are modified to create the background video source and synchronous audio track. The participant is inserted via chroma key and the multiple cameras are used to create traditional establishing shots intercut with close-ups. These are controlled through a video switcher to create a real-time, finished recording that is stored on a digital server for later playback.
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APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/030,135, filed Feb. 12, 2008 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,144), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/753,984, filed Jan. 5, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,330,562), which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/661,900, filed Sep. 14, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,876), which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] This patent application is related to application Ser. No. 09/503,881, filed Feb. 14, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,914); and Ser. No. 09/596,658, filed Jun. 19, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,198), which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention relates to digital watermarks and more particularly to watermarking media signals using time-frequency representations.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0004] Digital watermarking is a process for modifying physical or electronic media to embed a machine-readable code into the media. The media may be modified such that the embedded code is imperceptible or nearly imperceptible to the user, yet may be detected through an automated detection process. Most commonly, digital watermarking is applied to media signals such as images, audio signals, and video signals. However, it may also be applied to other types of media objects, including documents (e.g., through line, word or character shifting), software, multi-dimensional graphics models, and surface textures of objects.
[0005] Digital watermarking systems typically have two primary components: an encoder that embeds the watermark in a host media signal, and a decoder that detects and reads the embedded watermark from a signal suspected of containing a watermark (a suspect signal). The encoder embeds a watermark by altering the host media signal. The reading component analyzes a suspect signal to detect whether a watermark is present. In applications where the watermark encodes information, the reader extracts this information from the detected watermark.
[0006] Several particular watermarking techniques have been developed. The reader is presumed to be familiar with the literature in this field. Particular techniques for embedding and detecting imperceptible watermarks in media signals are detailed in the assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,614,914 and 5,862,260, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0007] This document describes methods and systems for time-frequency domain watermarking of media signals, such as audio and video signals. One of these methods divides the media signal into segments, transforms each segment into a time-frequency spectrogram, and computes a time-frequency domain watermark signal based on the time frequency spectrogram. It then combines the time-frequency domain watermark signal with the media signal to produce a watermarked media signal. To embed a message using this method, one may use peak modulation, pseudorandom noise modulation, statistical feature modulation, etc. Watermarking in the time-frequency domain enables the encoder to perceptually model time and frequency attributes of the media signal simultaneously.
[0008] Another watermark encoding method divides at least a portion of the media signal into segments and processes each segment as follows. It moves a window along the media signal in the segment and repeatedly applies a frequency transform to the media signal in each window to generate a time-frequency representation. It computes a perceptually adaptive watermark in the time-frequency domain, converts the watermark signal to the time domain using an inverse frequency transform and repeats the process until each segment has been processed. Finally, it adds the watermark signal to the media signal to generate a watermarked media signal.
[0009] A method for decoding the watermark from the media signal transforms the media signal to a time frequency representation, computes elements of a message signal embedded into the media signal from the time frequency representation, and decodes a message from the elements. The elements may be message signal elements of an antipodal, pseudorandom noise based watermark, or message signal elements of some other type of watermark signal, such as statistical feature modulation signal, peak modulation signal, echo modulation signal, etc.
[0010] One embodiment of a watermark decoder includes a detector for determining whether a watermark is present in the media signal and determining an alignment and scale of the watermark. It also includes a reader for decoding an auxiliary message embedded in a time frequency representation of the media signal.
[0011] One aspect of the invention is a method of watermarking an audio signal. The method performs frequency transformations of blocks of audio to produce frequency domain representations of the blocks. The method then forms a two dimensional representation of the audio from the frequency domain representations. This is sometimes referred to as a time frequency representation or spectrogram of the audio. The method provides an auxiliary data signal to be embedded in the audio signal. Finally, the method modifies the two dimensional representation of the audio according to the auxiliary data signal to embed the auxiliary data signal in the audio signal. The modifications can be computed in one domain and then adapted for application to the audio signal in another domain, such as a frequency domain, on a compressed bit stream, or in an un-compressed, time domain version of the audio signal.
[0012] Variants of the method embed the auxiliary signal be introducing modifications in the two dimensional representation that correspond to auxiliary data symbols. To enhance robustness, symbols are encoded redundantly in different frequency bands, sometimes using different embedding functions. In some variants, the modifications are adapted to the signal in the two dimensional representation. For example, one embodiment modulates peaks, while other embodiments modulate other features or statistics to correspond to embedded data.
[0013] A watermark detector method decodes the auxiliary data signal from an audio signal. The method performs frequency transformations of blocks of audio to produce frequency domain representations of the blocks, and forms a two dimensional representation of the audio from the frequency domain representations. The method analyzes the two dimensional representation of the audio signal to ascertain modifications made to encode the auxiliary data signal, and reads the auxiliary data signal from the modifications.
[0014] Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an audio signal in the time domain, i.e. magnitude versus time.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an audio signal in the frequency domain, i.e. magnitude versus frequency.
[0017] FIG. 3A illustrates an audio signal in the time-frequency domain, also known as a spectrogram of an audio signal, i.e. magnitude versus frequency versus time.
[0018] FIG. 3B illustrates a perceptual modeling function that operates on a time-frequency representation of a media signal.
[0019] FIG. 4A is a generalized flow diagram of a process for computing a watermark in a time-frequency domain of a media signal and embedding the watermark in the media signal.
[0020] FIG. 4B is another flow diagram of a process for computing a watermark in a time-frequency domain of a media signal and embedding the watermark in the media signal.
[0021] FIG. 4C is a flow diagram illustrating features of FIG. 4B and FIG. 5A .
[0022] FIG. 4D is a generalized flow diagram of decoding a time-frequency watermark in an audio signal.
[0023] FIG. 5A is a more detailed diagram of watermarking an audio signal in the time-frequency domain.
[0024] FIG. 5B is a more detailed diagram of decoding a watermark from an audio signal in the time-frequency domain.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a system for implementing the time-frequency based watermarking.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] To illustrate watermarking technology described in this document, it is helpful to start by illustrating examples of time, frequency, and time-frequency domain representations of a media signal. For the sake of illustration, the following discussion illustrates representations of an audio signal in the time, frequency, and time-frequency domains. Other time varying media signals, like video, can also be represented in the time, frequency and time frequency domains.
[0027] An audio signal can be represented in the time domain, i.e. by a magnitude (e.g., sound pressure level) versus time curve, as shown in FIG. 1 . A segment of an audio signal (such as the portion of the signal designated by the letter A in FIG. 1 ) can also be represented in a frequency domain (e.g., Fourier transform domain), as a plot of magnitude versus frequency as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
[0028] A digital watermark can be embedded in the audio signal by modifying the signal in the frequency domain. The dotted line in FIG. 2 represents a digital watermark signal. This watermark signal can be embedded in the original signal to create a watermarked audio signal. So long as the watermark signal is about 23 db below the original signal, it will generally not be noticed by listeners (or viewers of image signals).
[0029] A time varying media signal, such as an audio or video signal, can also be represented in a time-frequency domain. In a time frequency representation, the signal is represented as magnitude and/or phase versus frequency versus time, as shown in FIG. 3A . In FIG. 3A , the lighter grayscale colors represent higher magnitudes while darker colors represent lower magnitudes in the time frequency representation. Some signal transformations, such as certain types of filter banks (e.g., Quadrature Mirror filters) or wavelets inherently produce time-frequency data.
[0030] A Fourier analysis, such as an FFT, may be used to create a time-frequency representation by taking the FFT of several windowed time segments of the audio signal. The segments can be temporally or spatially overlapping or non-overlapping, as long as the inverse transform takes into account the extent of the overlap, if any, to properly reconstruct the signal in the domain in which it is perceived. This re-construction process is known as overlap-and-add. The segments can also be windowed, using a Hamming or Hanning window for example, to reduce the frequency representation of the window versus the signal. In audio, time-frequency representations are sometimes referred to as spectrograms.
[0031] The following sections describe various watermark encoding and decoding methods that operate on time frequency representations of media signals. These techniques are applicable to media signals that have a temporal component, such as audio and video.
[0032] The watermark encoding methods take advantage of perceptual masking of the host media signal to hide the watermark. Time-frequency representations provide an opportunity to perform perceptual modeling based on temporal and frequency domain masking characteristics of the signal. In fact, since these representations provide both temporal and frequency information, the encoding system may perform temporal and frequency perceptual modeling simultaneously on the time-frequency representation of the media signal.
[0033] For audio signals, perceptual masking refers to a process where one sound is rendered inaudible in the presence of another sound. There are two primary categories of audio masking: simultaneous and non-simultaneous (temporal). While more complex forms of masking may exist, simultaneous masking can be classified into three groups: noise-masking tone in which a narrow band noise masks a tone within the same critical band; tone masking noise in which a pure tone occurring at the center of a critical band masks noise of any sub-critical bandwidth or shape, provided the noise spectrum is below a predictable threshold of the masking tone; and noise masking noise, in which a narrow band noise masks another narrow band noise.
[0034] Simultaneous masking is not limited to within a single critical band; rather, a masker sound within one critical band has a masking affect in other critical bands known as the spread of masking. The effect of a tone masking noise can be modeled by a triangular spreading function that has slopes of, for example, 25 and −10 dB per Bark. This enables the host audio signal to hide or mask more watermark signal on the high frequency side of a loud tone.
[0035] Non-simultaneous masking takes advantage of the phenomena that the masking effect of a sound extends beyond the time of the presentation of that sound. There is a pre-masking effect that tends to last only 1-2 milliseconds before the masker sound, and a post-masking effect that may extend anywhere from about 50 to 300 milliseconds after the masker, depending on the strength and duration of the masker. This enables the host audio signal to hide or mask more watermark signal in the temporal portion after a loud tone.
[0036] In time-frequency representation, the watermark encoder performs simultaneous and non-simultaneous masking analyses, either independently or in combination, to measure the masking capability of the signal to hide a watermark. It is worth noting that the type of masking depends on the nature of the watermark signal and watermark embedding function as illustrated further below. The encoder employs the frequency domain information to perform critical band analysis while taking into account the spreading effect. For example, the masking effect can be modeled with a function that has the following properties in the frequency dimension: a roughly triangular shaped function in the frequency dimension, where the masking effect has a maximum at a selected frequency (i.e. the frequency of the candidate masker sound), decreases drastically to lower frequencies and decreases more gradually to higher frequencies relative to the masker.
[0037] The encoder may also model temporal masking to take into account pre and post masking effects. For example, the masking effect can be modeled with a function that has the following properties in the time dimension: a function that has a maximum at the time of presentation of the masker, decreases drastically before the masker to model the premasking effect, and decreases more gradually after the masker to model the post masking effect.
[0038] The encoder also analyzes the noise-like vs. tone-like qualities of the audio signal. When the watermark is embedded by adding a noise-like pseudorandom (PN) sequence, the encoder assigns higher masking capability values to noise like signals than tone like signals. When the watermark is embedded by adding a tonal signal, the encoder assigns a lower masking capability to noise. When the watermark signal is embedded by adding a shifted version of the host signal in the time domain (e.g., a time domain echo) or time frequency domain, the host signal inherently masks the watermark signal. However, noise segments in the host signal can mask the watermark signal better (with only a −4 dB threshold per critical band) than tones can mask other tones (˜−15 dB per Bark) or noise (−25 dB per critical band). In some cases, it is appropriate to assign a masking capability value of zero or nearly zero so that the encoder reduces the watermark signal to zero or nearly zero in that location of the time frequency representation of the host signal.
[0039] The perceptual model also accounts for the absolute hearing threshold in determining the masking capability values. The absolute hearing threshold can be characterized as the amount of energy needed in a pure tone such that it can be detected by a listener in a noiseless environment. This threshold can be approximated by a non linear-function:
[0000] T ( f )=3.64( f/ 1000) −8 −6.5 e 0.6(f/1000-3.3) 2 +10 −3 ( f/ 1000) 4 (dB SPL ),
[0000] which is representative of a young listener with acute hearing. The perceptual model for watermarking accounts for this threshold by transforming masking control values in a manner that is approximately proportional to this threshold. In particular, the gain of the watermark signal is adjusted in a manner that tracks this threshold: at frequencies where hearing is more sensitive, the watermark signal gain is lower, and at frequencies where hearing is less sensitive, the gain is higher.
[0040] For a PN based watermark signal, both the modeling function for the spreading effect and the modeling function for the temporal masking effect may be combined into a single masking function that models the signal in both the time and frequency dimensions of the spectrogram simultaneously as depicted in FIG. 3B . This modeling function is implemented as a filter applied to the time-frequency representation of a signal to compute an array (e.g., a time frequency mask) of masking control values that modulate the strength of a watermark signal, such as a spread spectrum carrier signal (a PN sequence in the time frequency domain or 2D array modulated with an auxiliary message). To show both the simultaneous and non-simultaneous masking attributes of the filter, the top drawing in FIG. 3B shows a three dimensional perspective (magnitude vs. time vs. frequency) of the filter, and the bottom drawings show the filter from magnitude vs. frequency and magnitude vs. time views.
[0041] The filtering is implemented in stages for a PN based watermark: 1) a first stage measures the noise attributes throughout the time frequency representation of the signal to compute an initial array of gain values; 2) a second stage applies the perceptual modeling function shown in FIG. 3B (e.g., by convolution) to modulate the gain values based on the simultaneous and non-simultaneous masking capabilities; and 3) a third stage adjusts the gain values to account for the absolute hearing threshold.
[0042] As an alternative, the modeling function may be used to identify samples or groups of samples within the time frequency information that have masking capabilities suitable to hide a watermark. In this case, the masking control values are used to determine where to apply a watermark embedding function to samples in the spectrogram. For example, the modeling function may identify noisy areas and/or edges in the time or frequency dimensions that are good masker candidates for hiding a watermark signal produced by a particular watermark embedding function. A vertical edge in the spectrogram (where frequency is along the vertical axes and time along the horizontal), for instance, provides a masking opportunity for a watermark embedded along that edge. A horizontal edge, in contrast, may be a poor candidate since it indicates a consistent tone over time that is less likely to hide certain types of watermark signals.
[0043] While vertical edges provide masking opportunities in some cases, watermarks applied over certain types of transients in the temporal domain of an audio signal may be audible. As such, the watermark encoder identifies these sensitive transients and excludes or reduces the watermark signal around them.
[0044] In addition to information provided from perceptual modeling, the watermark encoder also uses other criteria for determining the location and strength of the watermark signal. One criterion is robustness to typical transformations. For example, an audio watermark may be embedded so as to survive transformations due to television or radio broadcast, digital bit rate compression (such as MPEG audio coding like MP3 or AAC), equalization, normalization, digital to analog conversion, ambient room transmission, and analog to digital conversion. To make the watermark robust, the encoder may apply the watermark in frequency ranges (e.g., 200 Hz to 5 kHz) where it is more likely to survive these types of transformations.
[0045] A watermark process that operates in the time-frequency domain will first be described with reference to FIG. 4 . Following this description, a more detailed example will be provided with reference to FIG. 5 .
[0046] An example of time-frequency domain watermarking is outlined in FIG. 4A . The signal 400 is divided into blocks, as shown in step 401 . Next, each block is converted into the time-frequency domain, as shown in step 403 . For example, the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) is applied to overlapping or non-overlapping segments within a block. These segments vary in length depending on the application. In this particular implementation, the segments are about twenty milliseconds long. Three such segments are indicated by the lines B, C, and D in FIG. 1 . These segments are created with a Hamming or similar window to reduce windowing effects on the frequency transformation.
[0047] Then, a watermark signal is computed from the time frequency representation as shown in step 404 . Depending on the nature of the watermark signal, this process may incorporate perceptual masking analyses described above.
[0048] In some applications, the watermark signal is formed, at least in part, from an auxiliary message comprising a set of symbols, such as binary or M-ary symbol sequence. Some of these symbols may be fixed to assist in locating the watermark signal in a suspect signal (e.g., a fixed message start or end code or other synchronization or calibration codes). Others may carry additional information such as one or more numeric or alphanumeric messages, instructions, control flags, etc. To make the message signal more robust to manipulation, it may be repeated, error correction encoded and spread spectrum modulated. Examples of error correction coding schemes include BCH, convolution codes, turbo codes, Reed Solomon codes, etc. Other forms of symbol encoding may be used as well such as M sequences and gold sequences.
[0049] A binary or M-ary message signal can be spread spectrum modulated by spreading it over a pseudorandom number. The pseudorandom number acts as a carrier of the message signal. In particular, a binary antipodal message signal can be spread over a pseudorandom number by repeating the message signal and multiplying it by a pseudorandom antipodal signal. The result is a pseudorandom, binary antipodal signal that carries the message. A similar spread spectrum modulated message signal can be computed by modulating a binary message signal with a pseudorandom sequence using an XOR operator.
[0050] As part of the process of computing the watermark signal ( 404 ), the encoder transforms the message signal into a watermark signal. It then combines the watermark signal with the host signal as shown in step 405 . The process of combining the watermark signal may be performed in the time-frequency domain, the time domain, or some other transform domain. For example, the encoder may compute the watermark signal in the time frequency domain, transform it into the time domain, and then add the time domain watermark signal to the host signal. Alternatively, the encoder may embed the watermark signal into the time frequency representation of the host signal and transform the result into the time domain to produce the watermarked signal.
[0051] The manner in which the watermark signal is combined with the host audio signal depends on the details of the embedding function, and any perceptual masking methods incorporated into the embedding process. Preferably, the encoder performs a perceptual masking analysis of the time frequency signal, and uses the result of this masking analysis to control the process of embedding the message signal in the host signal.
[0052] To illustrate the embedding process in the time frequency domain, it is helpful to consider some examples. In one implementation, a time frequency domain perceptual mask is derived from the time frequency representation of the host audio signal by passing a filter over the time frequency representation of the host signal as described above. The perceptual mask comprises an array of gain values in the time frequency domain. The encoder generates the time frequency representation of the message signal by mapping the spread spectrum modulated message signal to sample locations in the time frequency domain. The perceptual mask is then applied to (multiplied by) corresponding binary antipodal elements in the time frequency representation of the message signal to form a watermark signal.
[0053] Next, the time frequency representation of the watermark signal is converted to the time domain by performing an inverse transform from the time frequency domain to the time domain.
[0054] Finally, the time domain watermark signal is added to the original host audio signal, as shown in step 405 . The result is the watermarked signal 407 .
[0055] In another implementation, the encoder embeds the watermark signal by modulating peaks in the time frequency representation of the host signal. The encoder first identifies peaks within a given time frequency range of a block of audio. A binary message signal is then encoded around the N largest peaks as follows.
[0056] A peak sample in the time frequency domain is represented as the variable x, neighboring time-frequency samples at consecutive times after x in the time dimension are a and b, and neighboring samples at consecutively higher frequencies in the frequency dimension are c and d. The encoder modulates the peak so that:
[0000]
a
=
b
+
3
x
-
b
4
and
c
=
d
+
3
x
-
d
4
[0000] to encode a one; and
[0000]
a
=
b
+
x
-
b
4
and
c
=
d
+
x
-
d
4
[0000] to encode a zero. To read message, the decoder converts the watermarked signal to the time frequency domain, identifies the N largest peaks and computes the message values as follows.
[0000]
a
>
b
+
x
-
b
2
and
c
>
d
+
x
-
d
2
[0000] to decode a one; and
[0000]
a
<
b
+
x
-
b
2
and
c
<
d
+
x
-
d
2
[0000] to decode a zero. As a variation, the encoder may modulate additional neighboring samples (than just c and d) around the peak to encode a message symbol.
[0057] Another form of peak modulation is to identify the two top peaks in a block of the time frequency representation of the signal and modulate the relative heights of these two peaks. For example, a decrease in the relative peak differences represents a binary 0, which an increase in the relative peak differences represents a binary 1.
[0058] In another implementation, the encoder embeds a message by performing echo modulation in the time frequency domain. In particular, the encoder segments a time frequency representation of a block into different frequency bands. In each of these bands, the encoder adds a low amplitude, time-frequency shifted version of the host signal to encode a desired symbol in the message signal. The amount and direction of the shift is a function of a secret encoding key that maps a desired symbol to be encoded to a particular direction and amount of shift. The direction of the shift varies from one band to the next to reduce the chances of false positives, and the shift is represented as a vector with both frequency and time components. The encoder may embed additional message symbols or the same message repeatedly by repeating the process in additional time frequency blocks of the host signal.
[0059] To detect the echo modulation, a decoder performs auto correlation of the time frequency block of a watermarked signal. The message symbol is decoded based on the location of an autocorrelation peak in each frequency band.
[0060] One variation to this method is to encode message symbols based on the extent of the autocorrelation. In particular, the amount of autocorrelation in a given band or in each of a set of bands of the time frequency representation corresponds to a desired message symbol.
[0061] In each of these methods, the encoder computes the watermark based on time frequency information and embeds it in the time frequency domain. In some cases, the encoder transforms a time-frequency watermark signal to the time domain and combines it with the host signal in the time domain. In others, it transforms the watermarked signal from the time frequency domain to the time domain.
[0062] To avoid distortion of the signal, the time-frequency transform should have an inverse. For example, certain types of filter banks, such as quadrature mirror filters have inverses. Wavelet transforms also have inverses. Time-frequency transforms based upon windowed Fourier transforms have an inverse computed by performing the inverse FFT on each segment and then adding the segments back together to get a time domain signal. If the segments were non-overlapping, each inverse FFT of each segment connects with the other. If the segments were overlapping, each inverse FFT is overlapped and added appropriately.
[0063] Additional operations may be performed to enhance detectability and reduce perceptibility of the watermark signal. The host signal samples in the time frequency domain may have properties that are consistent with the watermark signal, and as such, these samples do not have to be modified as much as samples that are inconsistent with the watermark signal. For example, a binary antipodal watermark signal includes positive and negative values that add or subtract from corresponding samples of the host signal. If a sample or group of samples in the host signal corresponding to a positive watermark signal is already greater than its neighbors, then the host signal need not be changed or may be changed less to embed the positive watermark signal element. This same perceptual modeling technique applies to other forms of watermark signals, such as those that modulate peaks or edges of the time frequency representation, add echoes or modulate other statistical features of the host signal. In general, the gain values of the perceptual mask (or the corresponding watermark values) may be adjusted based on the extent to which the host signal properties are consistent with the watermark signal properties.
[0064] Another enhancement to improve the watermark encoder is to embed the watermark in a manner that changes the host signal in a way that is distinguishable from typical manipulation of the watermarked signal. For example, if the embedding process adds a modulated noise signal or echo, it should do so in a manner that is distinct from the noise or echo signals introduced through normal processing such as compression, D/A or A/D conversion, ambient room transmission, broadcast, etc. Naturally occurring echoes can be distinct from a synthetic echo by giving the synthetic echo properties that are unlikely or impossible to occur naturally (e.g., make the synthetic echo have different time delays relative to the host signal in different frequency bands).
[0065] FIG. 4B shows a related embedding process. This alternative is efficient for embedding a watermark in a limited frequency range. The process is similar to that of FIG. 4A , except that it includes down-sampling, as shown in step 452 , and up-sampling, as shown in step 456 . Every step in FIG. 4A has a similar step in 4 B with the step number shifted by 50 (i.e. 403 is 453 ). Thus, the discussion is focused on the new steps 452 and 456
[0066] The down-sampling and up-sampling allow the watermark to be computed using a portion of the host signal. The portion can be selected such that the watermark will be more robust and/or less perceptual, e.g., selecting a designated mid-range frequency band to encode the watermark signal. The encoder can perform pre-filtering operations, such as down/up sampling, band pass filtering, etc., to select a portion of the host signal for perceptual analysis and watermark embedding before or after the time-frequency transformation.
[0067] The down-sampling step 452 includes application of an anti-aliasing filter. The anti-aliasing filter ensures that the signal has a bandwidth half of the sampling rate after the down-sampling step. The anti-aliasing filter may use a low-pass filter, or a band-pass filter to limit the watermark to a specific frequency range of the host signal. In this document, “d” represents an integer parameter that indicates the amount of down-sampling. For example if “d” is 4 and the audio signal is at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz (which is a typical audio CD sampling rate), the signal is down-sampled to 11.025 kHz.
[0068] The up-sampling step 456 may be implemented using a variety of methods. One method is to insert zeros between data points and filtering with a high-order low-pass filter with the cutoff frequency at half the final sampling rate. It can also include first order interpolation, or, for a more accurate representation, it can include convolving the signal with the sinc (sin (x)/x) function to create new points.
[0069] The down-sampling and up-sampling result in a transformed and possibly degraded audio signal, so it is preferred to compute and add the watermark back to the original audio signal, as shown in step 455 .
[0070] Finally, the time domain watermark signal is added back to the original audio signal 450 , which results in a watermarked signal 457 .
[0071] Certain generally applicable features of the process shown in FIG. 4B are summarized in FIG. 4C . These features include computing the watermark from a transformed version of the host signal and adding it back to the host signal in its original domain. Note that this process is applicable to a variety of content types, such as images, audio and video. These basic steps are also reflected in FIG. 5A , which shows an example implementation of a time-frequency watermark encoder.
[0072] FIG. 4D shows an example of a watermark reader compatible with the embedder technology described above. Reading begins with converting the audio signal 470 into blocks, as shown in step 471 . Each block is converted into the time-frequency domain, as shown in step 472 . From the frequency domain the watermark is read, as shown in step 473 .
[0073] The specific details of the watermark reading process depend on the embedding function. In one implementation, the watermark is computed as a perceptually adapted, pseudorandom antipodal signal with elements that increase or decrease corresponding samples in the time-frequency domain. First, the watermark decoder detects the presence of the watermark signal in a signal suspected of containing a watermark. One way to detect the watermark is to perform correlation between a known property of the watermark, such as the pseudorandom carrier signal used to spread spectrum modulate the message. If the watermarked signal is likely to be corrupted, such as by time or frequency scaling or shifting, a calibration signal may be used to detect it and compensate for the corruption.
[0074] For more information about watermark embedding, detecting (including synchronization) and reading, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,862,260 and 6,614,914.
[0075] FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a time-frequency domain watermark embedding process for an audio signal. In this embodiment, the original signal is in the form of 44.1 kHz CD audio ( 501 ). The first step (indicated by block 502 ) divides the audio into segments each “L” seconds long. Each segment, therefore, has (44100 times “L”) data points.
[0076] As indicated by block 503 , each segment is down-sampled by an integer value “d” thereby creating a signal at (44.1 divided by “d”) kHz signal.
[0077] Blocks 505 , 506 and 507 indicate that a Hamming widow of width “w” is moved along the data and an FFT with “w” points is applied to each set of “w” points as the window is moved along the data. The FFT is applied “r” times where “r” is one half of “w”. A FFT generates a signal that includes a complex conjugate signal. The watermark embedding function should retain complex conjugate symmetry.
[0078] The process depicted in blocks 505 , 506 and 507 result in a time-frequency representation of the signal (similar to blocks 403 or 453 ), which has dimensions of “r” times “r”.
[0079] The length of the segment chosen, the width of the FFT, the size of the resulting time-frequency representation, and the downsizing parameter “d” are matters of engineering design, and they can be chosen to meet the needs of a particular application; however, these parameters are related. They satisfy the following equation:
[0000] 44100 *L=r*d*n
[0080] Next, as indicated by block 510 , the watermark data is computed in the time-frequency domain using a perceptually adaptive watermarking process. In one implementation, the encoder computes and embeds the watermark signal by identifying and then modulating peaks in the time-frequency domain to encode binary message symbols. Specific examples of these peak modulation embedding functions are described above.
[0081] In another implementation, the encoder computes a time frequency domain watermark signal by adapting a binary anti-podal pseudorandom message signal to the time frequency representation of the host signal. In particular, the encoder generates the message signal by spread spectrum modulating an error correction encoded message with a pseudorandom number. The resulting signal is anti-podal (e.g., 1 represented as a positive number, and 0 represented as a negative number) and is mapped to sample locations in the time frequency representation of the host signal. The encoder adapts the message signal to the host signal by computing a perceptual mask as explained above. The encoder convolves a perceptual analysis filter over the time frequency representation to compute the perceptual mask. This analysis takes into account a measure of the noise attributes and the simultaneous and non-simultaneous masking attributes of the time-frequency signal to create an array of gain values and adjusts the gain values based on the absolute hearing threshold. It then multiplies the gain values by corresponding elements in the message signal to compute a perceptually adapted, time frequency watermark signal.
[0082] A further enhancement of the perceptual mask is to adjust the gain values based on whether the host signal sample value or values corresponding to a watermark message signal element have values that are consistent with the message element to be encoded. If they are already consistent, the gain can be reduced; otherwise the gain can be increased to increase the detectability of the watermark signal.
[0083] Next as indicated by block 511 , the watermark signal is converted to a time domain signal. If the watermark signal is already embedded in the time frequency representation of the host signal, it can be calculated by taking the difference between marked and unmarked signals. One way is to accomplish this to subtract the un-marked but down-sampled signal (just before block 510 ) from the watermarked signal in the time-frequency domain and then convert the resulting watermark into the time domain. Another way is to convert both the un-marked but down-sampled signal (just before block 510 ) and the combined signal into the time domain, and then find the difference. The watermark signal is then up-sampled as indicated by block 513 . As indicated by blocks 525 and 526 , the process is repeated until all the segments have been processed.
[0084] As indicated by block 530 , the resulting watermark signal is added to the original audio signal 531 .
[0085] A calibration signal (also referred to as a synchronization signal) can be embedded before or after embedding a message signal, or as part of the process of embedding the message signal into the original audio. The calibration signal is used to align the blocks between the reader and embedder, as shown in step 509 . In one embodiment, the calibration signal comprises a set of impulse functions in the frequency domain. In particular, the impulse functions have peaks at known frequencies in the Fourier magnitude domain. The calibration signal may be perceptually adapted to the host signal by applying the perceptual mask described previously.
[0086] The calibration signal may be defined in the time-frequency domain. For example, the impulse functions can be set at known frequencies and times in a time-frequency representation. To detect the calibration signal, the decoder performs correlation between the known calibration signal and the watermarked signal in the time, time-frequency, or frequency domains (or some transform of these domains, such as log, or log-log sampling).
[0087] FIG. 5B shows the process for decoding a watermark from an audio signal.
[0088] Optionally, the watermark decoder begins by detecting the watermark and determining its location and scale using a calibration signal. In video signals, this signal is used to determine the scaling and orientation of the watermarked signal after watermark embedding. In audio signals, this signal can be used to determine time and frequency scaling and align the blocks in the reader for decoding the embedded message, as shown in step 551 .
[0089] One form of a calibration signal is a signal with known peaks in the magnitude versus frequency (or Fourier) domain with random phase. The location of the peaks can be used to determine the correct sampling rate and compensate for time scaling distortion. The decoder can detect the calibration signal in the marked signal by correlating the marked signal with a reference calibration signal. The point of maximum correlation provides the correct block alignment. The decoder can perform this detection operation in the time domain using cross-correlation, in the frequency domain using convolution, or in some other transform domain or projection of the watermarked signal, such as a log or log-log re-sampling of the signal.
[0090] A log or log-log resampling simplifies detection operations. For example, a log sampling of a watermarked signal converts scaling in the pre-sampled signal dimension to a translation or shift in the post-sampled dimension. This enables the decoder to use correlation methods such as generalized matched filters to compute the scaling distortion in the post-sampled dimension.
[0091] In cases where the calibration signal is embedded in the time-frequency domain, the system first finds the scaling factor in the time-frequency domain. Then, after re-sampling, the system finds the correct alignment (i.e. offset of the blocks from the beginning of the audio signal) from the time-frequency domain. After it finds the correct alignment, the decoder re-aligns itself and starts reading the embedded message.
[0092] The decoder periodically checks scaling and alignment, i.e. every 10 seconds or so, to check for drift.
[0093] In order to read an embedded message from an audio signal, the signal is divided into blocks of L seconds long, as shown in step 552 . These segments are then transformed into the time frequency domain, as shown in steps 555 , 556 , 557 . A message decoder is then be used to read the watermark, as shown in steps 574 . The decoder operates on the remaining audio similarly, as shown in steps 575 , 576 and 552 .
[0094] The implementation of the watermark message reader depends on the embedding function. The message reader is compatible with the embedding function used in the encoder and any symbol coding processes applied to the embedded message. If the embedding function modulates peaks to encode a binary message, than the reader evaluates peaks in the time-frequency representation to extract the message signal estimates. Examples of decoding a peak modulation watermark are provided above.
[0095] If the embedding function modulates sample values with a binary anti-podal signal as described previously, then the reader analyzes the time frequency values to estimate the polarity of the watermark signal at selected locations in the time frequency representation corresponding to each message signal element. The polarity provides an estimate of message signal element, which may be aggregated with other estimates to more accurately decode the embedded message. The reader calculates the polarity of each watermark signal element by performing predictive filtering on the time frequency samples to estimate the original, un-watermarked signal in the time frequency domain. It subtracts the estimate of the original signal, and the polarity of the difference signal indicates whether the watermark added or subtracted (encoded a binary 1 or 0, respectively) to the host signal in the time frequency domain.
[0096] One form of predictive filtering is to compute for each time frequency sample expected to be encoded a local average of samples in a surrounding neighborhood. This local average provides an estimate of the original sample value, which is then subtracted to compute a difference signal. The difference signal should approximate the watermark signal.
[0097] Note that while predictive filtering enhances decoding, it is not required. A PN based antipodal watermark signal can be decoded by correlating the time frequency representation of the watermarked signal with the PN carrier signal that was modulated with message data.
[0098] The decoder performs spread spectrum demodulation and error correction decoding to the message signal estimates to decode the embedded message.
[0099] The remaining audio may have the same data as each other block repeated throughout the audio, such as a unique ID per song, or contain new data, such as the lyrics. The ID may be repeatedly spread over several blocks.
[0100] Other methods of watermarking the audio data in the time frequency domain are also possible. One could modulate the statistical features of the waveform, such as echos or energy windows, use least significant bit replacement, or modulate waveform heights (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,197,156).
[0101] As noted above, the watermark encoder could embed a watermark using a copy of the signal with much lower amplitude and slightly shifted in the time-frequency domain to encode bits. These shifts can be thought of as low magnitude echoes with shifted frequency and/or time. This type of encoder embeds data by predefining one specific shift as a “1” and another specific shift as a “0”. The amount of time and the angle of shift can be used to encode data bits, and thus transmit hidden information. Specifically, a shift of 45 degrees down and back consisting of 5 previous time points and 5 lower frequency points could be a “1”, whereas a shift of 45 degrees up and forward consisting of 5 future time points and 5 higher frequency points could be a “0”. The data could be read using a two dimensional autocorrelation or any other existing method of two dimensional shift (i.e. echo) calculation.
[0102] More specifically, the feature could be modulated differently in specific regions of the time frequency domain such that a room or broadcast could never simulate the feature. For example, the 5 point 45 degree shift discussed above could be used in a up and forward direction below 1 kHz and down and back above 1 kHz to represent a “1”, and the inverse signal could be used to represent a “0”.
[0103] Finally, for synchronization of the watermark decoder, the watermark system can define a specific feature that represents a synchronization signal and is used to determine the beginning of a message or used to break a message into frames. This is in addition to or as an alternative to using a specific payload, such as “1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0” to represent this synchronization (a message symbol or set of symbols that signals the presence, start or end of a watermark signal). For example, echoes purely in time could be used for the message data and echoes purely in frequency could be used for synchronization.
[0104] Also, a time domain, low amplitude PN signal could be used to determine the temporal location of a watermark signal as well as the time scale modifications of the watermarked audio signal since being encoded with the watermark. In the decoder, a watermark detector uses this PN signal to detect a watermark and to determine the shift (temporal location, or origin) and time scale of the watermark. In particular, it performs a correlation between the PN signal and the watermarked signal. The decoder uses the location and time scale that provides a maximum correlation to align the watermarked data before performing message decoding operations (such as transforming to the time frequency domain and extracting an embedded message).
[0105] Other watermark systems can be used to encode and decode the watermark. For example, watermark systems that apply to two dimensional signals, like image signals, can be applied to the two dimensional time-frequency representation of the audio signal to encode and decode watermark signals. Watermark systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,862,260 and 6,614,914 can be applied to encode and decode watermark signals from the time-frequency representations of audio and video.
[0106] FIG. 6 shows a system for implementing an embodiment of the invention. An audio input source 601 provides audio data to a data handling program 602 A in computer 600 (e.g., Personal Computer, Personal Digital Assistant, Phone, Set-top box, audio player, video player or other device with processing logic and memory). A FFT program 602 B performs the steps shown in block 505 of FIG. 5 . A perceptively adaptive watermarking program 602 D performs the actions shown in block 510 in FIG. 5 . A Hamming windowing program 602 C performs the Hamming windowing function of blocks 505 and 506 in FIG. 5 . After embedding the watermark, the system provides a watermarked signal output 605 . For watermark decoding operations, the system may also be equipped with a watermark decoding program.
Concluding Remarks
[0107] The watermarking systems described above can be used to embed auxiliary information, including control instructions, metadata, or links to metadata and instructions, in audio, video, or combined audio and video signals. For related information on such applications for using watermarks to link watermarked content to information or actions, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,841,978, 6,947,571, 6,505,160 and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/574,726.
[0108] The methods, processes, and systems described above may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. For example, the watermark encoding processes may be implemented in a programmable computer or a special purpose digital circuit. Similarly, watermark decoding may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or combinations of software, firmware and hardware. The methods and processes described above may be implemented in programs executed from a system's memory (a computer readable medium, such as an electronic, optical or magnetic storage device).
[0109] While the invention has been shown and described as applied to media signals with temporal components like audio and video signals, a process of down-sampling to facilitate the application of a relatively small and efficient transform could be applied to a other types of media signals such as still images, graphics, etc.
[0110] To provide a comprehensive disclosure without unduly lengthening the specification, applicants incorporate by reference the patents and patent applications referenced above. The particular combinations of elements and features in the above-detailed embodiments are exemplary only; the interchanging and substitution of these teachings with other teachings in this and the incorporated-by-reference patents/applications are also contemplated.
[0111] While the invention has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various changes in form a and detail can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for signal hiding using feature modulation. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing a media signal; analyzing the data to determine features of the media signal; using a programmed electronic processor, modifying determined features to hide a signal in the data; and modifying the data to include a characteristic to facilitate later detection of the signal. In some case the features may include statistical features of the media signal. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(not applicable)
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
(not applicable)
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
(not applicable)
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC
(not applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a device of the kind given in the preamble of claim 1 . The proximity sensor and the pressure sensor cooperate. The signals coming from them are evaluated together in the control apparatus and are led to a common output signal, which serves for controlling the desired functions in a vehicle.
(2) Description of Related Art
The German printed Patent document DE 10 2004 019 571 A1 shows a known device of this kind. A piezo element operates here as a pressure measurement member, which piezo element is directly turned toward the point of attack of the handle, in order to be subjected to pressure by a tappet furnished at the point of attack in case of an actuation. This piezo element is carried by an electrode, wherein the electrode is directed away relative to the outer point of attack of the actuator. The buildup of the electric field is interfered with by the proximity sensor through the piezo element lying thereon.
The German printed Patent document DE 10 2005 046 542 A1 shows a device, wherein the piezo element is disposed between two electrodes of the proximity sensor as a dielectric. Here the electrodes shield the piezo element relative to the outer point of attack at the actuator. Thereby an interference free mode of operation of the piezo element is not any longer certain.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to develop a reliable device of the kind indicated in the preamble of claim 1 , which is space saving and where the effects of the proximity sensor and of the pressure sensor are not hindering each other mutually. This is accomplished by the features recited in claim 1 , wherein the features have the following particular importance.
Even though the electrode of the proximity sensor can in certain cases be disposed in front of the pressure measurement member of the pressure sensor relative to the outer point of attack at the actuator, the pressure measurement member is not shielded, since the electrode exhibits a breakthrough in alignment with the pressure measurement member. This breakthrough is disposed in the path of the pressure transfer between the outer point of attack of the actuator and the pressure measurement member. The pressure measurement member is in this case disposed in a plane, which plane—relative to the point of attack of the actuator—is disposed below the breakthrough.
However, is also possible to place the pressure measurement member in the plane, in which plane is located the electrode with its breakthrough. In certain cases the plane for the pressure measurement member could also be located in front of the breakthrough of the electrode. The electrode like a frame surrounds in both cases the pressure measurement member positioned in alignment with the breakthrough. A pressure exertion in the region of the point of attack of the actuator this way passes over a large area through the breakout up to the pressure measurement member.
The pressure transfer agent can be formed bodily and for example consist of a tappet. In this case the tappet is positioned in the region of the point of attack of the actuator with its one end, for example at the inner wall of the actuator, while the operating end is directed toward the pressure measurement member through the breakthrough. Such a tappet formed as a cone is recommended for an amplification of the pressure transfer obtained by focusing, wherein the large face base plane of the cone is turned toward the point of attack, while the narrowing end of the cone is directed toward the pressure measurement member.
Alternatively or additionally to the recited pressure transfer agents there can be furnished for this purpose also a medium, which fills the space between the point of attack, the breakthrough in the electrode and the pressure measurement member. Such a medium can also by itself be yielding elastically. It is recommended to form the medium incompressible in itself for obtaining a good transfer of the pressure. It is particularly simple to employ a casting mass as a medium, wherein the casting mass fills fully or in part the receiver in the actuator.
The steps of the invention effect that the effect of the electrode toward the outside is not shielded by the pressure measurement member and that the pressure measurement member on its side stands in effective connection through the breakthrough in the electrode immediately with the pressure transfer path up to the outer attack point of the actuator. Since the breakthrough is employed for the pressure transfer, vice versa also the electrode does not interfere with the operational effect of the pressure measurement member.
Further steps and advantages of the invention result from the further claims, the description and the drawings. An embodiment example of the invention is shown in part schematically and in part concrete. There is shown in:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal section through an actuator into which the invention device is integrated,
FIG. 2 a schematic longitudinal sectional view through the pressure measurement member employed in the invention device,
FIG. 3 view of a part piece of a concrete actuator, wherein an insert belonging to the invention is partially pulled out from the actuator,
FIG. 4 shows a part piece of the insert shown in FIG. 3 prior to the incorporation of the part piece into the actuator of FIG. 3 ,
FIG. 5 shows schematically a part piece of a first alternative embodiment to FIG. 1 of the invention device,
FIG. 6 shows a second alternative of this device, and
FIG. 7 shows a third alternative of the invention device with employing the construction recognizable in FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A handle for actuating of a lock in a vehicle not shown in detail serves as an actuator 10 for triggering of functions in a vehicle. The actuator 10 has a receiver 11 , for example in the shape of a bore hole, wherein the opening 13 of the bore hole is disposed at the one end 12 of the handle 10 .
The actuator ( 10 ) is a handle for a door of the vehicle and wherein the receiver in the handle consists of a blind pocket hole ( 11 ), wherein the opening ( 13 ) of the blind pocket hole ( 11 ) is turned toward the one end ( 12 ) of the handle and wherein the equipped insert ( 15 ) is insertable into the interior of the handle ( 10 ) through the opening ( 13 ) of the blind pocket hole.
An insert 15 in the sense of the arrow 14 recognizable from FIG. 3 can be inserted through this opening 13 into the interior of the actuator 10 . The insert 15 has a stopper 16 at its outer end, wherein the stopper 16 closes the opening of the bore hole 11 in the plug in situation according to FIG. 1 , and supports itself on the circumference at the inner faces 17 of the bore hole. The insert ( 15 ) has a stopper ( 16 ) in the region of the opening ( 13 ) of the blind pocket hole ( 11 ) and wherein the stopper ( 16 ) at least partially closes the opening ( 13 ) of the blind pocket hole ( 11 ) in case of insertion and wherein the stopper ( 16 ) supports itself circumferentially at least point wise at the inner face ( 17 ) of the receiver ( 11 ). A cover 18 recognizable from FIG. 1 can conclude the handle end 12 on the outer side of the stopper 16 . Such a cover 18 should be adapted with respect to material and color to the outer face of the actuator 10 .
The insert 15 has a support wall 19 extending in the course direction of the handle. A printed circuit board 40 is attached at at least one side of this support wall 19 , wherein the printed circuit board 40 exhibits a conductor path for schematic indicated electronic device components 41 . The device components 41 are coordinated to various sensors 20 , 30 , and communication apparatus for the vehicle. These device components have in principle the following construction and the operational effect described in the following. An additional capacitive element can be disposed on the oppositely disposed side of this support wall 19 , wherein the capacitive element can belong to an electronic closure system.
The actuator 10 is a component of this electronic closure system, which for example serves for unbolting and/or locking of the already recited lock at a door or flap of the vehicle. The actuator 10 is then a handle of the door or of the flap and consists of a so-called pulled handle as shown by way of parts in FIG. 3 . The handle in case of a manual actuation is also used for the mechanical opening of the lock. This electronic closure system is controlled both by a remote effect as well as also by a manual pressure actuation, wherein two together cooperating sensors 20 , 30 are provided in the interior of the actuator 10 . In the present case the sensors 20 , 30 serve for bolting the lock, while the previously recited additional capacitive element, which is not shown in detail, is employed for opening of the closure system.
If an authorized person approaches the vehicle or, respectively, the hand of the authorized person does, then initially during the so-called “keyless entry”, a testing of the access authorization takes place. The authorized person is in fact in possession of an identification donor, which shall be called in the following “ID-donor”. An identification taker entering into communication already at a distance, is coordinated to this ID-donor in the vehicle, wherein correspondingly the identification taker is designated as “ID-taker”. A mono or bidirectional communication takes place between the ID-donor and the ID-taker upon approach of the authorized person, and wherein the communication effects the recited unbolting or bolting of the lock in a successful case. This communication is triggered by a proximity sensor 20 in the present case, wherein at least the following device components, disposed in the interior of the actuator 10 , belong to the proximity sensor 20 .
The proximity sensor 20 comprises a capacitive electrode 21 , wherein the capacitive electrode 21 builds up an electric field in the outer space 42 around the actuator 10 . If the hand of the authorized person passes into this electrical field, the electrical device components belonging to the proximity sensor 20 determine a capacitive change, wherein the capacitive change is transmitted to an electrical control apparatus. At least some of these device components of the proximity sensor 20 and of the control apparatus can also be disposed in the interior of the actuator 10 . A bolting of the lock takes place upon successful communication for example as already recited.
After the manual actuation, thus a motor driven closure of the lock takes place within a defined time span. A pressure sensor 30 participates in the triggering of the closure motion of the lock, wherein at least one pressure measurement member 31 of the pressure sensor 30 is also disposed in the interior of the actuator 10 , and in fact in a particular combination with the previously recited electrode 21 of the proximity sensor 20 .
The operational effect of the pressure sensor 30 is triggered when a pressure in the sense of the force arrow 44 is exerted at a predetermined attack position characterized with the reference character 43 in FIG. 1 . In fact the electrode 21 of the proximity sensor 20 is disposed below this point of attack 43 , however the electrode 21 has a breakthrough 22 at this position. The pressure measurement member 31 of the pressure sensor 30 is disposed below the breakthrough 22 at a distance 23 . In addition at least the space 24 is filled with an yielding casting mass 50 , wherein the casting mass 50 fills the complete receiver 11 in the present case. This casting mass 50 is filled into the interior of the actuator 10 after incorporation of the equipped insert 15 . The casting mass 50 therefore is present on a path marked with the arrow 45 , wherein a pressure 44 exerted at the point of attack 43 passes through the breakthrough 22 in the electrode 21 up to the pressure measurement member 31 and thereby sets the pressure sensor 30 active.
The electrode 21 of the proximity sensor 20 consists of an essentially U-shaped angled sheet metal section according to the first embodiment example as seen in a cross-sectional view and as best seen from FIG. 1 . This U-shape can be subdivided into two U-legs 26 , 27 , wherein the two U-legs 26 , 27 are connected to each other by way of a U-middle web 25 . The breakthrough 22 is disposed in the U-middle web 25 . The ends of the two U-legs 26 , 27 are supported at the one side of the support wall 19 by the insert 15 , for example the U-leg 26 is contacted with the conductor path of the circuit board 40 and with the associated electrical device components 41 by the insert 15 through electrical connections 28 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the pressure measurement member 31 , which is there in FIG. 1 only schematically indicated, is disposed in the U-interior region between the two legs 26 , 27 and the U-middle web 25 . The already recited distance 23 can here exist. It can be recognized from presentation in FIG. 2 how such a pressure measurement member 31 can look.
The pressure measurement member consists out of the device unit 31 according to FIG. 2 containing several device components. Initially a conductor foil 32 belongs to the device unit 31 , wherein the conductor foil 32 is directed toward the breakthrough 22 of the electrode 21 and therefore initially has to receive the pressure transfer 45 . As can concretely be recognized in FIG. 4 , the conductor foil 32 has a grid work 34 made out of electrically conducting rods 33 , which contact with a piezo element 35 disposed below the conductor foil 32 . The piezo element 35 is seated on the annular spacer 36 , wherein the annular spacer 36 contacts electrically the piezo element 35 on the oppositely disposed side. These device elements 32 , 35 , 36 are pre-mounted on a carrying plate 37 . Contacts or, respectively, electrical connectors 38 , 39 start out from the carrying plate 37 , wherein the contacts or, respectively, the electrical connectors 38 , 39 are connected with the already recited electrical paths of the circuit board 40 . The carrying plate 37 can also have integrated electrical paths for the connection of the conducting grid work 34 and the spacer 36 . The carrying plate 37 is therefore designated as “Print”.
The steps recited in claim 25 have a proper inventive importance, wherein the steps are to be considered as an alternative to the steps recited in claim 1 . In this case the grid work 34 is at the same time used for the purpose in the conductor foil 32 of the pressure measurement member 31 in order to effect the functions of an electrode of a proximity sensor. A corresponding preparation of the electrical field generated by the grid work 34 is necessary, which field responds to the approaching of a person. The previously described electrode 21 with its breakthrough 22 can be dispensed within this alternative, because this task is already taken care of by the grid work 34 . The mesh openings operate as a plurality of breakthroughs, which breakthroughs allow the pressure actuating forces to pass to the piezo element 35 . The grid work 34 is also in itself bendable based on its geometrical structure which favors the pressure transfer up to the piezo element 35 .
It is to be understood that instead of the grid work 34 also a different arrangement of the important conductor rods 33 in the conductor foil 32 could be arranged, namely for example in the form of a family of electrical conductors disposed next to each other, wherein the electrical conductors are connected to each other in a different way as by crossing conductor rods. A wound double spiral of electrical conductors is for example suitable for this purpose, wherein the individual windings can move away from each other in their radial distances without further problem upon rotation of the conductor foil 32 during a pressure exertion 44 . The grid work could finally also be formed as a meander.
The interior 11 of the actuator 10 could also be filled with another material instead of the casting mass 50 , for example of material with a grain structure. It is important that an exertion of pressure 44 passes up to the pressure measurement member 31 through the above described path 45 . Therefore also massive elements could be arranged in the region of the path 45 , wherein the massive elements grip through the breakthrough 22 of the electrode 21 and this way take care of the pressure transfer 45 . Examples for the situation are illustrated schematically in FIGS. 5 and 6 , wherefrom the following construction results.
FIG. 5 shows schematically and in enlarged form an upper region of the device of the present invention in a first alternative to FIG. 1 . The FIG. 6 shows the same region according to a second alternative, while FIG. 7 illustrates a third alternative of the invention by way of the FIG. 2 . While the same reference characters as in the first embodiment example of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are employed in these alternative embodiments according to FIGS. 5 through 7 , therefore to some extent initially the previous description holds. Therefore it is sufficient to describe only the differences of these three alternatives to the first embodiment example of FIGS. 1 and 2 .
A medium illustrated by point hatching is in fact also present in the receiver 11 according to FIG. 5 , however a tappet 46 serves as a further essential pressure transfer means, wherein the tappet 46 is seated on the foot side at the inner face 47 of said yielding wall 48 , which yielding wall 48 generates the already above recited outer side 27 of the actuator 10 . The free work end 49 of the tappet is aligned with the pressure measurement member 31 . The tappet 46 passes through the breakthrough 22 of the electrode 21 . Upon a pressure exertion 44 , the pressure over the tappet 46 is continued in the sense of the pressure transfer path 45 through a layer designated with reference character 51 of the local medium 50 .
The second embodiment example of FIG. 6 has a similar construction. Here a conical element 52 operates as a tappet. The conical element 52 is turned with its large area cone basis 53 to the above described inner face 47 of the handle 10 . The narrowing cone end 54 is directed toward the pressure measurement member 31 , wherein the pressure measurement member 31 rests on a support 37 or on a circuit board. Layers 55 , 56 of a medium 50 furnished also in this situation can be disposed above and/or below this cone element 52 and the layers 55 , 56 can thereby participate at the pressure transfer. The conical element 52 acts during the pressure exertion 44 as a pressure amplifier, since the cone element 52 collects the load impinging on its large cone basis 53 and concentrates and therefore amplifies at its narrow end 54 transfers onto the pressure measurement member 31 . The device of FIG. 6 is therefore particularly good pressure sensitive and thereby safe in its functioning.
The situation illustrated already by way of FIG. 2 is present in the third embodiment example of FIG. 7 . The feature comprises that the pressure measurement member 31 with its various elements is enveloped like a frame by an electrode 57 of a proximity sensor not shown in detail. Also in this case, the electrode 57 exhibits thus the previously described breakthrough 58 , wherein the pressure measurement member 31 is disposed in the breakthrough 58 . In the present case the electrode 57 is arranged on the already in connection with FIG. 2 described support plate 37 or at an analogous circuit board. The carrier plate 37 is therefore carrier both of the electrode 57 as well as of the pressure measurement member 31 , without that these two sensors interfere against each other.
The decisive element of the pressure measurement member 31 , that is the piezo element 35 , is disposed in the plane 60 emphasized by point hatching according to the third embodiment example of FIG. 7 . Also the analogous plane of the electrode 57 is drawn in FIG. 7 through a dash—dotted line 59 . As can be taken from the comparison of the planes 60 , 59 , even the plane 60 of the pressure measurement member can be positioned somewhat in front of the electrode 57 . The position of the planes 59 , 60 is consequently not important, even though the construction according to FIGS. 1 through 6 has proven to be particularly good.
List of reference characters
10 actuator, door handle
11 receiver, bore hole
12 first end of 10
13 opening of 11
14 arrow of the insertion motion of 15
15 insert
16 stopper of 15
17 inner face of 16
18 cover for 13 at 15
19 support wall of 15 for 20 , 30 , 40
20 proximity sensor
21 electrode of 20
22 breakthrough in 21
23 distance between 21 , 31 ( FIG. 1 )
24 space between 43 , 22 , 31 ( FIG. 1 )
25 U-middle web of 21 ( FIG. 1 )
26 first U-leg of 21 ( FIG. 1 )
27 second U-leg of 21 ( FIG. 1 )
28 electrical connection between 26 and 40 ( FIG. 1 )
29 outer side of 10 ( FIG. 1 )
30 pressure sensor
31 pressure measurement member of 30 , device unit
32 conductor foil of 31 ( FIG. 2 )
33 conductor rod in 32 ( FIGS. 2 , 3 )
34 grid work from 33 ( FIGS. 2 , 3 )
35 piezo element ( FIG. 2 )
36 spacer ( FIG. 2 )
37 support plate, print ( FIGS. 1 through 3 )
38 electrical connector for 33 , 34 ( FIG. 2 )
39 electrical connector for 36 ( FIG. 2 )
40 circuit board
41 electrical device components for 20 , 30
42 outer space of 10 for electrical field
43 point of attack at 10
44 force arrow of the pressure exertion on 43 ( FIG. 1 )
45 force transfer path ( FIG. 1 )
46 tappet ( FIG. 5 )
47 inner face of 48 ( FIG. 5 )
48 wall of 10 ( FIG. 5 )
49 working end of 46 ( FIG. 5 )
50 casting mass, medium ( FIGS. 1 , 5 through 7 )
51 layer of 50 ( FIG. 5 )
52 conical element ( FIG. 6 )
53 cone base of 52 ( FIG. 6 )
54 narrowed cone end of 52 ( FIG. 6 )
55 upper layer of 50 ( FIG. 6 )
56 lower layer of 50 ( FIG. 6 )
57 electrode of 20 ( FIG. 7 )
58 breakthrough of 57 ( FIG. 7 )
59 plane of 57 ( FIG. 7 )
60 plane of 35 ( FIG. 7 )
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Two sensors ( 20, 30 ) which cooperate with one another are used in the interior of an activator ( 10 ) in order to trigger functions in a vehicle, said sensors ( 20, 30 ) being a proximity sensor ( 20 ) with a capacitive electrode ( 21 ) and a pressure sensor ( 30 ) with a pressure measuring element ( 31 ). The intention is that the pressure measuring element ( 31 ) will be acted on when pressure is applied manually ( 44 ) to an application point ( 43 ) on the outside of the actuator ( 10 ). It is proposed that in order to improve the method of functioning that the electrode ( 21 ) of the proximity sensor ( 20 ) be provided with a breakthrough ( 22 ) and that the pressure transmission between the application point ( 43 ) on the actuator ( 10 ) and the pressure measuring element ( 31 ) be lead through the breakthrough ( 22 ) in the electrode ( 21 ). The space between the application point ( 43 ) and the pressure measuring element ( 31 ) is spanned by a pressure transmitting means ( 50 ) which passes through the breakthrough ( 22 ). The functioning of the proximity sensor ( 20 ) is not hampered just as the functioning of the pressure measuring element ( 31 ) is unimpeded.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/493,959, filed Aug. 8, 2003; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a method of producing a compound by fermentation.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] The traditional organic chemical synthesis of industrial quantities of a structurally complex natural product or an analog thereof is often inefficient because of the product's structural complexity. An alternative is biosynthesis, via the fermentation of a culture of an organism capable of producing the product. Where the product is not a natural product, a genetically modified organism may be used. In either case, the product must be isolated from the culture medium and the producing organism at the conclusion of a fermentation run. A common isolation technique is to contact the fermentation broth with a resin that adsorbs the product. The contacting may be accomplished by passing the broth through a chromatography column loaded with the resin or by adding the resin to the broth and stirring. The resin and broth are separated, after which the product is isolated by elution from the resin. As most products are hydrophobic molecules, hydrophobic (unfunctionalized) resins are preferred. See, for example, Ashley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,562 B1 (2002); Chu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,944 B2 (2003); Ashley et al., U.S. 2002/0045609 A1 (2002); Santi et al., U.S. 2002/0052028 A1 (2002); Santi et al., U.S. 2002/0137152 A1 (2002); Ashley et al., U.S. 2003/0023082 A1 (2003); and Ashley et al., U.S. 2003/0096374 A1 (2003); the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0006] In a variation of the above technique, the resin is present during the fermentation run, either ab initio (i.e., at the time of seeding) or starting partway through it. The resin's presence has been reported to improve production levels and, where the product is unstable, to sequester it and prevent its degradation. See, for example, Ligon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,670 (2000); Peterson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,211 B1 (2001); McDaniel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,775 B1 (2002); Khosla et al., U.S. 2002/0119937 A1 (2002); Khosla et al., U.S. 2003/0077760 A1 (2003); Nasby et al., WO 98/41869 (1998); Yamazaki et al., EP 0,546,819 A1 (1993); Marshall et al., J. Ind. Microbiology 5,283-288 (1990); Jarvis et al., J. Antibiotics 43 (11), 1502-1504 (1990); Gerth et al., J. Antibiotics 47 (1), 23-31 (1994); and Warr et al., J. Antibiotics 49, 234-240 (1996); the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0007] A resin's presence can also control the distribution of a product mixture. For instance, in the production of epothilones by fermentation of recombinant Myxococcus host cells, epothilones A and B are produced when resin is absent but epothilones C and D are produced when resin is present. See Julien et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,301 B1 (2002) and Arslanian et al., U.S. 2003/0073205 A1 (2003); the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference.
[0008] When a patient's bodily fluid sample is cultured to identify and isolate an infecting microorganism that might be present, antibiotics previously administered to the patient can interfere with the culturing process. The addition to the culture medium of a resin to adsorb and isolate the interfering chemicals is taught in Waters et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,814 (1997), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] We have discovered that an adsorbing resin can be used in a fermentation process in yet another way, to manipulate the concentration of starting material and thus improve the process. Accordingly, this invention provides a method of making a product compound by culturing, in a culture medium containing a precursor compound, a producing organism that converts the precursor compound to the product compound, comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting a target concentration range for said precursor compound in said culture medium; and (b) culturing said producing organism in said culture medium to produce said product compound, said culture medium being in contact with a resin that reversibly binds said precursor compound so that the concentration of unadsorbed precursor compound in said culture medium is maintained within the target concentration range by the release of said precursor compound bound to the resin as said precursor compound is converted to the product compound.
[0012] There are a number of advantages to holding the concentration of the precursor compound within a pre-selected range in this manner. The producing organism's productivity may be sensitive to the concentration of precursor compound. Where the fermentation run extends over several days, periodic monitoring of precursor compound concentration and feeding is rendered unnecessary. If the precursor compound has limited stability in solution, its sequestration onto the resin helps stabilize it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0013] FIG. 1 shows product compound production and precursor compound concentration profiles for a representative fermentation run.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows how the presence of an adsorbent resin results in increased production of product compound.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows how the adsorbent resin stabilizes the solution concentration of precursor compound.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows the supersaturation curve for a product compound, 15-methyl-6-deoxyerythronolide B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the biosynthesized compound is a polyketide. The polyketides are a diverse family of compounds that have utility as antibacterial agents (erythromycin A, spiramycin), antifungal agents (amphotericin B), immunosuppressants (rapamycin, FK506), and anticancer agents (doxorubicin), among other applications. Polyketides are biosynthesized from two-carbon units in a series of Claisen condensations in which the initially formed product at each condensation step is a β-keto ester (“ketide,” hence the name “polyketide”).
[0018] The enzymes (polyketide synthases, or PKSs) responsible for the biosynthesis of many polyketides are organized in a modular fashion. PKSs of the modular type are referred to as the Type I PKSs to distinguish them from other types of PKSs. Hereinafter in this specification a reference to “PKS” means a Type I PKS unless indicated otherwise.
[0019] PKSs are large multifunctional enzymes divided into modules of activity operating in assembly-line fashion, the modules being located between a loading domain and a release domain. The loading domain initiates polyketide synthesis by loading a “starter unit” (an activated small carboxylic acid) onto the PKS. The loading domain transfers the starter unit to the first module, where a two-carbon extender unit condenses with it. The first module then passes the growing polyketide chain to the second module for the addition of a further extender unit, and so forth. Each module has a number of domains (enzymatic activities) that load, activate, and condense the extender unit to the growing polyketide chain and can further have β-keto modifying domains that perform chemical modifications (e.g., reduction, dehydration) on the β-keto group. The number and order of modules, their extender unit specificity, and the types (if any) of their modifying domains determine the structure of the resulting polyketide product. Lastly the release domain frees the finished polyketide chain from the PKS. The term “thioesterase domain” has been used more or less synonymously with release domain, because the growing polyketide chain is attached to the PKS as a thioester and many release domains cleave the thioester bond and cyclize the newly liberated carboxyl group with a hydroxyl group located along the polyketide chain to form a macrolactone. Other enzymes may further modify the macrolactone, e.g., by glycosylation or cytochrome P450 monooxygenase-mediated oxidation, in what are referred to as post-PKS steps.
[0020] This modular arrangement makes Type I PKSs attractive candidates for genetic engineering. Type I PKS domains are separated by linker regions that define the boundaries of each domain. The product synthesized by a PKS can be altered (usually at the level of encoding DNA) by replacing a domain with a domain of different specificity from another PKS or by changing the activity of or inactivating a β-keto modifying domain. Expression of the altered PKS gene in a host cell produces an analog of a naturally occurring polyketide, i.e., a compound that is structurally related to but different from the naturally occurring polyketide, sometimes referred to as an “unnatural” natural product. Even where a PKS is used to produce a naturally occurring compound, expression of the PKS genes in a recombinant host organism may be preferable for one reason or another (higher yield, ease of culture, non-production of interfering metabolites, etc.). For a review on PKS structure, mechanism of action, and bioengineering, see Khosla, Chem. Rev. 1997, 87, 2577-2590, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0021] The producing organism preferably is a microorganism, more preferably a microorganism that produces a polyketide as the product compound. The producing organism can be either a natural producer or one that is not a natural producer but has been genetically engineered to produce the product compound. It can be a bacterium (especially mycelial bacterium such as actinomycetes), a yeast, or a fungus. Suitable producing organisms are disclosed in Barr et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,883 (2001); Katz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,561 (2000); Julien et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,301 B1 (2002); Ziermann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,262 (2001); Leadley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,255 B1 (2001); McDaniel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,775 B1 (2002); Khosla et al., U.S. 2002/0119937 A1 (2002); Santi et al., WO 01/83803 A1 (2001); Katz et al., WO 02/32916 A2 (2002); Yamazaki et al., EP 0,546,819 A1 (1993); Marshall et al., J. Ind. Microbiology 5,283-288 (1990); Jarvis et al., J. Antibiotics 43 (11), 1502-1504 (1990); Gerth et al., J. Antibiotics 47 (1), 23-31 (1994); and Warr et al., J. Antibiotics 49, 234-240 (1996); the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Producing organisms that can be used in this invention include but are not limited to Streptomyces lividans, Streptomyces coelicolor, Saccharopolyspora erythraea, Streptomyces venezuelae, Streptomyces narbonensis, Streptomyces fradiae, Streptomyces thermotolerans, Micromonospora megalomicea, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Myxococcus xanthus, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, Streptomyces antibioticus, Streptomyces avermitilis, Sorangium cellulosum, Streptomyces platensis, Mycothecium verrucaria, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Streptomyces spectabilis. Preferred producing organisms are Streptomyces lividans, Streptomyces coelicolor, Saccharopolyspora erythraea, Streptomyces fradiae, Saccharomyces cervisiae, Escherichia coli, and Myxococcus xanthus.
[0022] Where it is stated herein that the precursor compound is converted to the product compound, this does not mean that product compound is necessarily exclusively derived from the precursor compound. The product compound may include molecular portions derived from other chemicals in the culture medium, whose target concentrations are not regulated in the manner of this invention because there is no need for doing so. An example of a product compound that is not exclusively derived from the precursor compound is a polyketide, where one of the ketide units (either the starter unit or one of the extender units) is the precursor compound and the remaining ketide units are derived from other sources.
[0023] The precursor compound preferably is one that the producing organism is incapable of biosynthesizing for itself and that therefore must be added to, or “fed,” to the culture medium. Such a situation is likely to arise in the instance of a producing organism that is not a natural producer of the product compound, but which has been genetically engineered to do so. It is often not feasible or practical to transform the producing organism with not just set of genes needed to produce the product compound, but also all the genes necessary for the production of all precursor compounds. If the transformed producing organism's native genome does not include the genes for the biosynthesis of the precursor compound, then the precursor compound must be supplied by feeding. Exemplary disclosures relating to the feeding of precursor compounds include Katz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,561 (2000); Leadley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,255 B1 (2001); and Pacey et al., J. Antibiotics 51 (11), 1029-1034 (1998); the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0024] In another embodiment, the producing organism is transformed with a PKS modified so that the PKS is unable to use the native starter unit but instead accepts a diketide as an alternative “starter unit.” See Khosla et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,721 (2000); U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,555 (2000); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,960 B1(2002), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In yet another embodiment involving polyketide synthesis, the precursor compound is a non-natural extender unit such as methylmalonyl N-acetyl cysteamine thioester, as disclosed in Khosla et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,641 B1 (2001), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing techniques—referred to as “precursor directed biosynthesis”—allow the biosynthesis of analogs of naturally occurring compounds by changing the structure of the precursor fed to the producing organism. Precursor directed biosynthesis is a particularly attractive method of making analogs of 6-deoxyerythronolide B (“6-dEB”), an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the erythromycin antibiotics.
There are two reasons for the interest in 6-dEB analogs. First, the 6-dEB PKS (6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase, or “DEBS”) has been extensively studied and the feasibility of replacing or altering various domains therein has been demonstrated. Second, analogs based on the erythromycin molecular scaffold have interesting biological properties, ranging from new antibiotics to motilides.
[0025] The target concentration range of the precursor compound preferably is between 0.01 g/L and 5.00 g/L, more preferably between 0.05 and 4 g/L, and most preferably between 0.5 and 3 g/L. The target concentration may be recorded on a tangible data storage medium, preferably before the commencement of the fermentation process. The tangible storage medium can be a paper (as in a written, typed, or printed document), magnetic (as in a disk driving or magnetic tape), optical (as in a CD), or electronic (as in memory chips).
[0026] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there may be an independent advantage to the presence of the resin, apart from sequestration of the precursor compound. Often, the product compound is a hydrophobic compound that is itself also adsorbed onto the rein, resulting in its sequestration. The sequestration of the product compound is potentially advantageous in a number of respects. Its isolation is simplified, requiring only the physical separation of the resin from the culture medium and the producing organism after fermentation (e.g., by filtration or decantation), followed by elution. If the product compound is sparingly soluble in the culture medium, it may precipitate out when its concentration exceeds a threshold level and interfere with continued production. Even where solubility is not a factor, continued production may be inhibited by an elevated concentration of product compound. Or, the product compound may be unstable and susceptible to degradation unless sequestered onto the resin. Lastly, in the specific context of the present invention, if the product compound and the precursor compound bind competetively to the resin, binding of the product compound can drive more of the adsorbed precursor compound into solution, resulting in its more complete utilization.
[0027] The resin preferably comprises a non-ionic (unfunctionalized), hydrophobic polymer, such as a polystyrene or a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer. Such resins are highly porous and can reversibly adsorb organic molecules from an aqueous medium. Exemplary suitable resins include the Amberlite™ XAD resins (particularly grades XAD16, XAD16HP, XAD7, XAD8, XAD1180, and XAD5), the Amberchrom™ resins (particularly grade CG161), the DIAION™ resins (particularly grade HP20) and the SEPABEADS™ resins. Amberlite™ and Amberchrom™ resins are available from Rohm & Haas while the DIAION™ and the SEPABEADS™ resins are available from Mitsubishi Chemical. The resin preferably is present in an amount ranging from 1 to 120 g per liter of culture medium and preferably from 5 to 100 g/L. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may be desirable to empirically determine the desired type and amount resin taking into consideration the structure of the product compound, the type of culture medium, the producing organism, and related variables.
[0028] The practice of this invention can be further understood by reference to the following examples, which are provided by way of illustration and not of limitation. While following examples relate specifically to the biosynthesis of a specific compound, the skilled artisan will appreciate that the principles illustrated are applicable to the biosynthesis of other compounds.
EXAMPLE 1
[0000] General
[0029] Precursor-directed biosynthesis was employed to make a 13-substituted 6-dEB analog, namely 15-methyl-6-deoxyerythronolide B (“15-Me-6-dEB”), using an improved strain of Streptomyces coelicolor.
EXAMPLE 2
[0000] S. coelicolor Strain
[0030] We took several Streptomyces coelicolor that expressed heterologous DEBS genes and were capable of biosynthesis of 6-dEB or 6-dEB analogs. The strains were subjected to mutagenesis (nitrosoguanidine, UV light, or ethylmethanesulfonate) and random selection to improve production. A high producing strain (B9) was then selected for controlled production experiments of 15-Me-6-dEB, with and without added resin.
EXAMPLE 3
[0000] Precursor Compound
[0031] Racemic 2-methyl-3 -hydroxyhexanoate-N-propionylcysteamine thioester (“Pr-SNPC”), was synthesized as described in Leaf et al., J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 77, 1122-1126 (2002).
Pr-SNPC was used as the precursor compound for the biosynthesis of 15-Me-6-dEB by strain B9.
EXAMPLE 4
[0000] Media
[0032] Production cultures were prepared in SC-FM6-1 or SC-FM6-2 media. Shake flask medium pH was adjusted to pH 7.0 prior to sterilization by autoclaving (90 min at 121° C.). Bioreactor medium was prepared without HEPES buffer, autoclaved for 90 min at 121° C., and adjusted to pH 6.5 after cooling to 30° C. All media were supplemented with 10 mL/L of 50% (v/v) antifoam (Antifoam B, J. T. Baker, Phillipsburg, N.J.) as a post-sterilization addition. Seed culture medium was also supplemented with 50 mg/L thiostrepton (Calbiochem, La Jolla, Calif.) prepared in DMSO at 50 mg/mL. Strains were maintained as frozen cell banks prepared by adding glycerol (30% v/v final) to an exponentially growing culture (in seed medium) and freezing 1 mL aliquots at −85° C.
EXAMPLE 54
[0000] Cultivation
[0033] Primary seed cultures were established by inoculating 50 mL of SC-VM6-1 with a cell bank vial and cultivating for 3 days at 30° C. and 245 rpm. For shake flask studies, replicate flasks containing 35 mL of production medium were inoculated with 1.75 mL (5% v/v) of the primary seed culture. Flasks were incubated at 30° C. and 245 rpm for 6-8 days with 1 mL samples withdrawn as necessary and stored at −20° C. for analysis.
[0034] Bioreactor studies were performed in MD 5 L fermentors (B. Braun, Allentown, Pa.) with 4 L of production medium operated at 30° C., 0.75 VVM airflow, and 600-1200 rpm agitation. Samples were withdrawn as necessary and stored at −20° C. for later analysis. Dissolved oxygen concentration (percent of air saturation) and pH were monitored using autoclaveable electrodes (Mettler Toledo, Wilmington, Mass.). The dissolved oxygen was maintained above 50% by automatic control of agitation rate. Foaming was controlled by automatic addition of 50% (v/v) antifoam. The pH was controlled by automatic addition of 2.5 N sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid. Bioreactors were inoculated with 200 mL secondary seed cultures prepared by sub-culturing 40 mL of primary seed into 500 mL of SC-VM6-1 and cultivating for 2 days.
[0035] For production of 6-dEB analogs, the diketide precursor was prepared by dissolving in DMSO (400 g/L final) and filter-sterilized with a 0.2 μm nylon membrane (VWR International, Brisbane, Calif.). Diketide was typically added at 2 g/L final concentration about 40-48 hrs after inoculation and maintained above 1 g/L as necessary with subsequent additions. For fermentations in presence of an adsorbent resin, XAD-16HP hydrophobic resin (Rohm & Haas, Philadelphia, Pa.) was sterilized in an equivalent amount of deionized water and added to a final concentration of 50 wet g/L immediately prior to diketide feeding.
EXAMPLE 5
[0000] Analysis
[0036] For analysis of product compound 15-Me-6-dEB and precursor compound Pr-SNPC, culture broth was diluted 1:1 with methanol (1:4 dilution with methanol for resin-containing cultures) and mixed for at least 1 hour. Samples were then centrifuged at 14,000×g for 5-10 min and the supernatant was analyzed by HPLC. Quantitation was performed using a Hewlett-Packard 1090 HPLC equipped with a diode array detector (DAD) and an Alltech 500 evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). Supernatant was diluted as necessary and 4 μL was injected onto a guard column (4.6 mm×10 mm Inertsil ODS3-5 μm, Varian Analytical Instruments, Walnut Creek, Calif.) and main column (4.6 mm×50 mm Inertsil ODS3-5 μm, Varian Analytical Instruments). The assay method consisted of an extraction with 100% water for 2 min. bypassing the main column, a 6 min. gradient separation starting from 100% water and ending at 100% acetonitrile, followed by a 1 min. elution at 100% acetonitrile. 15-methyl-6-dEB eluted at 8.5 min. and was detected by the ELSD. Pr-SNPC eluted at 6.8 min. and was detected by UV absorbance at 250 nm. Quantitation was performed using a standard curve (100-500 mg/L 15-Me-6-dEB and 1 g/L Pr-SNPC) developed each time samples were analyzed. The 15-Me-6-dEB standards were prepared using material purified from fermentation broth.
EXAMPLE 5
[0000] Production With And Without Resin Present
[0037] A preferred target concentration range for Pr-SNPC of approximately 1 to approximately 2 g/L (with a specific target of approximately 2 g/L) in the culture medium was selected, on the basis of empirical runs in 5 L fermenters. FIG. 1 depicts the 15-Me-6-dEB production and Pr-SNPC concentration profiles for a representative fermentation. In this fermentation Pr-SNPC was initially fed at 2 g/L at 40 hrs and then maintained above 1 g/L by subsequent additions to prevent precursor limitations. The fermentation scaled-up well from shake flask to fermenter and yielded 850 mg/L 15-Me-6-dEB after 9 days. This fermentation was analyzed for 15-Me-6-dEB in the clarified supernatant as well as from whole broth.
[0038] It was observed that 15-Me-6-dEB titers in the clarified supernatant were unstable and typically lower than titers in the whole broth as determined by a methanol extraction. It was hypothesized that 15-Me-6-dEB titers were above the solubility limit and that the titer decrease observed in clarified supernatant was due to precipitation of 15-methyl-6-dEB out of solution. Solubility issues would not affect whole broth extraction titers determinations since 15-methyl-6-dEB would be re-solubilized in 50% methanol.
[0039] Production runs were performed with and without XAD-16 resin present (50 g/L). Where XAD-16 resin was present, the total amount of Pr-SNPC added was to 7 g/L, corresponding to an unadsorbed, free Pr-SNPC concentration of approximately 2 g/L. FIG. 2 shows the productivity of 13-Me-6-dEB with and without resin present and also in comparison against a less productive, comparison strain. FIG. 3 shows how the presence of the XAD-16 resin stabilizes the solution concentration of Pr-SNPC, enabling fermentation to proceed for seven days without the need to add any Pr-SNPC.
[0040] We have found that the presence of the resin provides another advantage. The product, 15-Me-6-dEB, has limited solubility in water, about 250 mg/L. Even though supersaturation occurs, in water the supersaturated concentration levels off at around 400 to 420 mg/L with time. FIG. 4 shows the supersaturation effect in water. Added hydrophobic resin sequesters the 15-Me-6-dEB and improves yield.
[0041] The foregoing detailed description of the invention includes passages that are chiefly or exclusively concerned with particular parts or aspects of the invention. They will also understand that, though the invention has been illustrated with one particular producing organism biosynthesizing one particular product compound from one particular precursor compound, the invention is generally applicable to other producing organisms producing other product compounds from other precursor compounds. It is to be understood that this is for clarity and convenience, that a particular feature may be relevant in more than just the passage in which it is disclosed, and that the disclosure herein includes all the appropriate combinations of information found in the different passages. Similarly, although the various figures and descriptions herein relate to specific embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that where a specific feature is disclosed in the context of a particular figure or embodiment, such feature can also be used, to the extent appropriate, in the context of another figure or embodiment, in combination with another feature, or in the invention in general.
[0042] Further, while the present invention has been particularly described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to such preferred embodiments. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
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During the production of a product compound by fermentation, the concentration of a precursor compound is maintained within a pre-selected concentration range by having an adsorbent resin in contact with the culture medium. The adsorbent resin reversibly adsorbs precursor compound and, as un-adsorbed precursor compound is converted to product compound, adsorbed precursor compound is released from the resin, thus maintaining the concentration of precursor compound within the pre-selected range.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to mounting laminates to which pieces of paper can be adhered by contact, either temporarily or permanently. One aspect of the invention is concerned with mounting laminates that can be used to collect documents, including such mounting laminates that are used as a carrier sheet for such documents while they are read, copied or otherwise processed by devices equipped with stacked sheet feed mechanisms. Another aspect of the invention is concerned with such mounting laminates in the form of sheets or strips that can be used to attach documents to substrates in a desired location, or can be incorporated into envelopes and used to seal the envelopes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Optical scanners are widely used to convert printed data into electrical pulses that can be stored and processed by electronic computers. The printed data may be on small pieces of paper (such as receipts, vouchers, credit card memoranda, or ticket stubs). Because of their small and varied sizes and thicknesses, it has been necessary to tape those pieces to larger standardized carrier sheets for use in a stacked sheet feed mechanism. The taping process has been time-consuming and expensive and, when individual memoranda need to be recovered after being processed, attempts at separating them from the tape sometimes cause damage.
Other types of devices that are equipped with stacked sheet feed mechanisms are sometimes used to process other types of items that are too small to be handled directly. For example, for processing by a microfilm or a photocopy device, undersize photographs and bank checks or other negotiable instruments, etc. typically are taped to larger carrier sheets that can be stacked for automated microfilming or photocopying. It also has been necessary in some instances to tape undersize items such as rolodex cards, checks, labels, and name tags to advance them through a computer printer.
U.S. Pat. No 4,822,017 (Griesmyer) primarily concerns the problem of advancing small, odd-sized items into a computer printer that has a sheet feed mechanism. FIGS. 1-3 show a carrier sheet (12) that is formed with a plurality of openings. A strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape (32) is adhered to the back of the carrier sheet with a portion of its adhesive layer exposed through each of the openings. Vertical retaining strips (36) and (38) are so adhered to the face of the carrier sheet that their edges can be lifted to hold a card (50) flat. However, the patent says in connection with FIG. 6 that exposed adhesive layers alone can hold small items in place without need for the retaining strips. The carrier sheet of FIG. 4 has ten openings which together occupy about 15% of the useful area of the carrier (excluding its borders).
Although the adhesive areas of carrier sheets illustrated in the Griesmyer patent are recessed from the face of the carrier sheet, the patent does not indicate any advantage in doing so. To the contrary, the patent says that instead of using adhesive strips, "adhesive can be applied directly to the top surface of the sheet 12 to form the adhesive strips 32" or the adhesive strips 32 can be "affixed to the top surface of the sheet 12" (col. 4, lines 7-12). The Griesmyer patent does not suggest that its carrier sheet could be fed from a stack into a sheet feed mechanism.
A carrier sheet like that of FIGS. 1-3 of the Griesmyer patent has been marketed by BabsCo Company of Houston, Tex. and is labelled "Large Rolodex Card Carrier Sheet". The tape covering its three openings is believed to be Post-it brand Correction & Cover-up Tape #658 from 3M, which is a repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape based on solid, inherently tacky, elastomeric microspheres. This and similar Babsco carrier sheets have been marketed as "U-Stik-It" Carrier Sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,477 (Vitale) provides a paper holder that permits undersize pieces of paper to be fed into a typewriter. The paper holder has a flexible backing sheet to which two flexible strips are adhered. The strips have opposed recesses for holding the undersize pieces of paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,664 (Burdine) is not concerned with mounting sheets or stacked sheet feed mechanisms but relates to sheet or strip materials that are similar in certain respects to mounting laminates according to the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,664 concerns a three-ply laminate which is adapted to adhere two articles together. In the laminated sheet of FIGS. 1-3, the central ply (10) can be a sheet of paper, both sides of which bear a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, while each of the two outer plies (20, 30) can be a layer of paper formed with a plurality of spaced elongated openings (31) that expose the adhesive. Because the adhesive is recessed, sheets of the laminate can be stacked without adhering together. The openings in the outer plies are offset so that when the laminated sheet is used to adhere to objects together, pressure against solid portions of one outer ply that are immediately over openings of the other outer ply causes the adhesive to contact the adjacent object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a novel mounting laminate which can be used for various purposes particularly including as a carrier sheet for undersize items to be processed through a stacked sheet feed mechanism so that such items can be quickly and firmly adhered to the mounting laminate. When used as such a carrier sheet the mounting laminate provides the advantage of securely but releasably holding a high density of such items, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the device into which the sheet feed mechanism feeds the mounting laminate. Another use of the mounting laminate according to the present invention is as a bulletin board or message center for displaying notes, business cards, photos, receipts, etc. in an attractive, secure, compact and convenient manner. Mounting laminates according to the present invention can also be put to many other uses, such as being attached to a personal computer for temporarily mounting pieces of paper, or being incorporated in envelopes to attach flaps of the envelopes in closed positions.
Briefly, the mounting laminate according to the present invention adapted for use as a carrier sheet for undersize items to be processed through a stacked sheet feed mechanism includes (1) a masking layer including an imperforate border portion and a perforate portion bounded on at least one side by the border portion having discrete openings that (a) extend substantially uniformly over the entire area of the perforate portion, (b) occupy at least 25% of the area of the perforate portion, (c) each have an area generally in the range of 0.316 to 3.88 square centimeters (0,049 to 0.6 square inches), (d) are each of a size such that a circle of from 6.5 to 20 millimeters (0.25 to 0.8 inch) in diameter fits within the opening, and (e) are spaced apart by not more than 15 millimeters (0.6 inch); (2) a back layer that has a Tabor stiffness of less than 3.0; and (3) a tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that (a) adheres the masking layer to the back layer and (b) extends across each of the openings, which adhesive on the back layer has a 90° Adhesion Value (as described below) of at least 2 Newtons per 100 millimeter of width (2 ounces per inch of width), the laminate having a uniform thickness of from 0.05 to 0.5 millimeter (0.002 to 0.02 inch) and a Tabor stiffness of from 0.02 to 7.0 Tabor Stiffness Units. If that mounting laminate were to have a Tabor stiffness substantially greater than the aforementioned range, it might be rejected by some stacked sheet feed mechanisms; or if it were to have a Tabor stiffness substantially lower than the aforementioned range, it might be wrinkled by a stacked sheet feed mechanism.
Because most stacked sheet feed mechanisms in current use can be adjusted to handle sheets having thicknesses from 0.1 to 0.4 millimeter (0.004 to 0.015 inch), the overall thickness of mounting laminates intended for use as a carrier sheet for undersize items to be processed through a stacked sheet feed mechanism preferably is within that range. More preferably, its overall thickness does not exceed 0.2 millimeter (0.008 inch). Otherwise, a stacked sheet feed mechanism might sense that the mounting laminate plus mounted items are too thick to process or, even worse, a relatively thick mounted item might jam the mechanism. The imperforate border portion of such mounting laminates should be at least 13 millimeters (0.5 inch) in width. Otherwise, some mechanisms might sense an opening to be a sheet edge and so reject a mounting laminate. Also, it is often advantageous that the imperforate border on such mounting laminates extend around all sides of the perforate portion so that the mounting laminate can be fed through the feed mechanism in any edgewise direction.
Also, to permit a large number of such mounting laminates to be fed from a stack without sticking, the thickness of the masking layer preferably is at least 0.025 millimeter (0.001 inch). Substantially lesser thicknesses might produce two problems. First, the exposed face of the back layer might contact tacky adhesive that extends across openings of the underlying mounting laminate to prevent the mounting laminates from sliding across each other in a stacked sheet feed mechanism. Second, a driving roller of the stacked sheet feed mechanism might contact the adhesive.
When the mounting laminate according to the present invention has the aforementioned preferred thickness of 0.05 to 0.2 millimeter (0.002 to 0.008 inch) and the masking layer has the aforementioned preferred minimum thickness of 0.078 millimeter (0,003 inch), the masking layer preferably provides at least 35% of the thickness of the mounting laminate and may be quite thin. To afford adequate strength and conformability, such a thin back layer can be of a plastic film such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, or bi-axially oriented polyethyleneterephthalate.
For many applications, it will be desirable that the back layer have the same coefficient of thermal expansion and moisture absorption properties as the masking layer to restrict temporary or permanent curling of the mounting laminate during use. Thus, for those applications it may be necessary to form the back layer and the masking layer from the same material (e.g., both from sheets of paper or both from sheets of polymeric material) or from materials with essentially the same thermal expansion and moisture absorption properties, and to be sure that even if such materials are used that coatings on such materials do not effect their properties such that at least temporary curling can occur during a change in moisture or temperature conditions that could, for example, result in permanent deformation in the layer of adhesive after the mounting laminate was no longer curled.
The openings can have a variety of shapes, such as a user's logo, but preferably are circular or diamond shaped or squarish so that any item to be attached can be contacted by a high proportion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive at each opening, The openings preferably are as close together as possible as long as the mounting laminate does not become too flimsy. However, when the mounting laminate is to be used as a carrier sheet in stacked sheet feed mechanisms, there should be adequate portions of the masking layer between the openings such that the rollers of those mechanisms do not contact the exposed areas of pressure-sensitive adhesive. Preferably the spacing between adjacent openings is from 4 to 10 millimeters (0.16 to 0.4 inch).
To ensure that mounted items do not come off in a stacked sheet feed mechanism, each such item should contact a significant portion of the adhesive that is exposed at each of the openings, preferably at least 80% of the pressure-sensitive adhesive area at each opening. To accomplish this even when the mounting laminate is used to mount non-conformable items, the openings should be large enough so that the back layer at each opening can be pushed by ones fingertips without breaking until the face of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer reaches the plane of the surface of the masking layer opposite the layer of adhesive. Preferably the back layer has a Tabor stiffness of less than 3.0 and so is supple enough to enable the back layer to be pushed well beyond that plane. Because many items to be mounted on the novel mounting laminate will be conformable, it may be possible to employ a less supple back layer, but it may be impractical to market a mounting laminate according to the present invention that could not be used with items that are poorly conformable.
Because openings of smaller breadth provide smaller areas of contact between the pressure-sensitive adhesive and items to be mounted on the novel mounting laminate, the adhesive on the back layer should have a higher 90° Adhesion Value than the minimum stated above when the breadth of the openings is near the minimum of the aforementioned range. Regardless of the size of the openings, when the novel mounting laminate is to be used in a stacked sheet feed mechanism, the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back layer preferably has a 90° Adhesion Value of at least 2 Newtons per 100 millimeters of width (2 ounces per inch of width).
When the mounting laminate has the above-discussed preferences in 90° Adhesion Value, opening shape, size and spacing, all areas of any mounted item along its perforate portion are contacted by the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Doing so tends to flatten any wrinkling of the item and to hold it flat so that an edge of the item doesn't catch another sheet sliding into an exit tray of a processing device in which the mounting laminate is already positioned.
When the mounting laminate is to be used as a collector/organizer, bulletin board, or the like, it can include a layer of adhesive on the exposed surface of the back layer by which the mounting laminate can be mounted on a wall or other object. Any such layer of adhesive is hereinafter referred to as an "external adhesive layer" to distinguish it from the aforementioned pressure-sensitive adhesive layer which is internal except at the openings. The external adhesive layer can be heat-activated or solvent-activated but, for convenience, preferably is pressure-sensitive.
Because a continuous external adhesive layer would prevent the back layer from flexing at the openings if the external adhesive layer were adhered to a rigid substrate, the external adhesive layer preferably is offset from the openings, e.g., is aligned with the parts of the perforate portion of the masking layer between the openings and/or with the border portion of the masking layer. Such flexing also would be permitted by an external adhesive layer in the form of spots applied only to areas of the back sheet that are out of registry with openings of the masking layer.
The ultimate design of mounting laminates according to the present invention in the form of either sheets or strips requires a balance between the stiffness of the back layer, the breadth of the openings, and the thickness of the masking layer. For example, the back layer should be more supple when the openings are smaller or when the masking layer is thicker.
A variety of well-known pressure-sensitive adhesives can be used for the interior adhesive layer of the novel mounting laminate. Particularly useful are those of co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. Re. 24,906 (Ulrich). To permit mounted items to be removed without damage, the interior pressure-sensitive adhesive preferably is repositionable, and this also affords the economy of reusability of the novel mounting laminate. The term "repositionable" indicates the ability of an adhesive to be repeatedly adhered to and removed from an object, or vice versa. While some conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives are repositionable, an especially useful unconventional class is based on solid, inherently tacky, elastomeric microspheres, such as pressure-sensitive adhesives disclosed in the following co-assigned patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,140 (Silver), 3,857,731 (Merrill et al.), 4,166,152 (Baker et al.), and 4,786,696 (Bohnel), and EP No. 439,941 (Bohnel et al.). The latter discloses a high tack pressure-sensitive adhesive that is especially useful in some mounting laminates according to the present invention by better assuring that mounted items will not come loose in a stacked sheet feed mechanism.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein all views are schematic, like parts are identified with like reference numerals in the several views, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention in the form of a sheet which can be used as a desk top or notebook collector/organizer or as a bulletin board or message center;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross section, greatly enlarged, taken approximately along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section like that of FIG. 2 showing a fragment of a document mounted on the mounting laminate of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention in strip form that can be put to uses similar to those intended for the first embodiment thereof;
FIG. 5 shows three strips according to a third embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention, each of which strips can be put to uses similar to those intended for the first and second embodiments thereof;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross section, greatly enlarged, taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention, which mounting laminate is designed for use as a carrier sheet for undersize items to be processed through a stacked sheet feed mechanism;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross section, greatly enlarged, taken generally along line 8--8 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 illustrates a fifth embodiment of mounting laminate according to the present invention that is incorporated in a mailing envelope for use in sealing shut the flap of the envelope; and
FIG. 10 illustrates a sixth embodiment of mounting laminate according to the present invention that is incorporated in a mailing envelope for use in sealing shut the flap of the envelope.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a first embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention in the form of a mounting sheet 10 which can be used as a desk top or notebook collector/organizer or as a bulletin board or message center. The mounting laminate or mounting sheet 10 includes a masking layer 11 that includes an imperforate border portion 12, and an inner portion within the border portion 12. The inner portion of the masking layer 11 has a large number of discrete circular openings 13. A back layer 14 has been coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 16 by which it has been laminated to the masking layer 11 with which both the back layer and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are coextensive. The adhesive layer 17 may or may not be covered by a liner (not shown). Covering that portion of the exposed face of the back layer 14 which is aligned with the imperforate border portion 12 is an external adhesive layer 17 by which the mounting sheet 10 can be mounted on a wall or other object. Covering substantially the entire nonadhesive portion of the exposed face of the back layer 14 is a low-adhesion backsize coating 18 that allows adjacent mounting sheets 10, when stacked, to be easily separated, even if the weight of the stack were to cause the exposed surface of the back layer 14 of one mounting sheet 10 to contact areas of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 16 that are exposed by the openings 13 of an adjacent mounting sheet 10.
The pattern of openings 13 through the inner or perforate portion of the mounting sheet 10 is interrupted to permit the mounting sheet 10 to be cut in half along the phantom line 13a, leaving a continuous imperforate border around each half sheet.
In FIG. 3, a piece of paper 19 has been mounted on the masking layer 11 of the mounting sheet 10 by a person who pressed his or her fingertips against the back layer 14 or the piece of paper 19 at the openings 13 or both to force part of the paper 19 and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 16 into contact across a significant portion of each opening 13 overlaid by the paper 19.
FIG. 4 illustrates a second mounting laminate according to the present invention that is in the form of a mounting strip 20 including a masking layer 21 having a low-adhesion backsize coating (not shown) covering its exposed face. The masking layer 21 includes an imperforate border portion along two opposite sides and a perforate portion bounded by the border portion having discrete openings 23, each in the shape of a cow. Extending across each of the openings 23 is a back layer (not shown) that has been coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 26 by which it has been laminated to the masking layer 21. The back layer, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 26, and masking layer 21 are coextensive. Covering each edge of the exposed face of the back layer is an external adhesive layer 27 which does not extend across the portion of the back layer bridging the openings 23.
For economy, the masking layer 21 preferably is paper. The exposed face of the paper masking layer 21 may be glazed to enhance slidability, and the glazing may be colored for an attractive appearance that affords high contrast to pieces of paper and other items to be mounted.
By employing a low-adhesion backsize coating on the exposed surface of the masking layer 21, a plurality of the mounting strips 20 can be formed into a pad by pressing the pressure-sensitive adhesive 26 at openings 23 of each of the mounting strips 20 against the masking layer 21 of the underlying mounting strip 20. Because of the low-adhesion backsize coating, single mounting strips 20 can be peeled from the pad for individual use. Instead a plurality of the novel mounting strips 20 can be formed into a pad by using an edging or padding adhesive of the prior art.
FIG. 5 illustrates three mounting strips 30 according to a third embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention. Each of the mounting strips 30 has a masking layer 31 that has been perforated to form a row of discrete circular openings 33. The back layer 34 has been coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 36 by which it has been laminated to the masking layer 31. The back layer 34, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 36, and masking layer 31 are coextensive. Covering that portion of the exposed face of the back layer 34 which is aligned with the portion of the masking layer 31 around the openings 33 is an external adhesive layer 37 which does not extend across the circular openings 33. The external adhesive layer 37 temporarily adheres the mounting strips 30 to a low-adhesion backsize coated carrier 38 from which they can be peeled to be mounted on a wall or other object by the external adhesive layer 37.
Each of the mounting strip 20 of FIG. 4 or the mounting strip 30 of FIGS. 5 and 6 can be adhered by its external adhesive layer 27 or 37 across the top edge of the back of each page of a flip chart or note pad. Each of the pages can then be removed and adhered to a wall by pressing at the openings to force its pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 26 or 36 against the wall. As compared to prior flip charts or note pads that have pressure-sensitive adhesive strips for the same purpose, such use of the mounting strips 20 or 30 according to the present invention eliminates the need to guard the adhesive layer 26 or 36 on the mounting strip 20 or 30 from being damaged by incidental contact with other surfaces.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a fourth embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention in the form of a mounting sheet 40. The mounting laminate or mounting sheet 40 has a masking layer 41 that has an imperforate border portion, and has been perforated along an inner or perforate portion to form a large number of discrete diamond-shaped openings 43 through the perforate portion. A back layer 44 has been coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 46 by which it has been laminated to the masking layer 41. The back layer 44, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 46, and masking layer 41 are coextensive. It may be desirable to cover the exposed face of the back layer 44 with a low-adhesion backsize coating (not shown) that would allow the mounting sheet 40, when stacked to be processed through a stacked sheet feed mechanism, to be easily separated from adjacent sheets, even if the weight of the stack were to cause the exposed surface of the back layer 44 of one sheet to contact areas of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 46 of an adjacent mounting sheet 40.
To hold the mounting sheet 40 in a ring binder, its imperforate border portion along one edge can be enlarged and can be punched with holes (not shown) matching the rings of the binder.
FIG. 9 illustrates a fifth embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention that is in the form of a strip incorporated along a distal edge portion of a flap 52 on an envelope 50. Along the distal edge portion of the flap 52 has been applied a narrow pressure sensitive adhesive layer 56, which in turn has been covered with a coextensive masking layer 51, e.g., a strip of bond paper. A row of circular openings 53 through the masking layer 51 allows the exposed circles of pressure-sensitive adhesive along the layer 56 to seal the envelope 50 when the flap 52 is closed and fingertip pressure is applied to the flap at the openings 53. The pressure-sensitive adhesive preferably is one that builds adhesion to paper over a period of time.
Prototypes of the envelope 50 and other envelopes were stored in a cardboard box to equal the number of envelopes for which the box is used commercially. After several months at ordinary room temperatures, the prototypes were undamaged and could be sealed permanently by closing the flap 52 and manually pressing the flap 52 opposite the exposed circles of pressure-sensitive adhesive along the layer 56 to engage them with the adjacent surface of the closed envelope 50.
FIG. 10 illustrates a sixth embodiment of a mounting laminate according to the present invention that is in the form of a strip incorporated along one side surface portion 61 of an envelope 60 defining an outer side surface of the envelope 60 that will be contacted by a flap 62 of the envelope 60 when the flap 62 is closed. A row or series of openings 63 were punched through the portion 61 of the envelope. A strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 65 is adhered to the inner surface of the portion 61 so that circles 66 of adhesive are exposed along the outer surface of that portion 61. The envelope 60 can be permanently sealed by pressing its flap 62 against the circles 66 of adhesive.
TEST FOR 90° ADHESION VALUE
Using a standard stainless steel panel as described in ASTM D3330-83, a test specimen (2.54 centimeter or 1 inch in width) is removed at a 90° angle at controlled conditions as described in ASTM D3330-83, but using a 90° peel jig that holds the steel panel at 90° to the line of travel of the lower jaw of the adhesion tester. One end of the specimen is adhered by its adhesive layer to the steel panel, and the other end is attached via a leader to the upper jaw of the adhesion tester.
EXAMPLE 1
A prototype of a mounting laminate or mounting sheet 10 according to the present invention was made as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the external adhesive layer 17 and the low-adhesion backsize coating 18 were omitted. The prototype had the following significant features:
______________________________________dimensions of the 21.6 × 27.9 centimeters (8.5 × 11mounting sheet 10 inches)masking layer 11 20# bond paper, 0.01 millimeter (0.004 inch) in thicknessimperforate border 12 13 millimeters (0.5 inch) width at each edgecircular openings 13 11.1 millimeters (0.4375 inch) in diameterspacing between 6 millimeters (0.25 inch)adjacent openings 13back layer 14 cellulose acetate, 0.025 millimeters (0.001 inch) in thicknesspressure-sensitive 3M repositionable tape No. 811,adhesive layer 16 0.025 millimeter (0.001 inch) in thickness, made as taught in U.S. No. 3,691,140 (Silver)______________________________________
The circular openings 13 occupied 41% of the perforated portion of the masking layer 11. The pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back layer had a 90° Adhesion Value of 2 Newtons per 100 millimeters of width (2 ounces per inch of width).
Testing
An experiment was carried out using persons who are accustomed to taping travel expense vouchers onto carrier sheets to permit them to be fed from stacks into an optical scanner. These persons were timed while doing so with 50 vouchers and then mounting 50 other vouchers directly onto mounting sheets of Example 1. The customary taping method required 1.93 minutes per voucher while the mounting onto mounting sheets of Example 1 required 1.41 minutes per voucher.
The mounting sheets with mounted vouchers were stacked and then scanned by a Kodak Image Link Scanner 900s without any failures. After doing so, the vouchers were easily removed without damage.
EXAMPLE 2
A prototype of a mounting laminate or mounting strip 20 according to the present invention was made as described with reference to FIG. 4 except that the external adhesive layer 27 covered the entire back layer. The prototype had the following significant features:
______________________________________mounting strip 20 19 millimeters (0.75 inch) in widthlayer 21 and back layer 24 20 pound bond paper, 0.1 millimeter (0.004 inch) in thicknessimperforate borders 5.6 millimeter (0.23 inch) in widthpressure-sensitive 3M double-coated tape No.adhesive layer 26 109, 0.075 millimeter (0.003 inch) in thickness (a conventional adhesive)external adhesive layer 3M double-coated tape No. 665, 0.075 millimeter (0.003 inch) in thickness (conventional pressure- sensitive adhesive coatings)______________________________________
The openings 23 occupied more than 50% of the perforated area of the masking layer 21. A circle (the dotted circle 29 of FIG. 4) 6.3 millimeters (0.25 inch in diameter fit within each cow-shaped opening 23. The exposed face of the bond paper used for the masking layer 21 and the adhesive-contacting face of the back layer had been coated with contrasting fluorescent inks, that of the back layer being visible through the transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 26. The fluorescent coating of the masking layer 21 afforded a dirt-resistant finish.
A length of the mounting strip 20 of Example 2 was wound upon itself to form a roll from which it could be readily unwound after prolonged storage at room temperature. A number of pieces of that and identical mounting strips were adhered by the external adhesive layer 27 (which was pressure-sensitive) to various flat, vertical surfaces including the side of a personal computer. A variety of pieces of paper were pressed with the fingertips against the mounted strips and remained securely in place for periods of several days without any of them becoming loose.
The present invention has now been described with reference to several embodiments thereof. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures described in this application, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.
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A mounting laminate can be used as a mounting sheet on which undersize items can be mounted for processing in devices equipped with stacked sheet feed mechanisms. The mounting laminate has three primary layers: (a) a masking layer, preferably paper, formed with discrete openings, preferably circles, (b) a back layer, preferably a thin plastic film, and (c) a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adhering the masking layer to the back layer and extending across each of the openings.
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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a fuel tank neck seal arrangement in which a gasket is used to provide a seal effective to seal a fuel tank against the escape of gasoline molecules from the tank.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many new vehicles feature the use of blow-moulded plastic fuel tanks for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is often to maximise the volume of fuel that a vehicle may carry. The plastic tank enables this by virtue of the fact that it may be moulded into shapes that steel tanks may not be capable of, therefore effectively increasing the storage capacity of the same vehicle when compared to a steel tank.
[0003] However, simple plastic fuel tanks bring with them other problems, primarily to do with emissions as molecules of gasoline are able to percolate through the polymeric structure of the material used for blow moulded fuel tanks (eg: high density polyethylene—HDPE).
[0004] Fuel tank manufacturers have developed methods of minimising this percolation process. One method is to convert the inside skin of the tank by a chemical process called fluorination and another method is to ‘co-extrude’ another material with the HDPE such that a barrier is set up rather like an onion skin inside the main material of the tank wall (this barrier layer being a type of nylon).
[0005] Once emissions from the main tank structure have been minimised, there still remains the problem of minimising emissions from the elastomeric seals that are used on some of the connections to the tank. One of the seals is that used on the so-called ‘level sender flange’.
[0006] This flange is used to close an aperture in the fuel tank where the fuel level sender and the vehicle's electric fuel pump are assembled into the fuel tank.
[0007] Many configurations of gasket have been seen in use to seal this opening, and many have deficiencies associated with, for example: manufacturing, product assembly and cost.
[0008] [0008]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a typical flange-to-tank neck sealing arrangement such as found in many existing European vehicles. A tank neck 10 with an external thread 12 , a level sender edge flange 14 and a flange retaining nut 16 . A gasket 18 is fitted between the neck 10 and the flange 14 . The gasket has a significant influence on the variability of the nut tightening torque and applied load during assembly, and also influences the ease with which the assembly may be serviced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The proposed solution identifies a simple gasket arrangement that utilises a minimum of material, a low cost material, an improved initial assembly condition and an improved service condition. The gasket or seal method also affords an improvement to vehicle hydrocarbon emissions.
[0010] According to the invention, there is provided a fuel tank neck seal arrangement in which a flange is to be sealed against the neck, the arrangement comprising a seal gasket surrounding the neck and received between converging seal surfaces, one on the neck and the other on the flange, with separate means being provided to clamp the flange to the neck, thus compressing the gasket between the seal surfaces to effect a seal.
[0011] The seal surface on the neck is preferably moulded integrally with the tank, and the seal surface on the flange is preferably integral with the flange. The flange may be of metal or plastic.
[0012] The converging seal surfaces can approach one another at a variety of different angles. Preferably both surfaces converge with each other at the same angle. Preferably the included angle between the surfaces is in the range between 5° and 25°. However any angle greater than 0° could be used.
[0013] The seal gasket preferably has a D-shaped cross-section, and the flat part of the D-shaped cross-section will then fit against the neck between the converging seal surfaces. The seal gasket will be constrained on three sides but may be unconstrained on a fourth side.
[0014] The seal gasket will be made of an elastomeric material which is impervious to gasoline molecules. Suitable materials will be well known to those skilled in the art.
[0015] The flange can be clamped to the neck by a threaded nut which engages with an external thread on the neck. The external thread on the neck can be below the converging seal surface on the neck, so that the nut covers and protects the seal gasket.
[0016] 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 embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
[0018] [0018]FIG. 1 shows schematically a motor vehicle fuel tank;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 2 is a section through a flange-to-neck joint in a prior art fuel tank;
[0020] [0020]FIGS. 3 and 4 show a section through a flange-to-neck joint in accordance with the invention, in loose and tightened positions; and
[0021] [0021]FIG. 5 shows the joint of FIG. 4 in additional detail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] [0022]FIGS. 1 and 2 also show a conventional moulded plastics fuel tank with an irregular shape 20 , and a fuel filler neck 22 . The tank also has a level sender unit 24 installed through a neck 26 on the top surface. The sender unit 24 may be combined with fuel flow connections 28 , and will have a socket 30 for connection of electrical cables through which a fuel level signal can be sent to the driver's instrumentation.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 3 shows a section through the neck 26 and a flange 32 of the sender unit 24 . A flange nut 34 has an internal thread at 36 which screws onto an external thread 38 of the neck 26 . An annular seal ring 40 surrounds the neck 26 and is received between an upwardly sloping rib 42 on the neck, and a downwardly sloping outer portion 44 of the flange 32 .
[0024] The seal ring 40 is D-shaped in cross-section, and the flat portion of the seal ring circumference lies against the outer wall of the neck 26 .
[0025] When the flange nut 34 is tightened, (see FIG. 4) the seal ring 40 is compressed between the outer wall of the neck 26 , the rib 42 and the flange outer portion 44 , to complete a seal between the interior and the exterior of the tank.
[0026] The seal ring or gasket 40 is in a contained seating when fully compressed.
[0027] The contained seating is constructed from an outer diameter on the neck of the fuel tank's sender aperture opening and two inclined faces, one face adjoins the outer diameter and the other face is constructed on the flange used to close the fuel sender opening.
[0028] The ‘D’ section gasket 40 assembles over an outside diameter of the fuel tank neck 26 onto which it is a transition fit such that the tank may be reasonably handled during assembly without the seal simply falling off.
[0029] The ‘D’ section seal is seated onto a face which forms an angle of somewhat less than 90° with the outside diameter mentioned above.
[0030] The fuel level sender flange 32 , which closes the aperture in the fuel tank, also has an angled face, again of somewhat less than 90°, on its underside, where the ‘D’ section seal comes into contact with it.
[0031] When the flange retaining nut 34 is driven down the thread on the fuel tank opening neck, the two angled faces (one on the neck, the other on the flange) contact the seal and the force vectors generated load the elastomer gasket inward toward the tank neck, deforming the seal to tend to fill the trapezium-shaped containment volume created by the tank neck and the level sender flange.
[0032] Thus, the flange retaining nut, when driven home, abuts a combination of solid features (flange plus tank neck) and the drive torque required to complete the assembly suffers from far less variability than in systems where the elastomeric seal forms a component of the abutment of the flange nut assembly.
[0033] Also, since the seal is housed in a containment volume of relatively precise proportions (when compared to other seals) and capable of close dimensional control, the seal is compressed by a known amount which suffers from minimal variability, allowing better choice of material type and sectional area, also bringing cost advantages.
[0034] Service use is also benefited as any swelling of the seal which may take place due to exposure to hydrocarbons is minimised due to the very small contact available with the hydrocarbon via the mating face gap between the level sender flange and the tank neck upper face. Once swelling is minimised, no radical change in flange nut torque will be experienced. This is not the case where the gasket forms a component of the abutment of the flange nut assembly.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 5 shows the solid abutment area, which also serves to limit liquid fuel exposure to the elastomeric seal, and the load vectors used to contain the ‘D’ section seal. The regions indicated at 46 represent the sealing surfaces; the arrows 48 represent the load vectors on the gasket; the heavy arrow 50 represents the gasket load onto the tank neck 26 , and the distance 52 represents the abutment of the flange 32 to the tank neck 26 . This abutment prevents overstressing of the gasket.
[0036] This gasket/seal method may contribute to the emissions performance of the total vehicle in PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle), ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) and LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle) applications.
[0037] Although this disclosure has been aimed at the use of this method of sealing in conjunction with blow-moulded plastic fuel tanks, the method could equally well be utilised with steel fuel tanks having a typical ‘cam lock’ method of retention for the fuel level sensor/fuel pump closing flange.
[0038] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes preferred embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words and description rather than of limitation.
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A fuel tank has a neck into which a flange of a level sender unit is to be sealed. A seal gasket surrounds the neck and is received between converging seal surfaces, one on the neck and the other on the flange, and the outside of the neck. A flange nut is provided to clamp the flange to the neck, thus compressing the gasket between the seal surfaces to effect a seal.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priorities of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2012-0085172 filed on Aug. 3, 2012, and 10-2013-0089678 filed on Jul. 29, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a single stage forward-flyback converter and a power supply apparatus.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, in order to drive an electronic device domestically, commercially or industrially, a power supply apparatus converting commercial power into driving power appropriate for the electronic device and supplying the converted driving power is used inside or outside the electronic device.
[0006] The power supply apparatus may also be used in order to drive a light emitting diode (LED).
[0007] Recently, interest in and demand for light emitting diodes have increased.
[0008] A device using a light emitting diode may be manufactured to have a compact form, such that it may even be used in a place in which it is difficult to install an existing electronic product. Further, in the case in which the light emitting diode is used as a lighting device, various colors and degrees of luminance may easily be implemented therein, such that it may be used in a lighting system appropriate for an activity such as watching movies, reading books, conferencing, and the like.
[0009] In addition, the light emitting diode consumes approximately ⅛ of power consumed by an incandescent lamp, has a lifespan of fifty thousand to one hundred thousand hours, which is 5 to 10 times that of an incandescent lamp, is environmentally-friendly as a mercury free light source, and may be variously designed.
[0010] Due to these characteristics, light emitting diode light projects have been promoted as nationally-funded projects in many countries such as Korea, the United State, Japan, Australia, and others.
[0011] As described above, the light emitting diode of which the use has increased requires a driving apparatus for the driving thereof. As described in the following Related Art Document, in the case of a two-stage circuit configuration of a power factor correction circuit performing power factor correction and a direct current (DC) to DC converter circuit for a constant current control of an output load, power conversion efficiency is deteriorated, and in the case of driving a plurality of light emitting diode arrays, when a required light emitting diode driving voltage rises, manufacturing costs may be increased due to the use of a high voltage element.
RELATED ART DOCUMENT
[0000]
(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-0031215
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] An aspect of the present invention provides a single stage forward-flyback converter, and a power supply apparatus capable of improving power factor correction and power conversion efficiency even while performing a power factor correction function and a constant current control function in a single stage circuit.
[0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a single stage forward-flyback converter including: a power converting unit including a transformer having a primary winding receiving input power and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding to receive power induced thereto and converting the input power in a forward scheme and a flyback scheme; a balancing unit maintaining a balance between a power level by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and a power level by the flyback scheme thereof; and a path providing unit clamping the power by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and the power by the flyback scheme thereof to provide a power transfer path, wherein the power converting unit selectively operates the forward scheme according to a voltage level of the input power.
[0015] The power converting unit may operate the forward scheme when the sum of the voltage level of the input power and a voltage level of power charged in the balancing unit is higher than a voltage level of output power.
[0016] The power converting unit may normally operate the flyback scheme, regardless of the voltage level of the input power.
[0017] The power converting unit may further include a power switch switching the power input to the primary winding of the transformer.
[0018] The power switch may constantly maintain a turn-on duty to improve a power factor of the input power.
[0019] The input power may be rectified and then transferred to the primary winding.
[0020] The balancing unit may be configured as a capacitor provided between the secondary winding and an output inductor and having power charged therein or discharged therefrom.
[0021] The path providing unit may include: a first diode connected between a ground, one end of the balancing unit and one end of an output inductor to provide a power transfer path; a second diode connected between the ground and one end of the secondary winding to provide a power transfer path and clamp the power; and a third diode connected between one end of the secondary winding, the other end of the output inductor and an output capacitor to provide a power transfer path and clamp the power.
[0022] An output of the power converting unit may be supplied to at least one light emitting diode.
[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power supply apparatus including: a rectifying unit rectifying alternating current (AC) power; a power converting unit including a transformer having a primary winding receiving the rectified power from the rectifying unit and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding to receive power induced thereto, and converting the rectified power in a forward scheme and a flyback scheme; a balancing unit maintaining a balance between a power level by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and a power level by the flyback scheme thereof; and a path providing unit clamping the power by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and the power by the flyback scheme thereof to provide a power transfer path, wherein the power converting unit selectively operates the forward scheme according to a voltage level of the rectified power.
[0024] The power supply apparatus may further include an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter removing EMI from the AC power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a power supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a graph showing power conversion operation criteria, of the power supply apparatus, according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIGS. 3 and 4 are circuit diagrams showing current flows according to operating modes of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; and
[0029] FIGS. 5 and 6 are graphs showing electrical characteristics according to the operating modes of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that they can be easily practiced by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.
[0031] The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Moreover, detailed descriptions related to well-known functions or configurations will be ruled out in order not to unnecessarily obscure subject matters of the invention.
[0032] In addition, like or similar reference numerals denote parts performing similar functions throughout the drawings.
[0033] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or may be indirectly connected to the other element with element(s) interposed therebetween.
[0034] Unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising,” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a power supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1 , a power supply apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the invention may include a power converting unit 110 , a balancing unit 120 , and a path providing unit 130 . In addition, the power supply apparatus 100 may further include an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter 140 and a rectifying unit 150 .
[0037] The power converting unit 110 may include a transformer T having a primary winding p and a secondary winding S and a power switch Q switching power input to the primary winding p. The primary winding P and the secondary winding S may be magnetically coupled to each other according to a preset turn ratio. The power input to the primary winding p may induce power to the secondary winding s according to the switching of the power switch Q, and a voltage level of the power induced to the secondary winding s may be determined according to the preset turn ratio.
[0038] In addition, the power converting unit 110 may perform a power conversion operation in a forward scheme and a flyback scheme and may selectively operate the forward scheme according to the sum of a voltage level of input power and a voltage level of power charged in the balancing unit 120 .
[0039] Output power of the power converting unit 110 may be transferred to a load Ro, particularly, at least one light emitting diode (LED) to thereby allow the LED to emit light. A plurality of LEDs may be connected to each other in series to form a single LED array. Alternatively, although not shown, a plurality of LED arrays may be connected to each other in parallel and receive the output power to perform a light emitting operation.
[0040] The balancing unit 120 may maintain a balance between a power level by the forward scheme of the power converting unit 110 and a power level by the flyback scheme thereof, and may be configured as a capacitor electrically connected between an output inductor Lo and the secondary winding S and performing power charging and discharging operations.
[0041] The path providing unit 130 may clamp the power by the forward scheme of the power converting unit 110 and the power by the flyback scheme thereof to provide a power transfer path, and may include a first diode Do 1 connected between a ground, one end of the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 and one end of the output inductor Lo to provide a power transfer path, a second diode Do 2 connected between the ground and one end of the secondary winding S to provide a power transfer path and clamp the power, and a third diode Do 3 connected between one end of the secondary winding S, the other end of the output inductor Lo and an output capacitor Co to provide a power transfer path and clamp the power.
[0042] In addition, the EMI filter 140 may filter electromagnetic interference (EMI) from input AC power, and the rectifying unit 150 may rectify the filtered power and transfer the rectified power to the primary winding P of the transformer T.
[0043] The power converting unit 110 may selectively perform the power conversion operation in the forward scheme according to the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 . More specifically, the power converting unit 110 may perform the power conversion operation in the forward scheme in the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is higher than a voltage level of output power. Meanwhile, the power converting unit 110 may perform the power conversion operation in the flyback scheme normally, regardless of the voltage level of the input power.
[0044] In addition, the power converting unit 110 may include the power switch Q, and the power switch Q may constantly maintain a turn-on duty to thereby improve a power factor of the input power.
[0045] That is, the power converting unit 110 may perform power factor improvement and power conversion operations in a single power conversion circuit.
[0046] Hereinafter, a power conversion operation of the power converting unit 110 according to comparison between voltage levels of input power and power induced to the primary winding of the transformer T will be described in detail.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a graph showing power conversion operation criteria of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 3 and 4 are circuit diagrams showing current flows according to operating modes of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.
[0048] As described above, the power converting unit 110 may selectively perform the power conversion operation in the forward scheme according to a comparison result between the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 and the voltage level of the output power. More specifically, in the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is higher than the voltage level of the output power, the power converting unit 110 may perform the power conversion operation in the forward scheme, whereas in the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is lower than the voltage level of the output power, the power converting unit 110 may stop the power conversion operation in the forward scheme. Since the power conversion operation is selectively performed in the forward scheme according to the comparison result between the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 and the voltage level of the output power, rather than according to the voltage level of the input power, a voltage range of the input power to which power conversion in the forward scheme is applied is increased to thereby improve power conversion efficiency.
[0049] In the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is higher than the voltage level of the output power, the power converting unit 110 may perform the power conversion operation in the forward scheme and the flyback scheme. Referring to FIG. 3 , when the power switch Q is turned on, a current path may be formed in a direction of an arrow as shown in FIG. 3 , such that the power may be transferred to the secondary side in the forward scheme. In this case, magnetic energy may be stored in a magnetizing inductor Lm on the primary side during a period in which the power switch is turned on. The capacitor of the balancing unit 120 may be disposed on the secondary side, and the capacitor may serve to balance the power transferred in the forward scheme during the period in which the power switch Q is turned on and the power transferred in the flyback scheme to increase the voltage level of the input power at which the forward scheme may be operated, thereby enabling high efficiency power transmission. When it is assumed that a voltage applied to the capacitor is V CB , voltage stress applied to the first diode Do 1 is Ns/Np*Vin+V CB (here, Np and Ns refer to the number of turns of the primary winding and the number of turns of the secondary winding, respectively, and Vin refers to the voltage level of the input power). In addition, voltage stress applied to the third diode Do 3 is an output voltage Vo.
[0050] Next, when the power switch Q is turned off, the power may be transferred in the forward scheme (an alternate long and short dashed line) and the flyback scheme (a broken line) as shown in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 4 , energy stored in the output inductor Lo may be transferred as the power through the power transfer path formed in the forward scheme, and the energy stored in the magnetizing inductor Lm may be transferred as the power through the power transfer path formed in the flyback scheme. In this case, voltage stress of the power switch Q is Vin+Np/Ns*(Vo+V CB ), and voltage stress of the second diode Do 2 is the output voltage Vo.
[0051] FIGS. 5 and 6 are graphs showing electrical characteristics according to the operating modes of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , it can be seen that in the case of the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, even when the voltage level of the input power is varied from 100V ( FIG. 5 ) to 200V ( FIG. 6 ), the output power is controlled to be 42V and 570 mA and a boundary conduction mode (BCM) operation is performed. In addition, it can be seen that even when a turn ratio of the transformer is 3:1, a current flows in the output inductor Lo of the secondary side even at a low input voltage by the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 on the secondary side and a magnetizing current iLm of the magnetizing inductor Lm is lower than a current ipri of the primary side. Therefore, the power supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention may allow for a high efficiency operation through improvement of core loss even at a low input voltage.
[0053] As set forth above, according to the embodiment of the invention, the power factor correction function and the constant current control function are performed in a single stage circuit, such that the power conversion efficiency is increased and a dead zone of the input power is removed, whereby the power factor may be increased.
[0054] That is, an existing flyback converter for power factor improvement has a relatively simple circuit configuration as compared with an LED driving circuit including a power factor correction circuit and a DC to DC converter and achieves slightly high efficiency (maximum efficiency of about 88%). That is, it tends to show that power consumption of a snubber, power consumption of a transformer core, and power consumption of a primary side power switch are slightly high. In order to significantly increase power efficiency by improving these matters, according to the embodiment of the invention, the current of the magnetizing inductor of the transformer is reset to the output side, such that powering may be achieved in the entire section Ts in a single period. A root mean square (RMS) of the current of the primary side is decreased, such that conduction loss may be decreased. In addition, current offset of the magnetizing inductor is small, such that transformer core loss is decreased, whereby high efficiency may be accomplished.
[0055] In an existing forward converter, in the case in which the input voltage is lower than the output voltage, powering to the output side is not achieved, and a dead zone of the input current is generated, such that it may be difficult to expect a high power factor improvement effect. However, in the embodiment of the invention, the power converting unit 110 is operated as the flyback converter in the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is lower than the voltage level of the output power, and is operated as the forward converter and the flyback converter in the case in which the sum of the voltage level of the input power and the voltage level of the power charged in the capacitor of the balancing unit 120 is higher than the voltage level of the output power. Therefore, the power factor may be increased without the dead zone of the input current, and the core loss is decreased as compared to the flyback converter according to the related art, whereby high efficiency characteristics may be achieved.
[0056] As set forth above, according to the embodiments of the invention, power factor correction and constant current control functions are performed in a single stage circuit, such that power conversion efficiency is increased and a dead zone of input power is removed, whereby the power factor may be increased. Particularly, a voltage range of the input power to which power conversion in a forward scheme is applied is increased, whereby power conversion efficiency may be further improved.
[0057] While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with the embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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There is provided a single-stage forward-flyback converter capable of increasing power factor and power conversion efficiency while performing power factor correction and constant current control in a single-stage circuit. The converter includes: a power converting unit including a transformer having a primary winding receiving input power and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding to receive power induced thereto, and converting the input power in a forward scheme and a flyback scheme; a balancing unit maintaining balance between a power level by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and a power level by the flyback scheme thereof; and a path providing unit clamping the power by the forward scheme of the power converting unit and the power by the flyback scheme thereof to provide a power transfer path, wherein the power converting unit selectively operates the forward scheme according to a voltage level of input power.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/531,741, filed by Simon Bowie-Briton on Dec. 22, 2003 and entitled “Methods and Systems For Managing Successful Completion of a Network of Processes”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to data processing systems, and, more particularly, to methods and systems for managing successful completion of a network of processes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A well known difficulty in data processing involves the occurrence of a system failure while a transaction is being processed. For example, a transaction may involve the steps necessary for transferring $100 from a customer's savings account to the customer's checking account. Suppose the $100 was deducted from the customer's savings account, then a system failure occurred before the amount was added to the customer's checking account. The customer's account information would be in error.
[0004] There are various conventional techniques to deal with this problem. A very common solution is to employ what is known as a two-phase commit. In such a protocol, the transaction is designated by a “Begin Transaction” operation. The transaction ends with either a “Commit” operation or a “Rollback” operation. The Commit is used to signal a successful completion of the transaction. The Rollback is used to signal that the transaction was unsuccessful. When a Commit is received, usually a database management system will then write the results to persistent storage (e.g., to DASD).
[0005] Although the two-phase commit is often useful, there are certain drawbacks. One major disadvantage is the overhead involved. Furthermore, this approach is not suitable in every processing environment. For instance, when executing a network of processes in which a graph of processing nodes can be dynamically changed, and where no a priori knowledge of the graph structure exists, it can be difficult using such an approach to even know when successful completion of the network has occurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention involves methods and systems for managing successful completion of a network of processes. The network of processes can be represented as a graph. In this representation, the nodes of the graph represent the processes, and the edges of the graph represent events associated with the processes. Processing starts at the root node, and is based on the result of an initially unknown graph. When an event is to be produced or consumed, a message to that effect is transmitted to a component called a Q-Manager. Using the messages, which are received in event order, the Q-Manager keeps track of the state of the graph, and determines when successful completion of the processing has occurred. Once this occurs, the Q-Manager sends a notification indicating completion of the network.
[0007] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary Java network architecture;
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary Q-Manager for managing successful completion of a network of processes; and
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates changes over time to an exemplary list of active processes for the network of FIG. 2 .
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] It is to be understood that all program code and data used to implement the inventive methods reside on computer readable media and run on one or more computer systems including standard computer components and operating systems such as UNIX, as known in the art. Furthermore the invention can be implemented on a standalone computer, a client computer communicating with a server computer, or the software components necessary to implement the inventive methods can be distributed among computers on a network such as an intranet or on the Internet. Although the following examples describe the inventive methods implemented in the Java programming language, it is to be understood that the inventive methods can be performed by software written in other programming languages as known in the art, including, but not limited to, languages such as C, C++, or J2EE.
[0012] The present invention involves a method for managing successful completion of a network of processes. The network of processes may be represented as a graph, preferably a directed acyclic graph (DAG). In this representation, the nodes of the graph represent the processes, and the edges of the graph represent events associated with the processes. In general, the topology of the final graph will be unknown prior to completion. Processes may be created and deleted dynamically. Processing will successfully complete only when no more processes are to be created (when every process node is a leaf node). In general, an important aspect of the invention is to determine that processing has completed successfully, and to provide a notification message to this effect. Once the notification message is received, results may then be written to persistent storage.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary Java network architecture 100 . This network architecture will now be described with respect to a practical application, but it is to be appreciated that many other such applications are possible.
[0014] Consider a financial application in which a process X is used to effect purchase of shares of stock. Suppose that a market order for 5,000 shares is received Process X might be used to purchase the shares on two different stock exchanges where the stock trades. Let us assume that the process X spawns a process A 1 to purchase 3,000 shares on a first exchange and a process A 2 to purchase 2,000 shares on a second exchange. Let us further assume that orders will be filled as shares become available. So, at different times t 1 and t 2 , processes B 1 and B 2 , might be created to purchase 1,000 and 2,000 shares, respectively. Likewise, at times t 3 and t 4 , processes B 3 and B 4 might be created to each purchase 1,000 shares. Perhaps the process B 3 is unable to purchase the full 1,000 shares as requested; process B 3 might then spawn a process C 1 to purchase the remainder. The resulting graph is shown in FIG. 1 .
[0015] As can be seen from the above example, processing is based on the result of an initially unknown distributed graph (i.e., a network) of other processes. In addition, it is to be appreciated that one or more of these additional processes may be running in a different thread. Because of the nature of this processing environment, it is evident that determining successful completion of the network can be difficult. A reliable mechanism for determining that the network has finished is needed.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary Q-Manager 250 for managing successful completion of a network of processes. The Q-Manager 250 records the processing state of the network. Once the network has completed processing, the Q-Manager 250 will notify the root node that the network has finished processing. To allow the Q-Manager 250 to work out when processing has completed, a process of “node discovery” is required throughout the processing of events in the network graph. This means that when the network reads (consumes) and then creates (produces) new events to other processes in the network, the Q-Manager 250 is told about these actions. The method also allows the graph of processing nodes to be dynamically changed and will adapt to changes as they happen. No a priori knowledge of the graph is ever required by the root node.
[0017] In operation, the Q-Manager 250 maintains a list of active processes (nodes), and the list is updated to reflect the current state of the network. That is, as events are produced, the Q-Manager 250 receives messages that the list is to be updated to reflect the creation of the new processes. Conversely, as events are consumed, the Q-Manager 250 receives messages that the list is to be updated to reflect the deletion of certain nodes in the list. It is to be appreciated that various types of data structures may be used to implement the list of active processes, including an array, a linked-list, a bitmap, a table, etc. For purposes of maintaining the list, it may be desirable to provide a unique identifier for each of the active processes in the list.
[0018] Initially, the Q-Manager 250 would receive a message indicating that a network was about to be created. The Q-Manager 250 would then allocate a new list for the network, and write an entry in the list for the root node (e.g., process A). FIG. 3 shows how the list of active processes for the network of FIG. 2 might change over time. At time to, the list would only include an entry for the process X. Preferably, messages received by the Q-Manager 250 would be sent by the processes themselves at or prior to production of events.
[0019] At time t 1 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process X indicating the creation of a process A 1 . The list at time t 1 would then be updated by adding an entry for process A 1 . Then, at time t 2 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process X that a process A 2 was to be created. The list would be updated by adding an entry for the process A 2 . Then, at time t 3 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process X that the process X was completed. The list would be updated by deleting the entry for the process X.
[0020] Next, at time t 4 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process A 1 that the process A 1 was completed. The list would then be updated by a deleting the entry for process A 1 . At time t 5 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process A 2 that a process B 1 was to be created. The list would then be updated by adding an entry for the process B 1 . At time t 6 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process A 2 that a process B 3 was to be created. The list would then be updated by adding an entry for the process B 3 . At time t 7 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process A 2 that a process B 2 was to be created. The list would then be updated by adding an entry for the process B 2 .
[0021] Next, at time t 8 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process A 2 that the process A 2 was completed. The list would then be updated by deleting the entry for process A 2 . At time t 9 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process B 1 that the process B 1 was completed. The list would then be updated by deleting the entry for process B 1 . At time t 10 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process B 3 that the process B 3 was completed. The list would then be updated by deleting the entry for process B 3 . Finally, at time t 11 , the Q-Manager 250 might receive a message from the process B 2 that the process B 2 was completed. The list would then be updated by deleting the entry for the process B 2 . At this point, the list would be empty.
[0022] Once the list becomes empty, the Q-Manager 250 then would then generate a message to signal successful completion of processing. Preferably, the Q-Manager 250 would send the notification message to the root node (process X). At this point, it would be safe to save result information to persistent storage (e.g., to a disk storage device).
[0023] Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
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The present invention involves methods and systems for managing successful completion of a network of processes. The network of processes can be represented as a graph. In this representation, the nodes of the graph represent the processes, and the edges of the graph represent events associated with the processes. Processing starts at the root node, and is based on the result of an initially unknown graph. When an event is to be produced or consumed, a message to that effect is transmitted to a component called a Q-Manager. Using the messages, which are received in event order, the Q-Manager keeps track of the state of the graph, and determines when successful completion of the processing has occurred. Once this occurs, the Q-Manager sends a notification indicating completion of the network.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coated cutting tool comprising a body coated with a textured alpha-alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 ) layer, the method of making and use of the same. The layer is grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and the invention provides an oxide layer with excellent wear properties and good performance in chip forming machining.
Typically, CVD alumina based coatings consist of an inner layer of titanium carbonitride and an outer layer of α-Al 2 O 3 . About 15 years ago it was found that further improvements of the alumina layer were possible by controlling the crystallographic orientation of the layer (texture). This was possible by the development of new synthesis routes comprising the use of nucleation and growth sequences, bonding layers, sequencing of the reactant gases, addition of texture modifying agents and/or by using alumina conversion layers. Commonly, the texture is evaluated by the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and the concept of texture coefficients.
Textured Alumina Layer Synthesis Using Various Bonding/Nucleation Layers and Growth Sequences
U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,447 discloses a method to produce textured α-Al 2 O 3 layers with improved wear resistance and toughness. The α-Al 2 O 3 layer is formed on a (Ti,Al)(C,O,N) bonding layer using a nucleation sequence composed of aluminizing and oxidization steps. The layer is characterized by a strong {012} growth texture as determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,442,431 discloses a method to produce textured α-Al 2 O 3 layers on a (Ti,Al)(C,O,N) bonding layer using a nucleation sequence composed of short pulses and purges of Ti-containing pulses and oxidizing pulses. The layer is characterized by a strong {110} growth texture as determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,900 discloses a method to produce textured α-Al 2 O 3 layers on a (Ti,Al)(C,O,N) bonding layer using a nucleation sequence composed of short pulses and purges consisting of Ti+Al pulses and oxidizing pulses. The layer is characterized by a strong {116} growth texture as determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,442,432 discloses a method to produce textured α-Al 2 O 3 layers on a (Ti,Al)(C,O,N) bonding layer with a modified but similar technique as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,900. The layer is characterized by a strong {104} growth texture as determined by XRD.
US 2007104945 discloses a textured α-Al 2 O 3 coated cutting tool insert for which a nucleation controlled, α-Al 2 O 3 layer texture is obtained. The layer is characterized by a strong {006} growth texture as determined by XRD.
US 2008187774 discloses a texture-hardened α-Al 2 O 3 coated cutting tool insert with a {006} growth texture as determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,103 discloses a textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer grown on a TiCO bonding layer characterized by a {1010} growth texture as determined by XRD.
Textured Alumina Layer Synthesis Using Sequencing of Reactant Gases
U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,035 discloses a body coated with refractory single- or multilayers, wherein specific layers are characterized by a controlled microstructure and phase composition with crystal planes grown in a preferential direction with respect to the surface of the coated body (growth texture). The textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer is obtained by sequencing of the reactant gases in the following order: CO 2 , CO and AlCl 3 . The layer is characterized by a strong {012} growth texture as determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,782 discloses a cutting tool coated with refractory single- or multilayers including α-Al 2 O 3 , wherein specific layers are characterized by a controlled growth texture with respect to the surface of the coated body. The textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer is obtained by sequencing of the reactant gases such that first CO 2 and CO are supplied to the reactor in an N 2 and/or Ar atmosphere followed by supplying H 2 and AlCl 3 to the reactor. The layer is characterized by a {104} growth texture as determined by XRD.
Textured Alumina Layer Synthesis Using Texture Modifying Agents
U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,867 discloses a coated cutting tool comprising one or more layers of refractory compounds out of which at least one layer is an α-Al 2 O 3 layer having a columnar grain-structure and a strong {300} growth texture as determined by XRD. The microstructure and texture is obtained by adding ZrCl 4 as a texture modifying agent to the reaction gas during growth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,988 discloses a {110} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer as obtained by using SF 6 as a texture modifying agent during growth. The texture is determined by XRD.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,808 discloses a {110} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer as obtained sequencing SF 6 and H 2 S during growth. The texture is determined by XRD.
Textured Alumina Layer Synthesis Using Conversion Layers
U.S. RE41111 discloses a {001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer as obtained using an initial heat treated alumina core layer (conversion layer) with a thickness of 20-200 nm. The texture is determined by electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD).
An explanation of EBSD and the analysis for texture evaluation by using pole figures, pole plots, orientation distribution functions (ODFs) and texture indexes can for instance be found in Introduction to Texture Analysis: Macrotexture, Microtexture, and Orientation Mapping , Valerie Randle and Olaf Engler, (ISBN 90-5699-224-4) pp. 13-40.
Typically, the evaluation of texture may comprise
i) construction of the ODF, ii) identifying the components Euler angles φ 1 , Φ and φ 2 (cf. FIG. 1 ) and their corresponding ODF densities and texture indexes, iii) construction of pole figure(s) of relevant texture components and iv) construction of pole plot(s) of the relevant texture components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a texture controlled α-Al 2 O 3 layer deposited by CVD with excellent wear properties and chip forming cutting performance.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing the same.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the control of a unique α-Al 2 O 3 layer texture is obtained solely by the growth conditions resulting in layers with advanced metal cutting performance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 . Definition of the Euler angles φ 1 , Φ, and φ 2 used in the ODF representation with respect to the crystallographic orientations.
FIG. 2 . Back scattered SEM micrographs of ion polished cross sections of a) a {01-15} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer (II) and Ti(C,N) layer (I) according to the invention and b) a {001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer (II) and Ti(C,N) layer (I) according to prior art.
FIG. 3 . ODF contour charts (ODF Euler angles and densities) of a) a {01-15} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer according to the invention with the {01-15} and {10-15} solutions marked with A and A′, respectively and b) a {0001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer according to prior art.
FIG. 4 . EBSD pole figures of a) {01-15} texture component according to the invention, b) {10-15} texture component according to the invention and c) {0001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer according to prior art.
FIG. 5 . EBSD pole plots of a) {01-15} texture component according to the invention, b) {10-15} texture component according to the invention and c) {0001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer according to prior art. χ is the angle from the centre (χ=0) to the rim (χ=90) of the pole figures (cf. FIG. 4 ). MUD is the multiples of unit distribution.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a cutting tool insert for machining by chip removal comprising a body of a hard alloy of cemented carbide, cermet, ceramic, cubic boron nitride based material onto which a hard and wear resistant coating is deposited comprising at least one α-Al 2 O 3 layer, designed with a {01-15} and/or {10-15} texture (crystallographic orientation), preferably with a rotational symmetry (fibre texture), with reference to the surface normal of the coated body.
Said texture exhibits an ODF texture index >1, preferably 1<texture index<50, most preferably 2<texture index<10, and texture components in the ODF representation (Euler space) satisfying the {01-15} and {10-15} solutions with
i) {01-15}: 0°≦φ 1 ≦90°, 17°<Φ<47°, preferably 22°<Φ<42°, and 1°<φ 2 <59°, preferably 10°<φ 2 <50°, with 1<ODF density<100, preferably 10<ODF density<50, and/or
ii) {10-15}: 0°≦φ 1 ≦90°, 17°<Φ<47°, preferably 22°<Φ<42°, and 61°<φ 2 <119°, preferably 70°<φ 2 <110°, with 1<ODF density<100, preferably 10<ODF density<50, respectively.
The ODFs are constructed from EBSD data obtained on the ion polished α-Al 2 O 3 top surface layers over a representative area using series expansion with a resolution of 32×32×32 points, a Gaussian half width of 5° and L max =34 with a clustering of 5°.
Said α-Al 2 O 3 layer has a thickness between 0.5 μm and 40 μm, preferably between 0.5 μm and 20 μm, most preferably between 1 μm and 10 μm, with a columnar grain structure, all columns with essentially the same column width throughout the layer thickness between 0.2 μm and 5 μm, preferably between 0.2 μm and 2.5 μm, most preferably between 0.2 μm and 1.5 μm, as measured close to the middle of the layer thickness.
Said coating may comprise of an inner single- and/or multilayer coating of, e.g. TiN, TiC or Ti(C,O,N) or other Al 2 O 3 polymorphs, preferably Ti(C,O,N), and/or an outer single- and/or multilayer coating of, e.g. TiN, TiC, Ti(C,O,N) or other Al 2 O 3 polymorphs, preferably TiN and/or Ti(C,O,N), to a total coating thickness 0.5 to 40 μm, preferably 0.5 to 20 μm, and most preferably 1 to 10 μm, according to prior art.
Optionally, said coated body is post treated with, e.g., wet blasting, brushing operation, etc. such that the desired surface quality and/or edge shape is obtained.
The deposition method for the α-Al 2 O 3 layer of the present invention is based on chemical vapour deposition at a temperature between 950° C. and 1050° C. in mixed H 2 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 S, HCl and AlCl 3 at a gas pressure between 50 and 150 mbar as known in the art. According to the invention, the CO 2 /CO gas flow ratio is cyclically varied, upwards and downward, continuously or stepwise between a lower gas flow ratio of 0.3≦(CO 2 /CO)| low ≦1.2, preferably 0.5≦(CO 2 /CO)| low ≦1.0, and a higher gas flow ratio of 1.8≦(CO 2 /CO)| high ≦3.0, preferably 1.8≦(CO 2 /CO)| high ≦2.5, with a periodicity between 1 minute and 60 minutes, preferably between 2 minutes and 30 minutes. It is within the purview of the skilled artisan to determine the gas flows and gas mixture in accordance with the present invention.
The invention also relates to the use of cutting tool inserts according to the above for machining by chip removal at cutting speeds between 75 and 600 m/min, preferably between 150 and 600 m/min, with an average feed, per tooth in the case of milling, between 0.08 and 0.8 mm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 mm, depending on cutting speed and insert geometry.
EXAMPLE 1
Cemented carbide cutting inserts with the composition 5.5 wt % Co, 8 wt % cubic carbides and balance WC, were initially coated with a 6 μm thick layer of MTCVD Ti(C,N). In subsequent process steps and during the same coating cycle, a 5 μm thick layer of α-Al 2 O 3 was deposited by continuously ramping the gas flow ratio CO 2 /CO, upwards and downwards, between the process conditions 1 and 2 (see table 1) with a periodicity of 20 minutes.
TABLE 1
Process Conditions
1
2
CO 2 /%
1.6
5
CO/%
2
2
AlCl 3 /%
2
2
H 2 S/%
0.3
0.3
HCl/%
2
2
H 2 /%
balance
balance
Pressure/mbar
70
70
Temperature/° C.
1000
1000
EXAMPLE 2
Example 1 was repeated with a constant CO 2 /CO gas flow ratio of 2.0.
EXAMPLE 3
Layers from example 1 and 2 were characterized by SEM and EBSD using a LEO Ultra 55 scanning electron microscope operated at 15 kV and equipped with a HKL Nordlys II EBSD detector. The commercial Channel 5 software version 5.0.9.0 was used for data collection. The same software was used for data analyses: calculations of ODFs, i.e. the Euler angles and densities as well as texture indexes, pole figures, and pole plots. Samples for EBSD were obtained by ion polishing the top surface of the α-Al 2 O 3 layers using a JEOL SM-09010 Cross Section Polisher system.
FIG. 2 shows back scattered SEM micrographs of ion polished cross sections of the α-Al 2 O 3 layers, marked with II in the images, for a) example 1 (invention) and b) example 2 (reference). Both layers exhibit a columnar grain structure. The invention layers show a column width ranging between 0.2 μm and 1.7 μm which is more narrow than the column width of the reference layers.
FIG. 3 shows ODF contour charts (ODF Euler angles and densities) as deduced from the EBSD data of a) a textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer from example 1 with the {01-15} and {10-15} solutions marked with A and A′, respectively, with a texture index of 6.3, and b) a {0001} textured α-Al 2 O 3 layer of example 2 with a texture index of 5.5. The Euler angles φ 1 , Φ and φ 2 for the {01-15} texture component are centred (highest ODF density) at about 0°≦φ 1 ≦90°, Φ at about 30°, and φ 2 at about 30° and for the {10-15} texture component at about 0°≦φ 1 ≦90°, Φ at about 30°, and φ 2 at about 90°. From the Channel 5 software, an ODF density value of 23 for {01-15} was obtained. The results demonstrate a {10-15} fibre texture of the layer in example 1.
In addition, pole figures and pole plots of the fibre textures were plotted.
FIG. 4 shows pole figures of a) the {01-15} and b) the {10-15} texture components of the layer from example 1. FIG. 4 c ) shows the pole figure of example 2.
FIG. 5 shows pole plots of a) the {01-15} and b) the {10-15} texture components of the layer from example 1. FIG. 5 c ) shows the pole plot of example 2. χ is the angle from the centre (χ=0) to the rim (χ=90) of the pole figures in FIG. 4 . MUD is the multiples of unit distribution.
EXAMPLE 4
Coated inserts from example 1 and example 2 together with competitor grades were tested in a continuous turning application at the following cutting conditions.
Work piece: Cylindrical bar
Material: Ck45
Insert type: CNMG120408
Cutting speed: 400 m/min
Feed: 0.45 mm/rev
Depth of cut: 2.0 mm
Remarks: Coolant
Measurements of edge wear, Vb, in mm after 12 minutes time in cut are shown in table 2.
TABLE 2
Sample
Vb (mm)
Invention: example 1
0.15
Reference: example 2
0.20
Competitor X
>1 (edge break down)
Competitor Y
>1 (edge break down)
Competitor Z
0.27 mm
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A cutting tool insert for machining by chip removal comprising a body of a hard alloy of cemented carbide, cermet, ceramics or cubic boron nitride based material onto which a hard and wear resistant coating is deposited by CVD, and the methods of making and using the same. The coating includes at least one α-Al 2 O 3 layer with a thickness between 0.5 μm and 40 μm having a {01-15} and/or {10-15} texture exhibiting excellent wear and metal cutting performance.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for the operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus for functional imaging, of the type wherein a number of images without and with a designational stimulation of the examination subject are sequentially registered in successive alternation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Functional imaging offers the possibility of being able to examine and observe body or organ functions over a longer time span in order to obtain information about possible pathologies of the examination region. A number of image sequences are successively registered in alternation within the framework of these examinations, with a designational stimulation of the examination subject either being emitted or not emitted within the respective sequence. As a result of the designational stimulation, stimulation-dependent differences appear in the registered images, these differences being processed within the framework of the evaluation that ensues after the registration of a respective image. One example of an examination method for functional imaging is BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) measurement using a magnetic resonance apparatus, whereby activity images of the brain of the patient are registered. For some of the measurements, the brain of the patient is thereby stimulated, for example as a result of finger movement, acousto-optical signals, electrical pulses, etc., whereas no stimulation ensues during the others of the measurements. The different measurements that are obtained in the framework of the evaluation are correlated with respect to an evaluation correlation value. A measure for the stimulation of defined brain areas of the patient are obtained from this evaluation, with the stimulated brain areas appearing in the evaluation image as clearly brighter regions.
In known methods, the evaluation ensues directly after a measurement or registration of an image. This evaluation is based on the relevant information known at this moment as to whether the respective image was registered with or without stimulation, possibly also with information relating to the stimulation as well as the respective evaluation correlation value. Problems arise, however, when a repeated evaluation is to ensue at a later point in time. It is not possible to exactly allocate the image-related, relevant information such as a stimulation phase underlying the registration as well as the information about the stimulation itself and the evaluation correlation value to the respective image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a functional imaging method and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that enable a later or repeated evaluation and, thus, an evaluation of the examination result at any time.
This object is inventively achieved in a method and apparatus of the type initially described wherein an information value that indicates whether the image was registered during a phase with or without stimulation, at least one image-related stimulation value, and at least one image-related evaluation correlation value, are stored for every image.
As a result of the inventive storage of all exposure-relevant and evaluation-relevant information for each image, the attending physician can undertake the first or repeated evaluation at an arbitrary, later point in time, since the physician has all relevant information available to him or her together with the image data set. The problems as to the exact allocation of the exposure-relevant and evaluation-relevant information to the images, as is the case in the prior art, do not exist in the inventive method due to the compulsory, storage-conditioned merging of the image data with these information.
As stimulation value, information describing the type and/or intensity and/or duration of the stimulation and/or the stimulation points in time can be inventively stored. Any information, thus, that has relevant content for the evaluation in any way whatsoever and that is to be taken into consideration in the framework of the evaluation can be employed as the stimulation value. For example, the brightness of the optical stimulation source, the volume of the acoustic stimulation source, the pressure the stimulation source exerts on the examination subject giving a contact stimulation, the pulse intensity of an electrical stimulation source or an operating parameter of the stimulation source that can be specified as a criterion can be employed as the stimulation value describing the intensity of the stimulation. Insofar as stimulation sources that allow a combined stimulation are used, (for example, an acousto-optical stimulation) of course combined stimulation values can also be stored. In addition, of course, there is the possibility of employing stimulation sources other than those mentioned as examples, or of storing stimulation values other than those described.
A time-related correlation curve is inventively employed for the evaluation, with a value of the correlation curve lying in the point-in-time of the respective image registration being employed as the evaluation correlation value. This correlation curve, which the examining physician selects as an ideal curve and which is subject to an initial evaluation during the image exposure, can be, for example, a sine curve with a time scale as the abscissa. The value of the correlation curve corresponding to the pont in time of the exposure is then determined for the respective exposure times of an image and is stored as evaluation correlation value. In this way, the time-related evaluation correlation value for each picture element of an image is obtained from the correlation curve, with the same correlation curve forming the basis for all picture elements of an image as well as for all images that are registered.
In addition to the stimulation phase, the information value also can indicate whether the respective image is an image to be ignored within the framework of the evaluation. It is definitely required to ignore, for example, the two first images and the two last images that are registered within a phase, within the framework of the evaluation, since the stimulation and response relationships of the examination region, for example of the brain, change within this time span, thus the image information obtained during that time probably does not contain any relevant informational content within the framework of the evaluation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The single FIGURE is a schematic block diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus constructed and operating in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The FIGURE schematically shows the executive sequence of the inventive method i.e., the operation of an inventive magnetic resonance apparatus. An examination subject 1 is shown that, for example, is located in a magnetic resonance apparatus 2 . For example, the activity of the brain given an optical stimulation is to be investigated here. For this purpose, a stimulation source 3 in the form of a light source 4 is provided, the operation thereof being triggered via an external trigger device 5 . The light source 4 is turned on and off in alternation according to the curve T. The on duration Δt m as well as the off duration Δt o respectively amount, for example, to 10 s.
A number of images within the different stimulation phases are now registered with the magnetic resonance apparatus 2 . In the illustrated example, respectively five images 7 are registered per phase, i.e. with a given stimulation as well as without stimulation. The image exposure is triggered corresponding to the time triggering of the stimulation source. This makes it possible to allocate an information value with respect to the respective stimulation phase within which the image 7 was registered to each image 7 . In addition, the information value can be used to indicate whether the respectively registered image is to be ignored or not within the framework of the evaluation. In the illustrated example, the information value sequence reads “IAAAI-IBBBI-IAAAI- . . . ”, whereby A=actively stimulated phase, B=non-stimulated phase, I=ignore image. Of the five images registered per phase, thus, the first and last are not taken into consideration in the evaluation; the three remaining images are evaluated.
As stated, the exposure of the images 7 is triggered dependent on the stimulation. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, five images are registered per stimulation phase, at the times t m1 , t m2 , . . . ,t m5 , t o1 , t o2 , . . . . ,t 05 , t m6 , t m7 , . . . (t m =with stimulation; t o =without stimulation). A first evaluation, further, ensues after the registration of each individual image 7 . In the framework thereof, each individual image and, within this individual image, each individual picture element is correlated with reference to a correlation curve K. The correlation curve K is determined by the examining physician before the measurement. In the illustrated example, the correlation is implemented on the basis of a sinusoidal correlation curve K since the brain does not supply a discontinuous reply to an external stimulus but rises slowly up to a maximum of approximately 2 sec and then likewise requires a certain time upon shut-off until the signal has decayed. Within the framework of the evaluation, a corresponding, time-related evaluation correlation value k m1 , k m2 , . . . , k m5 , k 01 , k 02 , . . . , k 05 , k m6 , . . . is selected for each exposure time t m1 , t m2 , . . . , t o1 , t o2 , . . . regardless of the phase. The evaluation then supplies a value that represents a criterion for the difference that the respective picture element signal exhibits with reference to the value of the correlation curve. A statistical evaluation thus ensues with reference to the images registered within the measurement (for example, 100 images overall can be registered within a measurement; of course, more images can also be registered), an overall image being present at the end of the statistical evaluation that shows the active zone of the brain. The active zones of the are brain derived statistically by taking the differences inherent in the picture elements into consideration over the total number of registered images. The stimulated brain zones are revealed within the final image on the basis of clearly brighter areas.
Finally, each individual image 7 and a family of information related thereto are stored in a memory area 6 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 2 , these enabling a later evaluation of the image series since the operating, stimulation and evaluation parameters undertaken by the examining physician during the measurement and the initial evaluation are known per individual image. In the illustrated example, the exposure point in time t m1 , the correlation value k m1 related to the exposure point in time, the phase information value I as well as the stimulation value T w (for example, the brightness of the light source 4 ) are stored for the first image 7 . The exposure point in time t m2 , the correlation value k m2 , the phase information value A and the stimulation value T w are stored to the second registered image, etc.
Of course, it is also possible to store further image-related information per image insofar as these are relevant for a subsequent evaluation.
Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art.
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In a method and a magnetic resonance apparatus for functional imaging, a number of images without and with a designational stimulation of the examination subject are sequentially registered in successive alternation, and an information value that indicates whether the image was registered during a phase with or without stimulation, at least one image-related stimulation value, and at least one image-related evaluation correlation value are obtained and stored for every image.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 943,103 filed Dec. 19, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,714, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application No. 732,994, filed May 13, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,914 priority of which is claimed hereunder.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to substituted 2,3-dihydro-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-diones and tautomers thereof, and use of these compounds for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease. These compounds are also useful as anti-inflammatory agents for treating inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, spondylitis, and tendonitis in mammals, and are useful as anti-allergy agents for treating allergy-caused diseases. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,936, issued to Blythin on Feb. 11, 1986 discloses certain related compounds having a 2-oxo substituent but fails to address the 2-dihydro compounds described herein.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention encompasses a method of treating hyperproliferative skin disease in a mammal comprising administering an anti-hyperproliferative skin disease effective amount of a compound having structural formula I ##STR1## or a tautomer, pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof, wherein:
R 1 and R 2 are each independently hydrogen, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, lower alkyl, substituted phenyl, and lower alkyl substituted with cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, thienyl or substituted phenyl;
R 3 is hydrogen, formyl, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, alkenyl having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms (which may be substituted with up to 6 fluorines), alkynyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkenyl having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, acyloxyalkyl having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, --X--R 6 {wherein X is O, N or S and R 6 is phenyl, substituted phenyl, lower alkyl, or lower alkyl substituted with phenyl or cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms}, --alkyl--Y--C p H 2p+1 (wherein the alkyl portion has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, p is an integer from 0 to 4, and Y represents CO, O, S, S + --O - , SO 2 or --NHC 2 H 2r+1 where r is an integer from 0 to 4), --(CH 2 )-- n CONR 7 R 8 (wherein R 7 and R 8 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl and n is an integer from 0 to 6), --(CH 2 )m - COOR 9 (wherein R 9 is hydrogen or lower alkyl and m is an integer from 0 to 6), phenyl, substituted phenyl, lower alkyl or lower alkyl substituted with hydroxy, sulfhydryl, cyano, amino, halo, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, thienyl or substituted phenyl;
R 4 is hydrogen, phenyl, alkylphenyl, thienyl, substituted thienyl, pyridinyl, substituted benzyl, substituted phenyl or lower alkyl substituted with cycloalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, pyridinyl, thienyl or substituted phenyl; and
R 5 is selected from hydrogen and alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is the method described above wherein the compound administered is a compound having the structural formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein
R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
R 3 is hydrogen, alkenyl having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted with up to 6 fluorines, alkynyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkenyl having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, lower alkyl, or lower alkyl substituted with phenyl;
R 4 is lower alkyl substituted with phenyl, thienyl or substituted phenyl; and
R 5 is hydrogen.
A more preferred method of treating hyperproliferative skin disease is administering the compound described above wherein R 1 and R 2 are alkyl having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and in particular, methyl.
Another preferred method of treating hyperproliferative skin disease is administering a compound as described above wherein the group R 3 is hydrogen, alkenyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted with up to 6 fluorines, alkynyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkenyl having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, lower alkyl, and lower alkyl substituted with phenyl. Most preferably R 3 is hydrogen, methyl, n-propyl, 2-propynyl, 2-propenyl, trans-2-butenyl, 2-cyclohexenyl, --CH 2 CH═C(CH 3 ) 2 (prenyl), --CH 2 CH═C(CF 3 )CH 3 , --CH 2 CH═C(CF 3 ) 2 and benzyl.
Another preferred method of treating hyperproliferative skin disease comprises administering the compound described above wherein R 4 is benzyl, 2-thienylmethyl or substituted benzyl; most preferably R 4 is 2-thienylmethyl, benzyl or p-fluorobenzyl.
Another preferred method as described above administering a compound of formula I wherein R 5 is hydrogen or one equivalent of a pharmaceutically acceptable metal cation, most preferably the sodium cation.
Particularly preferred compounds for use in the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease having structural formula I are as follows:
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-propylpyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy-7-propyl-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy-7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-methylpyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxypyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
7,9-dibenzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxypyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-7-formyl-6-hydroxypyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy-7-(2-propenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-7-(2-propynyl)-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-7-(trans-2-butenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-7-(3-cyclohexenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-7-ethoxy-carbonylmethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(3-trifluoromethyl-2-butenyl)-2,3-dihydropyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione;
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(2-thienylmethyl)-6-hydroxy-7-propyl-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione; and
2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-methoxybenzyl)-6-hydroxy-7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione.
The above compounds are also preferred for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease in the form of their sodium salts. In the above list the compounds are named for convenience as their 6-hydroxy-8-one tautomers, but the equivalent 8-hydroxy-6-one tautomers are equally useful.
The present invention includes administering to a mammal an antihyperproliferative skin disease effective amount of a compound of formula I in the form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula I in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
As utilized herein, the terms listed below have the following definition unless otherwise indicated:
halogen and halo--fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine;
alkyl--(including the alkyl portion of alkoxy and of acyloxyalkyl) straight or branched saturated carbon chain of from 1 to 12 carbons with all substitutable carbons in the carbon chain as possible points of substitution;
lower alkyl--a subset of alkyl which is straight or branched chain alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbons, e.g methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, t-butyl, 2,2-dimethylpropyl, pentyl, hexyl and the like;
alkenyl--straight or branched carbon chain of from 2 to 12 carbon atoms and containing at least one carbon to carbon double bond;
alkynyl--straight or branched carbon chain of from 2 to 12 carbon atoms and containing at least one carbon to carbon triple bond;
substituted phenyl--phenyl substituted with from 1 to 3 groups independently selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, --CONH 2 , --CO 2 H, hydroxy, --S(O) a R 10 wherein R 10 is lower alkyl and a is 0, 1 or 2, --OR 11 wherein R 11 is lower alkyl, or --COR 12 wherein R 12 is lower alkyl or alkoxy having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
substituted pyridinyl--pyridinyl substituted with from 1 to 3 groups independently selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, --CONH 2 , --CO 2 H, hydroxy, --S(O) a R 10 wherein a and R 10 are as previously defined, --OR 11 wherein R 11 is as previously defined and --COR 12 wherein R 12 is as previously defined;
substituted thienyl--thienyl substituted at positions 2, 3, 4 or 5 with from 1 to 3 groups independently selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, --CONH 2 , --CO 2 H, hydroxy, --S(O) a R 10 wherein a and R 10 are as previously defined, --OR 11 wherein R 11 is as previously defined and --COR 12 wherein R 12 is as previously defined;
cycloalkyl--non-aromatic carbocyclic ring having from three to ten carbon atoms with each substitutable carbon a possible point of substitution with lower alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halogen, hydroxy, phenyl, substituted phenyl, sulfhydryl, cyano, amino, thienyl, substituted thienyl, pyridinyl or substituted pyridinyl;
cycloalkenyl--non-aromatic carbocyclic ring having from three to ten carbon atoms and at least one carbon to carbon double bond, with each substitutable carbon a possible point of substitution with lower alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halogen, hydroxy, phenyl, substituted phenyl, sulfhydryl, cyano, amino, thienyl, substituted thienyl, pyridinyl or substituted pyridinyl;
substituted benzyl--benzyl substituted at positions 2, 3, 4 or 5 with halogen, trifluoromethyl, --CONH 2 , --CO 2 H, hydroxy, --S(O) a R 10 , where a and R 10 are as previously defined, --OR 11 where R 11 is as previously defined and --COR 12 where R 12 is as previously defined;
acyl (including the acyl portion of acyloxyalkyl)--radicals derived from organic acids by the removal of the hydroxyl group, preferably from alkanoic acids;
amino----NH 2 , --NH(A) and --N(A) (B) wherein A and B are independently alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkenyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, pyridinyl, substituted pyridinyl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, thienyl, substituted thienyl or halo.
pharmaceutically acceptable metal and amine cations--lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, zinc, iron, copper, gold, ammonium, ethylenediamine, mono-, di- and tri-ethanolamine, ethyldiethanolamine, n-butylethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane, lysine, galactamine, N-methyl-glucosamine and the like.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Certain compounds used in the method of the invention may exist in isomeric forms. The invention contemplates treatment with all such isomers both in pure form and in admixture, including racemic mixtures.
The compounds of formula I used herein can exist in unsolvated as well as solvated forms, including hydrated forms, e.g, hemihydrate. In general, the solvated forms, with pharmaceutically acceptable solvents such as water, ethanol and the like are equivalent to the unsolvated forms for purposes of the invention.
Compounds of the formula I wherein R 5 is hydrogen may exist in tautomeric forms: ##STR2## Such tautomeric forms are equivalent for purposes of the invention.
Certain compounds of formula I are acidic in nature, e.g those compounds which possess a carboxyl or phenolic hydroxyl group. These compounds may form pharmaceutically acceptable salts. Examples of such salts are the sodium, potassium, calcium, aluminum, copper, gold and silver salts. Also contemplated is the use of a salt formed with a pharmaceutically acceptable amine such as ammonia, alkyl amine, hydroxyalkylamine, N-methylglucamine and the like.
Certain basic compounds of formula I also form pharmaceutically acceptable salts, e.g, acid addition salt and quaternary ammonium salts. For example, if substituent N atoms are present, the substituent nitrogen atoms may form salts with strong acid, while compounds having basic substituents such as amino groups also form salts with weaker acids. Examples of suitable acids for salt formation are hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric, acetic, citric, oxalic, malonic, salicylic, malic, fumaric, succinic, ascorbic, maleic, methanesulfonic and other mineral and carboxylic acids well known to those in the art. The salts are prepared by contacting the free base form with a sufficient amount of the desired acid to produce a salt in the conventional manner. The free base forms may be regenerated by treating the salt with a suitable dilute aqueous base solution such as dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonia and sodium bicarbonate. The quaternary ammonium salts are prepared by conventional methods, e.g, by reaction of a tertiary amino group in a compound of formula I with a quaternizing compound such as an alkyl iodide, etc. The free base forms differ from their respective salt forms somewhat in certain physical properties, such as solubility in polar solvents, but the salts are otherwise equivalent to their respective free base forms for purposes of the invention.
The compounds of formula I may also form quaternary salts at an aromatic ring nitrogen atom.
All such acid, base and quaternary salts are intended to be pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and all acid and base salts are considered equivalent to the free forms of the corresponding compounds for purposes of treating hyperproliferative skin disease.
As used herein, hyperproliferative skin disease means any condition a symptom of which is accelerated skin cell production resulting in erythema, flakes, scales, plaques or papular lesions on the skin. Representative examples of hyperproliferative skin disease include psoriasis, eczema, dandruff and the like. Effectiveness of the compound of formula I for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease may be demonstrated by the Croton Oil Mouse Ear Test, as described in detail below.
Application of croton oil to the skin of a test mammal serves as an appropriate model for measuring the effects of compounds used in treating hyperproliferative skin disease. By measuring the weight of the skin to which croton oil is applied in the presence of a test compound and comparing to a control wherein croton oil is applied without the test compound, the inhibitory activity of the test compound is evaluated.
CROTON OIL MOUSE EAR TEST
Male Charles River bred mice (strain CD 1 ) weighing 22-26 g are caged 8/group and acclimated for 4 days at controlled temperature with water and food ad lib prior to use.
Croton oil 0.6 ml (Amend Drug and Chemical Company, Irvington, N.J.) is dissolved in a vehicle comprising pyridine (24 ml), distilled water (6 ml) and diethyl ether (90 ml) to make a 0.5% solution.
Test compounds are weighed on a Cahn Millibalance and dissolved in the croton oil preparation, freshly prepared in glass vials 30 minutes or less prior to application, and placed in a tray filled with crushed ice.
Using an Oxford 10 microliter pipette, the compound in croton oil solution is applied to the inner surface of both ears of the mouse. Other groups receive croton oil or vehicle alone. Five hours after application the animals are sacrificed by CO 2 suffocation in a bucket using dry ice. A 6 mm dermal punch is used to biopsy both ears. The ear punches are then individually weighed on a Cahn Millibalance and weights recorded to the nearest 0.1 mg.
Data analysis indicates that the compounds of formula I are useful for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease. For example, the compound 9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)dione reduces inflammation by 41% at a dose of 1 mg applied topically per ear.
The compounds of this invention are also useful to treat inflammation. For example, inflammatory conditions which can be treated include arthritis, spondylitis, tendonitis and the like.
The anti-inflammatory activity of the compounds of the invention may be demonstrated by the procedures described below.
The Reversed Passive Arthrus Reaction (RPAR) Test serves as a general screening test for compounds which have antiinflammatory activity under acute inflammatory conditions. The Chronic Adjuvant Arthritic RAT (AAR) Test simulates the inflammatory disease process in man. The compounds of the invention are tested prophylactically, i.e., administered prior to inducing inflammation, and also subsequent to inducing inflammation. In this manner anti-anflammatory activity of the compounds of formula I is assessed.
RPAR Synovitis Technique
A Lewis rat is dosed orally with drug or placebo one hour prior to intraveous administration of 2.28 mg of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in 0.2 cc of pyrogen-free saline followed by the intraarticular injection of 0.54 mg of rabbit anti-BSA antibody in 0.03 cc of pyrogen-free saline into one knee joint. The contralateral knee is injected with 0.03 cc of pyrogen free saline. All injections are made with the animal under light ether anesthesia. Three hours later the rat is again dosed orally with drug or placebo. All drug doses are split. That is, one-half of the dose is administered before lesion induction and one-half is administered after lesion induction.
The following morning (about 17 hours after lesion induction) the rat is killed and both knee joints are exposed. THe subpatellar areolar tissue with attendant synovium is excised and weighed. Differences between the weight of antibody and saline injected knees are considered to represent the inflammatory response for each animal (delta synovial weight). Differences in delta synovial weight between lesion controls and drug-treated rats are evaluated for statistical significance with an analysis of variance. Relative potencies are determined with a linear regression analysis.
Prophylactic Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats (AAR)
Groups of 10 male Lewis rats (from Charles River Laboratories, Mass.), weighing 150-170 grams are sensitized by subplantar injection in the left hind paw with 0.1 ml Freund's complete adjuvant enriched with heat-killed tuberculin bacilli. Hind paw volumes are determind with a mercury plethysmograph from Day 0 to Day 21 of the study. Differences in paw volume on Day 0 and 21 are recorded as the delta (Δ) paw volume. In sensitized rats the injected hind paw increases in size by Day 2 and seven days later a similar response is seen in the contralateral hind paw. Differences in body weights on Day 0 and Day 21 are recorded as the delta (Δ) body weight gain.
Daily oral doses of the drug suspended in methylcellulose or of methylcellulose alone are administered. In the chronic prophylactic assay, a compound of formula I is administered prior to antigenic challenge with tuberculin bacilli. In the chronic therapeutic assay, a compound of formula I is administered after inflammation has been induced with tuberculin bacilli, thereby simulating therapeutic use of the compound for the treatment of an inflammatory condition, e.g. arthritis.
The compounds of this invention are also useful for the treatment of allergy-caused diseases, such as chronic obstructive lung diseases. Chronic obstructive lung disease as used herein means disease conditions in which the passage of air into and out of the lungs is obstructed or diminished such as is the case in asthma, bronchitis and the like.
When administered for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease, the compounds may be administered topically or systemically. When administered topically, the amount of compound administered varies widely with the amount of skin being treated, as well as with the concentration of active ingredient applied to the affected area. For topical administration, a compound of formula I may be administered in a concentration ranging from about 0.001% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.01% to about 5%, applied several times daily to the skin. When used systemically, the compound may be administered orally, rectally or parenterally. When administered orally, the compounds of formula I are effective for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease at doses ranging from about 0.1 mg to about 100 mg, which may be administered in divided doses. When administered rectally, the compounds of formula I may be administered in doses ranging from about 0.1 mg to about 1000 mg. When administered parenterally, the compounds of formula I are effective for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease in doses ranging from about 0.05 mg/kg body weight to about 50 mg/kg body weight which may be administered in divided doses taken at 4 to 12 hour intervals.
For preparing pharmaceutical compositions from the compounds described herein, inert, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers can be either solid or liquid. Solid form preparations include powders, tablets, dispersible granules, capsules, cachets and suppositories. A solid carrier can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents, flavoring agents, solubilizers, lubricants, suspending agents, binders or tablet disintegrating agents; it can also be an encapsulating material. In powders, the carrier is a finely divided solid which is in admixture with the finely divided active compound. In the tablet the active compound is mixed with carrier having the necessary binding properties in suitable proportions and compacted in the shape and size desired. The powders and tablets preferably contain from 5 to about 70 percent active ingredient on a weight/weight basis. Suitable solid carriers are magnesium carbonate, magnesium stearate, talc, sugar, lactose, pectin, dextrin, starch, gelatin, tragacanth, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose, a low melting wax, cocoa butter and the like. The term "preparation" is intended to include the formulation of the active compound with encapsulating material as carrier providing a capsule in which the active component (with or without other carriers) is surrounded by carrier, which is thus in association with it. Similarly, cachets are included. Tablets, powders, cachets and capsules can be used as solid dosage forms suitable for oral administration.
For preparing suppositories, a low melting wax such as a mixture of fatty acid glycerides or cocoa butter is first melted, and the active ingredient is dispersed homogeneously therein as by stirring. The molten homogeneous mixture is then poured into convenient sized molds, allowed to cool and thereby solidify.
Liquid form preparations include solutions, suspensions and emulsions. As an example may be mentioned water or water-propylene glycol solutions for parenteral injection. Liquid preparations can also be formulated in solution in polyethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol, which may contain water. Aqueous solutions suitable for oral use can be prepared by adding the active component in water and adding suitable colorants, flavors, stabilizing, sweetening, solubilizing and thickening agents as desired. Aqueous suspensions suitable for oral use can be made by dispersing the finely divided active component in water with viscous material, i.e., natural or synthetic gums, resins, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and other well-known suspending agents.
Formulations for topical application, e.g, for use in treating hyperproliferative skin diseases, may include the above liquid forms, creams, aerosols, sprays, dusts, powders, lotions and ointments which are prepared by combining an active ingredient according to this invention with conventional pharmaceutical diluents and carriers commonly used in topical dry, liquid, cream and aerosol formulations. Ointment and creams may, for example, be formulated with an aqueous or oily base with the addition of suitable thickening and/or gelling agents. Such bases may, thus, for example, include water and/or an oil such as liquid paraffin or a vegetable oil such as peanut oil or castor oil. Thickening agents which may be used according to the nature of the base include soft paraffin, aluminum stearate, cetostearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, woolfat, hydrogenated lanolin, beeswax, etc.
Lotions may be formulations with an aqueous or oily base and will, in general, also include one or more of the following, namely, stabilizing agents, emulsifying agents, dispersing agents, suspending agents, thickening agents, coloring agents, perfumes and the like.
Powders may be formed with the aid of any suitable powder base, e.g, talc, lactose, starch, etc. Drops may be formulated with an aqueous base or non-aqueous base also comprising one or more dispersing agents, suspending agents, solubilizing agents, etc.
The topical pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention may also include one or more preservatives or bacteriostatic agents, e.g, methyl hydroxybenzoate, propyl hydroxybenzoate, chlorocresol, benzalkonium chlorides, etc.
The topical pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention may also contain other active ingredients such as antimicrobial agents, particularly antibiotics, anesthetics, analgesics and antipruritic agents.
Also included are solid form preparations which are intended to be converted, shortly before use, to liquid form preparations for either oral or parenteral administration. Such liquid forms include solutions, suspensions and emulsions. These particular solid form preparations are most conveniently provided in unit dose form and as such are used to provide a single liquid dosage unit. Alternatively, sufficient solid may be provided so that after conversion to liquid form, multiple individual liquid doses may be obtained by measuring predetermined volumes of the liquid form preparation as with a syringe, teaspoon or other volumetric container. When multiple liquid doses are so prepared, it is preferred to maintain the unused portion of said liquid doses at low temperature (i.e., under refrigeration) in order to retard possible decomposition. The solid form preparations intended to be converted to liquid form may contain, in addition to the active material, flavorants, colorants, stabilizers, buffers, artificial and natural sweeteners, dispersants, thickeners, solubilizing agents and the like. The solvent utilized for preparing the liquid form preparation may be water, isotonic water, ethanol, glycerine, propylene glycol and the like as well as mixtures thereof. Naturally, the solvent utilized will be chosen with regard to the route of administration, for example, liquid preparations containing large amounts of ethanol are not suitable for parenteral use.
Preferably, the pharmaceutical preparation is in unit dosage form. In such form, the preparation is subdivided into unit doses containing appropriate quantities of the active component. The unit dosage form can be a packaged preparation, the package containing discrete quantities of preparation, for example, packeted tablets, capsules and powders in vials or ampoules. The unit dosage form can also be a capsule, cachet or tablet itself or it can be the appropriate number of any of these in packaged form.
The quantity of active compound contained in a unit dose of preparation may be varied or adjusted from about 0.01 mg to about 100 mg according to the particular application and the potency of the active ingredient. The compositions can, if desired, also contain other therapeutic agents.
The dosages may be varied depending upon the requirements of the patient, the severity of the condition being treated and the particular compound being employed. Determination of the proper dosage for a particular situation is within the skill of the art. Generally, treatment is initiated with smaller dosages which are less than the optimum dose of the compound.
Generally the recommended regimen is a dosage range of from about 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day to about 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day in divided doses taken at about 4 hour intervals. The dosage may be increased by small increments until the optimum effect under the circumstances is reached.
The following reaction scheme illustrates the preparation of many of the compounds of the present invention: ##STR3## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are as defined above. Some groups, especially in R 3 , may be sensitive to the step of reduction, and compounds containing such R 3 groups are better prepared by reduction of compounds of the formula IV wherein R 3 is hydrogen followed by introduction of the group R 3 under basic alkylation conditions.
When the desired substituents at R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and/or R 4 are not sensitive to lithium borohydride reduction, the R 3 -substituted-2-desoxy compounds (I) may be prepared by direct reduction of the corresponding R 3 -substituted-2-oxo compounds (V).
The intermediates of the invention having structural formula IV or V wherein R 5 =H and ##STR4## where X=H or F may be prepared by reacting a correspondingly substituted compound having structural formula III with a dialkylmalonate or substituted dialkylmalonate, respectively, in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of a base such as sodium hydride at an elevated temperature. Also the above defined intermediates of formula IV may be prepared by reacting the above defined compound of formula III with an excess of dialkylmalonate in the presence of a base such as sodium methoxide at an elevated temperature.
Compounds having structural formula III are prepared by reacting compounds having structural formula II with excess primary amine at elevated temperatures.
Compounds having structural formula I wherein R 3 =H and R 5 =H or a sodium cation may be alkylated to introduce the group R 3 (as defined above) as shown in the reaction scheme using activated electrophiles, e.g such as 3-halo alkenes, 3-halo alkynes, α-halo esters, benzyl halides, α-halo acetonitriles and the equivalents of these groups which are known in the art. The alkylations may be accomplished using sodium hydride in N,N-dimethyl formamide, triethylamine in acetone and sodium or sodium methoxide in ethanol. Phase-transfer alkylation, employing a stoichiometric quantity of tetraalkyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate in a methylene chloride-aqueous sodium hydroxide system, is also effective.
R 5 -alkyl derivatives may be conveniently prepared by a diazoalkane reaction.
The R 3 -unsubstituted-2-desoxy compounds (Ia) and the R 3 -substituted 2-desoxy compounds (I) may be prepared from the corresponding 2-oxo compounds by a novel reduction process using lithium borohydride in dioxan. The reaction times for this reduction process may in many cases be reduced significantly by silylation of the tricyclic 2-oxo compounds before they undergo reduction. The compound used in the silylation step may be 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS).
Another metal hydride which may be used in the above novel reduction process is sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride (SDMA) in dimethoxyethanetoluene. When SDMA is used, the yield and speed of direct reduction of underivatized substrate leading to compounds having structural formulas I and Ia may be comparable to those observed with LiBH 4 on silylated substrates. However, SDMA should not be used to reduce those compounds having fluorinated aryl substituents, especially a p-fluoro phenyl group.
The intermediates of formula III may be prepared from readily available starting materials according to the sequence of steps described below. ##STR5##
The ureas of formula VIII may be prepared by reacting approximately equimolar quantities of an amine (R 1 --NH 2 or R 2 --NH 2 ) with an isocyanate (R 2 --N═C═O or R 1 --N═C═O) in an inert solvent, e.g, chloroform. ##STR6##
Compounds of formula IX may be prepared by the well-known Traube purine synthesis or a modification thereof. Equimolar quantities of the compound of formula VIII and cyanoacetic acid are heated to 60° C. with two equivalents of acetic anhydride using glacial acetic acid as solvent. After 2 to 8 hours as much as possible of the acetic acid (AcOH) and acetic anhydride (Ac 2 O) are removed at 60° C. in vacuo. The resultant mixture is poured into water and made basic, e.g, with solid sodium carbonate. The mixture is boiled 1-4 hours, then cooled. On standing either a solid will form which may be filtered off and purified, or an oil will form which may be extracted and purified.
Note that, for compounds of formula VIII where R 1 and R 2 are different, two different compounds of formula IX may be formed, i.e., ##STR7## These compounds may be separated by fractional crystallization or by chromatography (e.g column or HPLC). ##STR8##
The purified 6-aminouracil compounds of formula IX may be converted to the 5-nitroso-6-amino-uracil compounds of formula X by combining the 6-amino-uracil derivative and sodium nitrite (one equivalent) and boiling in ethanol/water while adding glacial acetic acid. The nitroso compound of formula X which precipitates is then filtered off, washed with water and dried. ##STR9##
The 6-amino-5-nitroso-uracil compound of formula X is reduced to the corresponding 5-amino-compound of formula XI in aqueous suspension by the use of an excess of ammonium polysulfide solution with warming. When the color is discharged, the mixture is cooled and the supernatant liquid is decanted off. The residue is dissolved in methylene chloride, which is dried and evaporated. The crude product is used in the next step. ##STR10##
The 5,6-diamino-uracil compound of formula XI is heated with excess formic acid at 120°-150° C. for 1-4 hours, then allowed to stand at room temperature overnight. Most of the acid is then removed (75° C.; reduced pressure) and the residue is dissolved in hot methanol and filtered. The product of formula XII is isolated by chilling and filtering off the resulting solid or by evaporation of the methanol. ##STR11##
The 6-amino-5-formamido-uracil compound of formula XII is heated to 250°-285° C. until frothing ceases (10-60 mins.). The product is then cooled and the crude product of formula XIII is recrystallized, e.g from CH 3 OH/H 2 O. ##STR12##
The xanthine compound of formula XIII is dissolved in glacial acetic acid. The solution is warmed gradually to 100° C. while a solution of bromine in acetic acid is slowly added until thin layer chromatography shows that starting material has been consumed. The product, a compound of formula II, is isolated by pouring the reaction mixture into water, filtering and recrystallizing, if necessary.
The 8-bromoxanthine of formula II is converted to the 8-substituted-amino-xanthine of formula III by heating with excess amine at elevated temperatures as described in preparative Example 1, below. An 8-chloroxanthine can be used in this reaction instead of 8-bromoxanthine if desired.
The following Preparative Examples illustrate the preparation of the starting materials.
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
8-Benzylamino-1,3-di-n-butyl-xanthine
Heat together a mixture of one equivalent of 8-bromo-1,3-di-n-butyl-xanthine and three to four equivalents of benzylamine at 160°-180° C. until thin layer chromatography shows that no starting xanthine remains. Cool. Triturate with ethanol and water to yield 8-benzylamino-1,3-di-n-butyl-xanthine.
Similarly, prepare other 8-(substituted amino)-1,3-disubstituted xanthines required for the preparation of the compounds of the present invention from the corresponding 8-bromo- (or 8-chloro)-1,3-disubstituted xanthines by heating with excess amine at elevated temperatures, in a sealed vessel, if necessary.
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2A
9-Benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-7-(2-ethoxyethyl)-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione (or tautomer)
To a stirred suspension of 7.43 g of 8-benzyl aminotheophylline in 104 ml of dry N,N-dimethyl-formamide add portionwise over 10 minutes 1.19 g of a 60% dispersion of sodium hydride. Heat the mixture to 50° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for 30 minutes. Add 13.30 g of the diethyl ester of β-ethoxyethylmalonic acid. Heat the mixture to 150° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for approximately 37 hours. Allow the system to cool to room temperature and remove the solvent in vacuo. Add a mixture of water:chloroform (1:2.5) to the resulting semisolid. Acidify the aqueous portion with 3M HCl. Extract the product from the aqueous portion with chloroform. Wash the chloroform extracts with brine, dry over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filter and remove the solvent in vacuo to give the crude product. Triturate the crude product with ether. Purify the crude product by column chromatography on silica gel and triturate the major fraction with hexane to give the title compound, mp 156.5°-157.5° C.
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2B
9-Benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(n-propyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione (or tautomer)
Suspend 8-benzylamino-theophylline (10 g) in diethyl n-propyl-malonate (65 ml). Add sodium methoxide (0.7 g), and stir and heat to about 200° C. (bath temperature). Separate the ethanol which is formed with a Dean and Stark trap. After about 4 to 6 hours, raise the bath temperature to about 215° C. until no more starting material is present (as shown by thin layer chromatography).
Cool to below 60° C. and add ethanol. Stir and triturate and then filter, wash and air dry. Recrystallize the product from acetonitrile (about 60 parts). Wash with ether and dry in vacuo at 70° to 75° C. to yield the title compound, mp 217° C. (yield about 62%).
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 3
1,3-Dimethyl-9-benzyl-6-methoxy-7-(n-propyl)pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione
Dissolve 9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(n-propyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione (3 g) in 200 ml chloroform at 0° C. and treat with an ethereal solution of diazomethane. Stir the solution at 0° for 1.5 hours and destroy the excess diazomethane by the addition of acetic acid. Wash the chloroform solution with a solution of sodium bicarbonate and remove the chloroform under reduced pressure. Chromatograph the solid obtained on silica gel using 1% methanol in chloroform to give the title compound, mp 199°-201° C.
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 4A
9-Benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido-[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione
Add 8-benzylaminotheophylline (30 g) and ethyl malonyl chloride (35.1 gm) to 600 ml of 1:1 dioxan/acetonitrile. Heat the reaction mixture to reflux under a nitrogen atmosphere until the 8-benzylaminotheophylline is consumed (ca. 3.5 hrs.). Cool the reaction mixture to room temperature and pour the solution into 800 ml of ether. Filter off the precipitate. Wash the precipitate with ether and dry the product to obtain the title compound, mp 205.5°-209° C.
PREPARATIVE EXAMPLE 4B
1,3-Dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxypyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione
Substitute 8-(4-fluorobenzyl)aminotheophylline in the process described in Preparative Example 4A above to yield the title compound.
The following Examples illustrate the preparation of compounds of the invention. The denatured alcohol 2B used in some Examples is anhydrous ethanol denatured with 0.5% (v/v) benzene.
EXAMPLE 1A
9-Benzyl-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-6-Hydroxy-7-(Propyl)Pyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
A. Silylation. Reflux a mixture of 30.1 g (0.076 mole) of 9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-propyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione, 1.0 g of ammonium sulfate and 350 ml of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane until the starting material dissolves, giving a cloudy solution. Distill the solvent under reduced pressure, and utilize the pinkish residual solid thus obtained directly in the reduction step "B".
B. Reduction. Dissolve the silylated product (approximately 0.076 mole) of step "A" in 1.3 liters of dry 1,4-dioxan. Place the reaction flask in a water bath at 15°-20° C., and cautiously add 9.59 g (0.442 mole) of lithium borohydride portionwise to control the resultant frothing. Heat the reaction mixture carefully (because of foaming) to 90°-95° C. and maintain that temperature with effective stirring for 78 hours (disappearance of starting material may be monitored by TLC on silica with chloroform(80)-methanol(20)-concentrated ammonium hydroxide(1)).
Remove approximately one liter of dioxane by distillation under reduced pressure, and purge the system with nitrogen as the vacuum is released. Cool the residue to room temperature, and add 1 liter of chloroform. To the stirred mixture, cautiously add portionwise 200 ml of water, followed by 180 ml of 3M hydrochloric acid, and continue stirring for 0.5 hour. Separate the layers and extract the aqueous phase with two 200-ml portions of chloroform. Dry the combined extracts over sodium sulfate, remove the drying agent by filtration and remove the solvent from the filtrate at reduced pressure. Chromatograph the solid thus obtained on silica gel, eluting first with ethyl acetate(75)-hexanes(25), then with ethyl acetate, to obtain the title compound with mp 173°-175° C. Recrystallize the chromatographed material to obtain product with mp 177°-178.5° C.
Sodium salt. To a stirred suspension of 12.66 g (0.033 mole) of the chromatographed title compound in 1100 ml of water, add a solution of 1.33 g (0.033 mole) of sodium hydroxide in 400 ml of water. Stir for 5 hours; then filter the hazy, fine suspension through medium sintered glass. Lyophilize the clear filtrate to obtain the title salt as a solid. If the solid thus obtained is gummy, dissolve it in methanol; then remove methanol under reduced pressure, and triturate the residual solid with ether(1)-hexanes(3). Filter, and dry the product at 40° C. under vacuum to obtain the sodium salt of the title compound as a 3/4 hydrate with mp 215° C. (dec.).
C. Alternatively, preparation of the title compound may be carried out as follows:
To a stirred suspension of 0.5 g (1.27 mmoles) of 9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-propyl-pyrimido-[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione in a mixture of 32 ml of dry dimethoxyethane and 12 ml of dry toluene, cautiously add 1.5 ml (5.1 mmoles) of a 3.4M solution of sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride in toluene. Reflux the resultant mixture under a nitrogen atmosphere for 16 hours. Remove solvent under reduced pressure, and stir the residual oil under nitrogen with 20 ml of ether and 25 ml of 1.5M hydrochloric acid. Separate the layers, and extract the aqueous phase with two 20 ml volumes of ether. Dry the combined extracts over magnesium sulfate, filter off the drying agent and remove solvent from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Purify the residual solid chromatographically, as described above, to obtain the title compound.
EXAMPLE 1B
Substitute the 2,4,8-trione compound shown in column 1 of Table 1B below for 9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-propyl-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione in the process of Example 1A above to yield the product shown in the second column of Table 1B below.
TABLE 1B__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR13##Reactant 2,4,8-trione ProductR.sup.3 = R.sup.4 = Product 4,8-dione mp °C.__________________________________________________________________________CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 ##STR14## 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9- (4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy -7- propyl-pyrimido[ 2,1-f]purine- 4,8(1 .sub.--H,9 .sub.--H)dione 139-140.5° C.CH.sub.3 ##STR15## 9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3- dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-methyl- pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8 (1 .sub.--H,9 .sub.--H)dion e 222-224° C.CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 ##STR16## 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9- (2-thienylmethyl)-6-hydrox y-7- propyl-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8 (1 .sub.--H, 9 .sub.--H)dione 186-188° C.__________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLE 2A
9-Benzyl-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-6-Hydroxy-7-(3-Methyl-2-Butenyl)Pyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
Step A: 9-Benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione (I)
To a suspension of 395 g (1.12 moles) of 9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione in 10.5 liters of dry 1,4-dioxan, add 68.1 g (3.14 moles) of lithium borohydride in portions. Maintain the reaction temperature at 20°-25° C. by controlling the rate of addition and by use of a cooling bath as needed. Stir the mixture at room temperature for 0.5 hour, then reflux for 18 hours. Remove a portion of the solvent under reduced pressure, and purge the system with nitrogen as the vacuum is released. Allow the residue to cool; then add 4.5 liters of chloroform. To the resultant mixture, cautiously add dropwise 1.1-liters of water. Stir the mixture at room temperature until two clear phases result. Add 3N hydrochloric acid portionwise to bring the pH to 4-5. Separate the layers, and extract the aqueous phase with two 1.1-liter portions of chloroform. Wash the combined extracts with three 1.1 liter volumes of water, and dry over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Filter off the drying agent, and remove volatiles from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Crystallize the residue from methanolethyl acetate to obtain title compound (I) as a solid with mp 176°-182° C.
Step B: Alkylation of I. To a suspension of 75 g (0.221 mole) of I in 4.2 liters of ethanol (anhydrous; 2B) add 12 g (0.221 mole) of sodium methoxide portionwise during about twenty minutes. To the resultant mixture add 33 g (0.221 mole) of 1-bromo-3-methyl-2-butene dropwise during 0.5 hour. Stir the reaction mixture for 18 hours at room temperature; then remove volatiles under reduced pressure. Pour the residue into 8.8 liters of cold water, saturate the aqueous phase with sodium chloride and extract with three 3-liter volumes of ether. Dry the combined extracts over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filter off the drying agent and remove solvent from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Chromatograph the residue on silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate(3)-hexanes(2), to obtain the title compound as a solid (mp 153°-154.5° C.).
Alternatively, the alkylation of I may be carried out in the following manner: To a slurry of 0.85 g (0.0212 mole) of 60% sodium hydride (prewashed with hexanes) in 5 ml of dry N,N-dimethylformamide, add in two portions a solution of 6.11 g (0.018 mole) of I in 125 ml of dry N,N-DMF. Stir the mixture at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere for 15 minutes to obtain a clear solution. Add in one portion 4.06 g (0.0273 mole) of 1-bromo-3-methyl-2-butene (mild exotherm). Stir the reaction mixture under a nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 4.5 hours. Pour the reaction mixture into an ice-water mixture, and extract with four 150-ml portions of chloroform. Wash the combined extracts with water, dry then over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filter, evaporate off the solvent, and chromatograph the residue on silica gel, as described above, to obtain the title compound.
EXAMPLE 2B
9-(Benzyl or Substituted Benzyl)-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-6-Hydroxy-7-Substituted Pyrimido[2,1 -f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Diones
Substitute the 2,4,8-trione compound from the first column of Table 2B below for 9-benzyl-1,3-dimethyl-5-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8[1H,3H,9H]-trione and the compound R 3 X for 1-bromo-3-methyl-2-butene in the process of Example 2A above to produce the substituted 4,8-dione compound in Column 2 of the Table 2B below.
TABLE 2B__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR17## Product (R.sub.3 as in R.sub.3 X;Reactants R.sub.4 as in trione)2,4,8 Trione R.sup.4 = R.sup.3 X* (X = Br) Product M.P. °C.__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR18## CH.sub.2 CHCH.sub.2 Br 131.5-133° C. ##STR19## HCCCH.sub.2 Br 163-164° C. ##STR20## ##STR21## 180-183° C. ##STR22## ##STR23## 208-210° C. ##STR24## ##STR25## 148-150° C. ##STR26## ##STR27## 118-120° C. ##STR28## (CH.sub.3).sub.2 CCHCH.sub.2 Br 157-159° C.__________________________________________________________________________ *X is a leaving group, e.g, Br.
EXAMPLE 3
2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-9-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-6-Hydroxy-Pyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
Reflux a suspension of 395 g (1.06 moles) of 1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-2,4,8(1H,3H,9H)-trione, 12.32 g of ammonium sulfate and 350 ml of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane in 4 liters of chloroform until a clear solution is obtained (18-24 hr.). Remove chloroform and excess hexamethyldisilazane under reduced pressure, and treat the residual thick gum with 9.6 liters of dry 1,4-dioxan. While stirring the resultant mixture, cautiously add 70.4 g (3.24 moles) of lithium borohydride in portions under a stream of dry nitrogen. When foaming subsides, heat the mixture to 100° C. for 18 hr. or until all starting material has been consumed (as determined by TLC on silica with chloroform(90)-methanol(10)-acetic acid(1)). Remove a portion of the dioxane under reduced pressure, purge the system with nitrogen as the vacuum is released, allow the residue to cool, and add 3 liters of chloroform with stirring. Add 1.3 liters of water cautiously (because of foaming), followed by 2.3 liters of 3N hydrochloric acid. Stir for one hour; then separate the layers. Extract the aqueous phase with two 1.3-liter volumes of chloroform, and dry the combined extracts over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Filter off the drying agent, and remove solvent from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Dissolve the residual tacky solid in 1.5 liters of boiling acetonitrile, add a small amount of decolorizing carbon, reflux for 15 minutes, and filter through a pad of Celite. Chill the filtrate, and collect the resultant crystals. Wash the crystals with cold acetonitrile, and dry them under vacuum at 50° C. to obtain the title compound, mp 214°-232° C.
When the above reduction was carried out without pretreatment of the substrate with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane, no reaction was observed after 6 days of reflux.
EXAMPLE 4
2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-9-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-6-Hydroxy-7-(3-Methyl-2-Butenyl)-Pyrimido[2-1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
Dissolve 1.48 g (0.0644 mole) of sodium metal in 450 ml of ethanol (2B; anhydrous). Add 23.0 g (0.0644 mole) of 2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-9-(4-fluorobenzyl)-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H,)-dione. Stir the resultant suspension under a nitrogen atmosphere for 0.5 hour, then add 9.60 g (0.0644 mole) of 1-bromo-3-methyl-2-butene. Stir the mixture at room temperature for 90 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere. Filter off the white solids, and remove solvent from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Dissolve the residue in 150 ml of chloroform, add 125 ml of 3N hydrochloric acid and shake the mixture. Separate the layers, and extract the aqueous phase with two 50-ml volumes of chloroform. Dry the combined extracts over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filter off the drying agent, and remove solvent from the filtrae under reduced pressure. Chromatograph the residual glassy solid on silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate(3)-hexanes(1). Triturate the product thus obtained with hexane (125 ml per gram) and filter to obtain the title compound as a solid (mp 188°-188.5° C.).
EXAMPLE 5
7,9-Dibenzyl-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-6-Hydroxy-Pyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
To a suspension of 7.1 g (0.021 mole) of 9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione in 200 ml of acetone, add 2.3 g (0.023 mole) of triethylamine, and stir the mixture for 5 minutes at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain a clear solution. Add dropwise to the solution 4.7 g (0.027 mole) of benzyl bromide, and reflux the mixture for 5 hours under a nitrogen atmosphere. Remove the acetone under reduced pressure, and triturate the gummy residue with methanol. Filter off the resultant white solid, pour the filtrate into water, acidify to pH 4-5 with dilute hydrochloric acid, and decant the aqueous supernatant. Dissolve the gummy residue in the chloroform, wash the solution with water, and dry over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. Remove the drying agent by filtration, and evaporate solvent from the filtrate under reduced pressure. Chromatograph the residual oil on silica gel, eluting with chloroform(96)-methanol(4), to obtain the title compound as a solid with mp 176° -179° C.
Sodium salt. Add 3.4 g (0.0074 mole) of analytically pure 7,9-dibenzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)-dione to a suspension of 0.5 g (0.012 mole) of 60% sodium hydride (prewashed with three 100-ml volumes of petroleum ether) in 300 ml of dry dimethoxyethane. Stir the mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere. Filter off excess sodium hydride. Concentrate the filtrate under reduced pressure to an oil and add ether to precipitte a solid. Isolate the solid by filtration, and triturate it in fresh ether. Filter again, and dry the solid at 70° C. under reduced pressure to obtain the hemihydrate salt of the title compound as a yellow powder (mp 175°-185° C.).
EXAMPLE 6
9-Benzyl-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-7-(N,N-Dimethylamino)Methenyl-6-Hydroxypyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione
Dissolve phosphorus oxychloride (1.5 ml=2.47 g=16.2 mmoles) in N,N-dimethylformamide (75 ml) and add portionwise the title compound of Example 2A (Part A), (5.0 g, 17.4 mmol) in dry powdered form. Stir to dissolve the solid, and allow the resultant solution to stand for 4 hours at room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere. Remove the solvent under reduced pressure, and partition the residual oil between methylene chloride and aqueous sodium bicarbonate (frothing). Separate the phases, and wash the organic extract successively with aqueous bicarbonate, water, then brine. Dry the extract over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, remove the drying agent, and evaporate the solvent under reduced prssure. Triturate the residual solid thoroughly with ether to obtain the title product as a yellow powder, mp 235° C. (dec).
EXAMPLE 7
9-Benzyl-2,3-Dihydro-1,3-Dimethyl-7-Formyl-6-Hydroxy-Pyrimido[2,1-f]Purine-4,8(1H,9H)-Dione, Sodium Salt
Suspend the title compound of Example 6 (4.0 g, 10.1 mmol) in 0.1N sodium hydroxide (200 ml) under a nitrogen atmosphere in a bath at 100° C. for 1 hour. Filter the mixture, and wash the material collected succesively with water, ether-isopropanol, then ether, Dry the washed solid in a vacuum pistol to obtain the title compound as a yellow powder, mp 325°-326° C. (dec).
The following formulations exemplify some of the dosage forms of the compositions of this invention. In each, the term "active compound" as used therein means 9-benzyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H,9H)dione. It is contemplated, however, that a different compound of structural formula I could be substituted therefore, or added thereto. Consequently, the scope of the application is not to be limited by the exemplary dosage formulations contained herein.
PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM EXAMPLES
Example A
Tablets
______________________________________No. Ingredient mg/tablet mg/tablet______________________________________1. Active compound 100 5002. Lactose USP 122 1133. Corn Starch, Food Grade, 30 40 as a 10% paste in Purified Water4. Corn Starch, Food Grade 45 405. Magnesium Stearate 3 7 Total 300 700______________________________________
Method of Manufacture
Mix Item Nos. 1 and 2 in a suitable mixer for 10-15 minutes. Granulate the mixture with Item No. 3. Mill the damp granules through a coarse screen (e.g, 1/4") if needed. Dry the damp granules. Screen the dried granules if needed and mix with Item No. 4 and mix for 10-15 minutes. Add Item No. 5 and mix for 1-3 minutes. Compress the mixture to appropriate size and weight on a suitable tablet machine.
Example B
Capsules
______________________________________No. Ingredient mg/capsule mg/capsule______________________________________1. Active compound 100 5002. Lactose USP 106 1233. Corn Starch, Food Grade 40 704. Magnesium Stearate NF 4 7 Total 250 700______________________________________
Method of Manufacture
Mix Item Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in a suitable blender for 10-15 minutes. Add Item No. 4 and mix for 1-3 minutes. Fill the mixture into suitable two-piece hard gelatin capsules on a suitable encapsulating machine.
Example C
Parenteral
______________________________________Ingredient mg/vial mg/vial______________________________________Active Compound Sterile Powder 100 500Add sterile water for injection or bacteriostatic waterfor injection, for reconstitution.______________________________________
Example D
Injectable
______________________________________Ingredient mg/vial______________________________________Active Compound 100Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate 1.8Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate 0.2Sodium Bisulfite 3.2Disodium Edetate 0.1Sodium Sulfate 2.6Water for Injection q.s. ad 1.0 ml______________________________________
Method of Manufacture (for 1000 vials)
1. Dissolve p-hydroxybenzoate compounds in a portion (85% of the final volume) of the water for injection at 65°-70° C.
2. Cool to 25°-35° C. Charge and dissolve the sodium bisulfite, disodium edetate and sodium sulfate.
3. Charge and dissolve active compound.
4. Bring the solution to final volume by added water for injection.
5. Filter the solution through 0.22 membrane and fill into appropriate containers.
6. Finally sterilize the units by autoclaving
Example E
Nasal Spray
______________________________________ mg/ml______________________________________Active Compound 10.0Phenyl Mercuric Acetate 0.02Aminoacetic Acid USP 3.7Sorbitol Solution, USP 57.0Benzalkonium Chloride Solution 0.2Sodium Hydroxide 1N Solution to --adjust pHWater Purified USP to make 1.0 ml______________________________________
Example F
Ointment
______________________________________Formula mg/g______________________________________Active Compound 1.0-20.0Benzyl Alcohol, NF 20.0Mineral Oil, USP 50.0White Petrolatum, USP to make 1.0 g______________________________________
Method of Manufacture
Disperse active compound in a portion of the mineral oil. Mix and heat to 65° C., a weighed quantity of white petrolatum, the remaining mineral oil and benzyl alcohol, and cool to 50°-55° C. with stirring Add the dispersed active compound to the above mixture with stirring Cool to room temperature.
Example G
Cream
______________________________________Formula mg/g______________________________________Active Compound 1.0-20.0Stearic Acid, USP 60.0Glyceryl Monostearate 100.0Propylene Glycol, USP 50.0Polyethylene Sorbitan Monopalmitate 50.0Sorbitol Solution, USP 30.0Benzyl Alcohol, NF 10.0Purified Water, USP to make 1.0 g______________________________________
Method of Manufacture
Heat the stearic acid, glyceryl monostearate and polyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate to 70° C. In a separate vessel, dissolve sorbital solution, benzyl alcohol, water, and half quantity of propylene glycol and heat to 70° C. Add the aqueous phase to oil phase with high speed stirring Dissolve the active compound in remaining quantity of propylene glycol and add to the above emulsion when the temperature of emulsion is 37°-40° C. Mix uniformly with stirring and cool to room temperature.
While the present invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments set forth above, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such variations and alternatives fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and the scope of the claims is not to be limited thereby.
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Substituted 2,3-dihydro-6-substituted-pyrimido[2,1-f]purine-4,8(1H, 9H)-diones, their tautomers and salts, are disclosed for use as antihyperproliferative skin disease agents.
Methods for their preparation and use are described.
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[0001] This invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/655,846, filed Feb. 24, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The subject invention relates generally to an electrochemical machining system for shaping and forming metallic workpieces.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Methods and systems for electrochemical machining are well known in the prior art. One example of a multiple station electrochemical machining system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,501 (the '501 patent).
[0006] The system disclosed in the '501 patent machines a continuous strip of razor blade stock. The stock is conveyed through a machining chamber. The chamber includes a series of electrodes immersed in an electrolyte. The electrodes are separated from one another by insulating spacers. The stock passes close to each electrode as it is conveyed through the chamber. An electric current passes through the electrodes, the electrolyte, and the stock, thus eroding a portion of the stock away from one region of the stock.
[0007] Although the '501 patent may provide an effective system for machining the one region of the stock to manufacture razor blades, there remains an opportunity to provide an electrochemical machining method and system for machining workpieces with complex machining needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A method of machining a workpiece according to the invention includes providing an electrochemical machine tool having a plurality of discrete work stations that are each fitted with dedicated electrode tooling of a prescribed shape and size that differs from station to station for performing successive electrochemical machining operations on the workpiece. The workpiece is introduced to a first of the stations and is supported in a fixed relation relative to the electrode of the first station to define a starting gap between the workpiece and the electrode which is caused to widen during the electrochemical machining operation without physical movement of either the workpiece or electrode. The widening of the gap is monitored until the gap reaches a predetermined increased gap condition and thereafter the machining operation is discontinued at the first station. The workpiece is then advanced to at least a second successive ECM station where the process is repeated until such time as a final workpiece size and shape is achieved.
[0009] The invention further contemplates an ECM tool which includes a plurality of discrete ECM stations each having a dedicated electrode machine tool of predetermined configuration that differ among the stations and being supported in fixed position during a machining operation. A device is provided for supporting a workpiece to be machined in fixed position at each station relative to the fixed electrode to define a starting gap therebetween which widens during the course of machining at each station.
[0010] The invention has the advantage of enabling complex shapes to be electrochemically machined on a workpiece in a step-wise efficient manner.
[0011] The invention has the further advantage of carrying out the ECM process using stationary ECM tooling and multiple ECM stations such that a certain amount of machining of a workpiece takes place at one station having fixed ECM tooling, and is then advanced to a subsequent station ECM station or stations at which further machining takes place relative to fixed ECM tooling. In this way, the process avoids the need for movable tooling and reduces the time a workpiece spends at any one station, since only part of the machining is carried out at any one station and can be controlled to optimize efficiency such that the maximum number of workpieces can be cycled through the stations to maximize production rate. By controlling the amount of machining that occurs at any station relative to the fixed ECM tooling, it minimized the time that the fully machined surfaces of a workpiece spend at the first station while awaiting the machining of other regions of the workpiece. Instead, once the desired optimal amount of machining is completed at the first stations, the workpiece is advanced to at least a second station for further machining in the other areas, and then from there to subsequent station(s), if necessary, for additional machining in further regions of the workpiece.
[0012] The subject invention also provides an ECM system for machining the workpiece comprising the first ECM station including the first stationary electrode and the electrolyte to form the first gap of electrolyte between the workpiece and the first stationary electrode for eroding material from the first region of the workpiece by passing the electric current through the first stationary electrode, the first gap of electrolyte, and the workpiece. The ECM system also comprises the second ECM station including the second stationary electrode and the electrolyte for forming the second gap of electrolyte between the workpiece and the second stationary electrode for eroding material from a second region of the workpiece, by passing the electric current through the second stationary electrode, the second gap of electrolyte, and the workpiece. The subject invention further comprises a workpiece handling system for moving the workpiece from the first machining station to the second machining station.
[0013] The ECM system and method of the present invention allow for more complex electrochemical machining than is available in the prior art. Several portions of the workpiece can be machined to produce elaborate machined parts, such as, but not limited to, pistons, connecting rods, and camshafts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description and appended drawings, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrochemical machining (ECM) system.
[0016] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the first ECM station before a workpiece is machined.
[0017] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the first ECM station after the workpiece is machined.
[0018] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the second ECM station before the workpiece is machined.
[0019] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the second ECM station after the workpiece is machined.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring to the Figures, where like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, an electrochemical machining (ECM) system for machining a workpiece is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1 . A method of an associated ECM process is also described herein.
[0021] The ECM system 10 comprises a plurality of ECM stations numbering at least two, but including three or more stations contemplated by the invention. For purposes of illustration only, the process will be described with respect to two ECM stations, but it is to be understood that the description is applicable to and the invention contemplates having a third, a forth or more ECM stations as may be required by a particular application or workpiece. Referring to the drawings, the system 10 is shown to include a first ECM station 12 , a second ECM station 14 , and a workpiece handling system 16 . Preferably, the workplace handling system 16 is an automated device for moving and manipulating the workpiece into and out of the first and second ECM stations 12 , 14 and through other components of the system 10 . The workpiece handling system 16 may comprise a robot, a gantry, conveyors, grippers, or other apparatus well know to those skilled in the art. A controller 18 is operatively connected to the workpiece handling system 16 for controlling operation and movement of the workpiece handling system 16 .
[0022] The ECM stations 12 , 14 both function to erode material from the workpiece 20 . However, the first ECM station 12 erodes material from a first region of the workpiece 20 , while the second ECM station 14 (and any subsequent ECM stations) erodes material from another region of the workpiece 20 . The locations of the first and second regions on the workpiece 20 depend on a number of factors, including rough dimensions of the workpiece 20 , desired finished dimensions of the workpiece 20 , an amount of stock to be removed from the workpiece 20 , etc. The first and second regions may be at different positions on the workpiece 20 . Alternatively, the first and second regions may be at the same or overlapping positions on the workpiece 20 .
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2A , the first ECM station 12 comprises a first stationary electrode 22 immersed in an electrolyte 24 or flushed with a flow of electrode to be effectively immersed. The position of the first stationary electrode 22 is fixed, meaning the stationary electrode 22 does not move at any time during the ECM process. The first ECM station 12 further comprises a first part holder 26 . The first part holder 26 retains the workpiece 20 stationary during the ECM process.
[0024] The workpiece handling system 16 moves the workpiece 20 into the first ECM station 12 and places the workpiece 20 in the first part holder 26 . The first region of workpiece is immersed (or flushed) in the electrolyte 24 . This forms a first gap of electrolyte 28 between the first stationary electrode 22 and the workpiece 20 . The gap is maintained at about 50-400 microns.
[0025] A power supply 30 is operatively connected to the first stationary electrode 22 and the workpiece 20 . In the illustrated embodiment the power supply 30 is electrically connected to the first part holder 26 , which is in turn electrically connected to the workpiece 20 . The power supply 30 produces electric current that passes through the first stationary electrode 22 , the first gap of electrolyte 28 , and the workpiece 20 . This application of electric current causes material from the first region of the workpiece 20 to be eroded away from the workpiece 20 , as shown in FIG. 2B . The electrolyte 24 flows through the first gap of electrolyte 28 to flush the eroded material away.
[0026] The first ECM station 12 further includes a first ultrasonic sensor 32 operatively connected to a measurement apparatus 34 . The first ultrasonic sensor 32 and measurement apparatus 34 determine the width of the first gap of electrolyte 28 . It is preferred that the first ultrasonic sensor 32 is embedded within the first stationary electrode 22 . However, those skilled in the art realize that the first ultrasonic sensor 32 may be located in a variety of positions to adequately determine the width of the first gap of electrolyte 28 .
[0027] The measurement apparatus 34 generates an ultrasonic wave that is transmitted by the first ultrasonic sensor 32 . The ultrasonic wave propagates through the first stationary electrode 22 and the first gap of electrolyte 28 to the workpiece 20 . The wave reflects off the workpiece 20 and is received by the first ultrasonic sensor 32 and sent back to the measurement apparatus 34 . The measurement apparatus 34 then computes the width of the first gap of electrolyte 28 based on the time delay between the sending and receiving of the ultrasonic wave.
[0028] This measurement of the first gap of electrolyte 28 is performed continuously during the ECM process. As the electric current is applied and material is eroded from the workpiece, the width of the first gap 28 will increase. The measurement apparatus 34 is operatively connected to the controller 18 . The measurement of the first gap 28 is sent to the controller 18 in real-time.
[0029] In addition to the workpiece handling system 16 and measurement apparatus 34 , the controller 18 is also operatively connected to the power supply 30 . The controller 18 sends commands to the power supply 30 . These commands are used to turn the power supply 30 on an off and adjust the properties of the electrical current produced by the power supply 30 . These properties include voltage, amperage, pulse width, etc. Preferably, the power supply 30 returns feedback of its operation back to the controller 18 .
[0030] In a first embodiment, the controller 18 analyzes the current measurement of the first gap 28 provided by the measurement apparatus 34 . When the first gap 28 of electrolyte reaches a first predetermined width, the controller 18 stops the flow of electric current produced by the power supply 30 . Stopping the flow of electric current is accomplished using a switch, relay, or other appropriate device (not shown). The controller 18 than commands the workpiece handling system 16 to remove the workpiece 20 from the first ECM station 12 and transfer the workpiece 20 to the second ECM station 14 .
[0031] In a second embodiment, the controller also analyzes the current measurement of the first gap 28 provided by the measurement apparatus 34 . The workpiece handling system 16 is commanded to remove the workpiece 20 from the first ECM station 12 when the first gap 28 of electrolyte reaches the first predetermined width. The electric current is not stopped, but the electrical circuit is interrupted as the workpiece 20 is removed by the workpiece handling system 16 . No switch or relay is required to stop the flow of electric current. The controller 18 then commands the workpiece handling system 16 to transfer the workpiece 20 to the second ECM station 14 .
[0032] As stated above, the second ECM station 14 functions in a similar manner to the first ECM station 12 . Referring now to FIG. 3A , the second ECM station 14 comprises a second stationary electrode 36 and the electrolyte 24 . The second ECM station 14 may share the electrolyte 24 from the first ECM station 14 , or may have its own separate supply of electrolyte 24 . Preferably, the second ECM station 14 also comprises a second part holder 38 to secure the workpiece 20 during the ECM process. A second gap 40 of electrolyte is formed between the workpiece 20 and the second stationary electrode 36 after the workpiece handling system 16 has placed the workpiece 20 in the second part holder 38 . A second ultrasonic sensor 42 , preferably embedded within the second stationary electrode 36 , is operatively connected to the measurement apparatus 34 to determine the width of the second gap 40 of electrolyte. Electric current is applied and material is eroded from a second region of the workpiece 20 , as shown in FIG. 3B . An independent power supply or the power supply 30 used in the first ECM station 12 may supply the electric current.
[0033] Of course, as mentioned additional ECM stations could also be added to the ECM system 10 . Furthermore, additional stationary electrodes could be added to any of the ECM stations. The number of ECM stations and stationary electrodes per ECM station will vary depending on the type, size, and complexity of the machining requirements of the workpiece 20 .
[0034] The ECM system 10 also comprises at least one electrolyte delivery system 44 . The electrolyte delivery system 44 supplies the electrolyte 24 to the first and second ECM stations 12 , 14 . The electrolyte delivery system 44 includes pumps, hoses, and other related devices to maintain a certain pressure and flow of electrolyte 24 to the ECM stations 12 , 14 . The electrolyte delivery system 44 also includes at least one electrolyte filtering device 46 . The electrolyte filtering device 46 filters material eroded from the workpiece 20 and other debris from the electrolyte 24 while maintaining the temperature, salt concentration, cleanliness, and pH level of the electrolyte 24 .
[0035] Preferably, the controller 18 is operatively connected to the workpiece handling system 16 . This allows the controller to coordinate the machining and moving of the workpiece 20 to maximize throughput of a plurality of workpieces 20 through the ECM system. Accordingly, the ECM system 10 is designed to equalize a first time necessary to erode material from the first region of the workpiece 20 to a second time necessary to erode material from the second region of the workpiece 20 .
[0036] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention 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 practiced otherwise than as specifically described. The invention is defined by the claims.
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An electrochemical machining (ECM) system for machining a workpiece includes a plurality of ECM stations. A first ECM station machines a first region of the workpiece. A second ECM station machines a second region of the workpiece separate from the first region. Additional ECM stations may also be utilized. Each ECM station includes a stationary electrode for delivering electric current for eroding material from the workpiece. Each ECM station also includes an ultrasonic transducer for determining a width of electrolyte between the stationary electrode and the workpiece. Machining of the workpiece in each ECM station is completed when the width of electrolyte reaches a predetermined width.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a burner for a furnace, and more particularly, the invention relates to an oxygen-fuel fired burner with adjustable flame characteristics for a high temperature furnace, such as a float glass furnace.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Increasing demands for flat glass (produced in float glass furnaces) all over the world is expected to become the major driving force for improved burner technology for float glass furnaces. The float glass industry is expected to see pressure to reduce emissions levels particularly in some geographic areas where new emission standards are being set. One way to improve efficiency of furnaces is to switch from air-fuel fired burners to oxygen-fuel (oxy-fuel) fired burners. The reduced NOx and particulate emissions demonstrated in the container and fiber glass industries after incorporating oxy-fuel technology, along with the improved glass quality and fuel savings are attractive to the float glass industry. However, there are significant difficulties in incorporating oxy-fuel technology into float furnaces.
[0003] Typical float furnaces are side-fired, air-fuel fired regenerative types with five to eight ports per side. FIG. 1 shows a typical float glass furnace with six ports per side. Due to the large dimensions of the float glass tank, only cross firing is possible. FIG. 1 shows a float glass furnace 10 with six ports 12 having two burners each along one side of the furnace chamber 14 and one regenerator chamber 16 assigned for each port. The regenerator chambers 16 are used for preheating combustion air to 2200-2400° F. A 20 to 30 minute cyclic process for heat recovery is applied using exhaust gases. The air-fuel burners 20 are installed on each port 12 with 2 to 3 burners per port. The burners 20 are fired under port, through port, or using side of port firing configuration.
[0004] The flame length is probably the most important consideration in the operation of a side-fired regenerative furnace 10 . It is crucial that the flame be low momentum, luminous, and long with maximum coverage to produce uniform heating of the glass surface. A flame which is too long will destroy the basic checkers by exposing them to reducing conditions. Also excessive fire in the checkers can overheat the refractory causing excessive stagging and plugging within the checker passages. Alternatively, a flame which is excessively short will be very hot resulting in refractory overheating in the vicinity of the burner. Possible refractory slag and drip can contribute to defects in the glass. The short flame also leads to localize overheating of the furnace crown and overheating of the glass surface. The crown overheating reduces the furnace life or campaign due to premature refractory failure and the glass overheating can cause reboil or generate a foam layer that leads to a poor heat transfer to the glass later in the furnace and a generally poor quality glass.
[0005] Oxy-fuel burners have been used for many years in the glass industry in general especially in the fiberglass, TV glass, and container glass industry segments. Until recently, the float glass industry has avoided oxy-fuel fired burners due to cost reasons. However, oxygen firing in float glass furnaces is common for oxygen boosting. For example, small amounts of oxygen may be delivered from one or more oxygen boost burners 22 in a float glass furnace 10 , as shown in FIG. 1, for global enrichment. Oxygen boost is helpful when furnace regenerators are plugged (unable to supply sufficient combustion air) or limited to boost production.
[0006] There are few complete oxy-fuel fired float furnaces in the operation today and they have been using retrofit oxy-fuel burners designed specifically for smaller container or fiberglass furnaces. These conversions were most likely made to meet emissions standards.
[0007] Known oxy-fuel burners are predominately nozzle mix designs and avoid premixing for safety reasons due to the increased reactivity of using oxygen as the oxidant versus air. Some common designs of nozzle mix oxy-fuel burners are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,866; 5,490,775; and 5,449,286. The concept of nozzle mix oxy-fuel burners is to mix fuel and oxygen at the burner nozzle. These burners can include single or multiple nozzles for fuel and/or oxygen. The flame produced is a diffusion flame with the flame characteristics determined by mixing rates. Short intense flames are most common with these burners, however some delayed mixing geometry are considered to generate longer luminous flames.
[0008] Another more recent burner type used in the glass industry for melting applications is the “flat flame” burner. These are multi-orifice burners with various geometries that can produce a flame that is 2 to 3 times wider than a traditional (cylindrical) oxy-fuel flame. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,031; 5,360,171; 5,299,929; and 5,575,637 show examples of flat flame burners.
[0009] Most commercial oxy-fuel burners are unsuitable for use in float glass applications because of the shorter overall flame length and lack of air firing ability. It would be desirable to provide the emissions benefits of an oxy-fuel fired burner with a long, luminous, stable flame needed for float glass furnaces. It would also be desirable to provide an oxy-fuel fired burner for a float glass furnace with an adjustable flame temperature profile.
SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention relates to an oxy-fuel burner with a long, luminous, stable flame suitable for use in a float glass furnace.
[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an oxy-fuel burner for producing a long, luminous flame includes a fuel conduit having a nozzle end, a primary oxidant conduit having a nozzle end positioned below the fuel conduit, and a secondary oxidant conduit having a nozzle end positioned above the fuel conduit. A primary oxidant delivery system delivers the primary oxidant to the primary oxidant conduit at a pressure which causes the primary oxidant to exit the primary oxidant nozzle end at a supersonic velocity. A secondary oxidant delivery system delivers the secondary oxidant to the secondary oxidant conduit at a pressure which causes the secondary oxidant to exit the second oxidant nozzle end at less than a supersonic velocity.
[0012] In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, an oxy-fuel burner for producing a long, luminous flame includes a fuel conduit having a nozzle end, a primary oxidant conduit having a nozzle end positioned below the fuel conduit, and a secondary oxidant conduit having a nozzle end positioned above the fuel conduit. A fuel delivery system delivers the fuel to the fuel conduit at a pressure which causes the fuel to exit the fuel nozzle end at a first velocity. A primary oxidant delivery system delivers the primary oxidant to the primary oxidant conduit at a pressure which causes the primary oxidant to exit the primary oxidant nozzle end at a second velocity. A secondary oxidant delivery system delivers the secondary oxidant to the secondary oxidant conduit at a pressure which causes the secondary oxidant to exit the second oxidant nozzle end at a third velocity. The second velocity is greater than the first and third velocities.
[0013] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method of generating a flame suitable for float glass furnaces includes the steps of injecting a fuel through a centrally located nozzle in a refractory burner block, injecting a primary oxidant at supersonic velocity below the fuel, and injecting a secondary oxidant above the fuel nozzle at a lower velocity than the primary oxidant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0014] The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like elements bear like reference numerals, and wherein:
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an air-fuel fired float glass furnace according to the prior art;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the oxy-fuel burner according to the present invention;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the oxy-fuel burner block according to the present invention;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 4 is a side cross sectional view of the oxy-fuel burner block of the present invention;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of the oxy-fuel burner block of FIG. 4 positioned in a furnace;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 6 is an illustration of the flame characteristics of a turbulent free jet; and
[0021] [0021]FIG. 7 is a graph showing the normalized jet mass of a turbulent free jet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] An oxy-fuel burner 100 according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. The oxy-fuel burner 100 includes separate jets for injection of fuel, primary oxygen, and secondary oxidant (preferably air). As shown in FIG. 2, the oxy-fuel burner 100 includes a fuel nozzle 102 , a primary oxygen nozzle 104 positioned below the fuel nozzle, and one or more secondary oxidant nozzles 106 positioned above the fuel nozzle. Massive entrainment of furnace gas is performed using supersonic velocities for the primary oxygen jet as it exits the burner block from the nozzle 104 under the fuel nozzle 102 . Remaining combustion is completed using the secondary oxidant jet(s), preferably air or low-purity oxygen, above the primary flame. The burner 100 produces a stable and luminous flame having a variable temperature profile and length. Flame lengths of 20 to 30 feet can be obtained by the burner 100 .
[0023] The supersonic speed of the primary oxidant jet creates massive entrainment of furnace gas in the axial direction of the flame. This entrainment of furnace gases provides dilution of the flame gases reducing the flame temperature and increasing the flame length. The sub-stoichiometric combustion between the primary oxygen jet and fuel jet create a very low temperature flame diluted with furnace gases and containing soot particles resulting from thermal cracking of excess fuel.
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the oxy-fuel burner 100 includes a single horizontal fuel nozzle 102 located in substantially the center of a refractory burner block 110 with the horizontal primary oxygen nozzle 104 preferably supplying about 50% or less of the required oxidant for combustion located directly below the fuel nozzle. The balance of the oxidant (preferably air) required for combustion is supplied through one or more horizontal secondary oxidant nozzles 106 located above the fuel nozzle 102 . To be able to control the mixing rates of fuel and oxidants the velocities of the fuel and oxidants can be varied. By changing the fuel, primary oxygen, and secondary oxidant injection velocities, the relative proportion of primary and secondary oxidants, and the relative positions of injectors, a fully adjustable flame is developed.
[0025] The oxy-fuel burner configuration of FIGS. 2 - 4 , which will be described in greater detail below provides the advantages of an oxy-fuel burner for use in float glass furnaces where a long, luminous, and stable flame is needed. Conventional oxy-fuel burner technology either “pipe in pipe” or the new generation of flat flame burners can not satisfactorily replace the existing air-fuel burners for a float glass furnace. The pipe in pipe type burners at the typical 4 MW firing rates found in float glass furnace applications generally produce a short high temperature intense flame. This is due to the geometry of the nozzles (some having swirl, multiple holes, multiple slots, etc.) and intense mixing of fuel and oxygen streams in the axial direction. The nozzle mix geometry of these pipe-in-pipe oxy-burners can cause severe or localized overheating of the furnace refractory and the glass surface in a float glass furnace.
[0026] On the other hand, the flat flame oxy-fuel burners while generating a wider flame do not have sufficient flame length to deliver heat into the large width of a float glass furnace. In addition, the flat flame burners do not have adjustability features (flame length control) to allow the flame characteristics to be altered depending on the furnace size, changes in pull rate, reducing emissions, and providing the most important characteristics that is flame temperature control along the flame length. In addition, most flat flame oxy-fuel burners are designed for oxygen gas having a purity of 90% and greater. In contrast, the oxy-fuel burner of the present invention can use air as the secondary oxidant providing up to about 80 percent of the required oxygen, thus reducing the overall operating cost of melting without compromising performance.
[0027] The solution provided by the present invention is to delay the mixing of the fuel and oxidant, diluting the fuel and oxidant using massive flue gas entrainment, and using secondary oxidant (air or low purity oxygen) to complete combustion with extremely long and low NOx flame. The new oxy-fuel burner 100 also provides sufficient momentum to have the combustion reactants penetrate deep inside the furnace width. The delayed mixing and furnace gas entrainment is achieved with the oxy-fuel burner 100 which has a separate fuel nozzle 102 , a supersonic oxygen nozzle 104 for massive furnace gas entrainment and supplies a secondary oxidant nozzle 106 (preferably air or low purity oxygen) for the staged combustion process. By including high velocity and low velocity gas jets in the appropriate configurations to induce entrainment of furnace gases, an adjustable temperature profile flame can be generated.
[0028] [0028]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a burner block 110 containing the oxy-fuel burner according to the present invention. The entire burner block 110 preferably fits within an about 12-inch square frontal area.
[0029] The preferred dimensions for the burner 100 will be described with respect to FIG. 3 for a 4 MW oxy-fuel burner with a 15 MM Btu/hr nominal firing rate, however, these dimensions may be varied depending on the fuel and oxidants used, the fuel and oxidant velocities, and the flame characteristics desired. The overall dimensions including the weight of the burner block should be sufficiently small to allow easy installation. The fuel nozzle 102 has a diameter d 2 of about 0.50″ to about 2.00″, preferably about 1.25″. The primary oxidant nozzle 104 has a diameter d 1 of about 0.25″ to about 1.50″, preferably about 0.50″. The secondary oxidant nozzle(s) 106 has a diameter d 3 of about 1.00″ to about 3.00″, preferably about 1.50″. The nozzle diameters are merely examples and will vary depending on supply gas pressure and selected velocities. A distance 1 3 between the fuel nozzle 102 and the primary oxygen nozzle 104 is about 1″ to about 4″, preferably about 1.5″. A distance 1 2 between the fuel nozzle 102 and the secondary oxidant jet 106 is about 1″ to about 6″, preferably about 4″. A distance 1 1 between the secondary oxidant nozzles 106 is about 1″ to about 6″, preferably about 4″. The secondary oxidant may be distributed in any proportion between the available nozzles. For example, the secondary oxidant may be evenly distributed between the three nozzles, or 50% in the center nozzle and 25% in each of the side nozzles.
[0030] The burner block 110 is composed of refractory material which is known for use in float glass production, such as an alumina zirconia stabilized refractory material, or other high zirconia content material. The burner block 110 according to the present invention may have dimensions of about 9″ to about 24″ in length L, about 12″ to about 16″ in height H, and about 12″ to about 16″ in width W. Preferably, the burner block 110 has dimensions of about 12″×12″×12″.
[0031] The fuel for use in the present invention may be any of the normally gaseous fuels including, but not limited to, methane, natural gas, propane, hydrogen sulfide, and the like, as well as liquid fuels, such as fuel oils, heating oils, waste oils, slurries, and the like. The “primary oxidant” for use in the present invention is any gaseous oxidizer having at least 30% oxygen, and preferably 50%-99.99% oxygen. The “secondary oxidant” for use in the present invention is any gaseous oxidizer having at least 10% oxygen, and preferably less than about 50% oxygen, such as air or oxygen enriched air.
[0032] The primary oxidant is injected at supersonic velocity, preferably about 300 m/s or greater, and more preferably about 300 m/s to about 500 m/s. The secondary oxidant (preferably air) is injected at a subsonic velocity, preferably about 30 m/s to about 100 m/s, and more preferably about 20 m/s to about 50 m/s. The typical fuel velocity is in the subsonic range, preferably about 50 m/s to about 200 m/s.
[0033] The fuel and oxidant streams can be at ambient temperature or preheated using flue gas heat recovery. The preheat level for either oxidant stream (primary or secondary) can be from about 300° F. to about 3000° F. while the preheat temperature for natural gas is limited to about ambient to about 800° F. Preheat temperatures for other fuels are limited to known acceptable temperatures.
[0034] The oxy-fuel burner 100 of the present invention allows the replacement of existing air-fuel burners in float glass applications with oxy-fuel burners while still retaining the positive features of the air burner system. The principle feature of an air flame worth retaining is the large flame area with lengths between 20 to 40 feet. The second feature worth retaining is the uniform flame temperature profile (along the flame length) as compared to current oxy-fuel burner flames. The other attractive feature for regenerative furnaces includes efficient heat recovery of flue energy by preheating the combustion air. The disadvantages of the regenerative air-fuel flame are the high NOx emissions generated primarily due use of air (nitrogen content) and relatively higher temperature combustion due to the temperature of preheated air. In addition, high particulate carryover (due to large flue volume) resulting from high combustion gas velocities is also undesirable.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the oxy-fuel burner block 110 includes a fuel conduit 112 having a fuel input end 122 and a nozzle end 102 . A nozzle insert 134 at the nozzle end, such as a stabilized zirconia or silicon carbide insert, extends about 6 inches from the nozzle end. The nozzle insert 134 is replaceable and allows adjustment of the fuel stream velocity at the burner outlet. A primary oxygen conduit 114 has a oxygen input end 124 with a oxygen distribution manifold with high temperature flange connections including a calibrating orifice to distribute oxygen flow and a nozzle end 104 . The nozzle end is provided with a converging-diverging nozzle passage 130 of a standard configuration having a converging portion, a constant diameter throat portion, and a diverging portion. The secondary oxidant conduit(s) 116 has an oxidant input end 126 with an oxygen distribution manifold and calibrated orifice to distribute oxygen flow and a nozzle end 106 .
[0036] In the case of fuel oil firing, a single fuel oil atomizer (not shown) is inserted in the fuel conduit 112 inside the burner block. The primary oxygen and secondary oxidant injection scheme for fuel oil firing remain unchanged or similar to fuel gas firing as described in the above paragraphs. The atomization of fuel oil can be performed using mechanical atomization or fluid assist atomization. The atomizing media can be air, oxygen, steam, carbon dioxide, or fuel gas (such as natural gas, propane, etc.). The pressure required for atomizing media is in the range of about 1 bar to about 5 bars and their volume consumption is about 1 scfm/gph of fuel oil used.
[0037] In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention, the fundamental characteristics of a turbulent free jet exiting from a nozzle 200 are shown in FIG. 6. Immediately downstream from the nozzle 200 there is the potential core C, within which the mass, velocity, and concentration of nozzle fluid remain unchanged. The potential core C extends to about 4 times the exit diameter of the nozzle d o . Downstream of the potential core C in a transition core T, a free boundary layer develops in which mass, momentum, and concentration are transferred perpendicular to the direction of flow. The transition zone C extends to about 8 times the exit diameter of the nozzle d o . The last zone is described as the similarity zone S (or fully developed region). In the similarity zones, the velocity profiles in all cross sections perpendicular to the main flow direction can be described by the same function as can the distributions of concentration and temperature.
[0038] [0038]FIG. 7 shows that the normalized jet mass (M/Mo) increases as a function of a distance away from the nozzle 200 . The normalized jet mass increases by about 5 times at a distance 15 times the exit diameter of the nozzle d o . This increase in mass in the axial direction moving away from the nozzle is due to entrainment of surrounding gas. In the oxy-fuel burner of the present invention, it is furnace gases (CO 2 , H 2 O, N 2 , etc.) and some fuel which become entrained increasing the normalized jet mass.
[0039] This principle is applied in the burner 100 of the present invention primarily by the primary oxygen jet 144 as shown in FIG. 5. The primary oxygen jet 144 , operated at supersonic velocities, will have the ability to entrain both furnace gases and fuel. By properly adjusting the gap between the primary oxygen nozzle 104 and the fuel nozzle 102 , the intensity of the fuel entrainment can be controlled. If the gap between fuel and primary oxidant nozzle 104 is near zero the maximum fuel entrainment will be achieved. This will result in a stable well mixed hot luminous flame. However, by increasing the distance between the fuel nozzle 102 and the oxidant nozzle 104 , less fuel and more furnace gases will be entrained into the oxygen stream. The increased entrainment of furnaces gases rich in carbon dioxide, water, and some nitrogen will have the effect of diluting the oxygen stream 144 . The subsequent combustion of the fuel jet 142 with this oxygen stream 144 (diluted with furnace gas entrainment) will result in a soft luminous flame similar to an air combustion flame with the benefit of low NOX formation due the low nitrogen content (no direct air involvement).
[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the supersonic oxygen jet 144 issued from a converging-diverging nozzle 130 entrains a large portion of furnace gases in its core. The mixing of the fuel jet 142 with the primary oxygen jet 144 is achieved by entrainment in contrast to direct mixing as proposed by previous flat flame and pipe in pipe burners. As shown in FIG. 5, the fuel is slowly entrained in small eddies and vortices. These vortices mix with the boundary of the primary oxygen jet 144 in a gradual manner. The centerline distance 13 between the primary oxygen nozzle 104 and the fuel nozzle 102 is carefully selected to create interfacial mixing in contrast to bulk mixing. The interface of the primary oxygen jet is diluted with furnace gases and thus oxy-fuel combustion is taking place in a diluted oxygen stream and not a pure oxygen stream. The diluted combustion produces a much cooler flame and lower NOx emissions. In addition, the gradual mixing allows a much longer soot-rich flame due to thermal cracking of fuel into soot particles. The combustion of soot produces a very luminous flame suitable for radiative heat transfer in the visible wavelength (0.5 to 1.5 μm) range. The secondary oxidant (preferably air or low purity oxygen) is injected above the oxy-fuel flame using multiple horizontal jets. The separation distance 12 between the fuel nozzle 102 and the secondary oxidant nozzles 106 provides a delayed combustion flame. Due to the relatively higher mass of the secondary oxidant (particularly using air) the secondary oxidant provides a fluid dynamic shield over the oxy-fuel flame 150 that pushes the flame down over the glass surface 160 . Due to lower overall flame temperatures, the NOx formation is low. Thus, low purity oxygen or air can be selected as the secondary oxidant. The role of the secondary oxidant is to complete the combustion process downstream and provide sufficient oxidant for carbon monoxide burnout.
[0041] The amounts of furnace gas entrained by the primary oxygen jet 144 (at subsonic to supersonic velocity) have significance for NOx formation. Suppression of thermal NOx formation, according to the Zeldovich mechanism, depends primarily on achieving a higher overall dilution with cooled products of combustion before the reaction begins with the fuel jet 142 . The relative spacing between fuel jet 142 and primary oxygen jet 144 allow for an increased residence time before mixing to occur. In the present invention, the dilution of the primary oxygen jet 144 effectively lowers reaction temperatures and reaction concentrations in the main core of primary flame 150 . In addition, the primary flame 150 in the present invention is already at sub-stoichiometric condition (fuel-rich), which automatically operate under lower adiabatic flame temperature. This achieves an adequately high total entrainment of furnace gases by primary flame (due to vigorous high velocity combustion) and produces a relatively cool oxy-fuel flame along with a lower rate of NOx formation in the primary flame core.
[0042] In the oxy-fuel burner configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, a dilution of the primary oxygen jet 144 in the range of about 5 to about 10 times the primary oxygen flow rate is achieved before oxygen is reacted with the fuel stream 142 . The entrainment process is continued at much higher rate (entrainment up to about 100 times the primary oxygen volume) due to combustion of fuel and oxygen that accelerate flame gases. The accelerated flame gases sustain furnace gas entrainment for a much larger distance than a cold jet. The entrainment mechanism is a feeding mechanism that derives its energy from burning of fuel, increase in flame speed and temperature and propulsion of gases. The entrainment reaches a peak value when most of the fuel is combusted and the flame speeds begin to decline. At this point in time, the flame is already diluted with furnace gases and starts losing momentum due to its own weight.
[0043] In the proposed burner the use of oxy-fuel combustion for entrainment of furnace gases and the use of staged combustion with secondary oxidant (air or low purity oxygen) allow maximum entrainment efficiency. Due to higher flame speeds for the oxy-fuel flame of the present invention which is about 10 times higher than for air-gas combustion, the entrainment efficiency is much higher. The resulting oxy-fuel flame (at substoichiometric conditions) powered by a supersonic jet has a much lower flame temperature at a given cross section than an air-fuel flame. The flame diluted with furnace gases also delays fuel combustion and thus produces a much longer flame length.
[0044] In the present invention, with the separate injection design of fuel and oxidant, the fuels can be preheated using the waste heat discarded up the flue. By recovering the waste heat from the flue gases the oxidant and the fuel can be preheated.
[0045] One example of a nozzle arrangement for a total power of 4 MW has following dimensions:
[0046] Primary oxygen: 20 psig to 100 psig pressure drop and the nozzle diameter of 0.5 inches.
[0047] Secondary oxidant (low purity oxygen) delivered through 3 nozzles: 0.1 psig pressure drop and nozzle diameter of 1.25 inches diameter.
[0048] Natural gas: 1 psig pressure drop and nozzle diameter of 1.25 inches.
[0049] While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made and equivalents employed, without departing from the present invention.
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An oxy-fuel burner generates a long, luminous, stable and adjustable flame temperature profile flame by incorporating separate, fuel and oxygen jets oriented in a unique geometry. In one preferred embodiment, the fuel is injected horizontally at medium injection velocity (50-200 m/s) while primary oxygen is injected underneath the fuel jet at supersonic velocity (300-500 m/s). The supersonic velocity oxygen jet (20 to 50% required for stoichiometric combustion) entrains fuel and furnaces gases in it's core for the primary flame development over the furnace load. The subsequent mixing of the fuel, primary oxygen and entrained furnace gases establish a low NOx, stable, long and luminous primary flame. The secondary oxidant, preferably air or low purity oxygen (50 to 80% of stoichiometric needs), is injected above the flame using one or more oxygen jets to create an oxy-fuel flame with adjustable flame characteristics. The secondary oxidant completes unfinished combustion of flame gases containing CO, H 2 , CH 4 , soot and HC. The horizontal injection angle for all jets allow delayed mixing and a much longer flame. Due to the massive furnace gas entrainment process, the resulting flame provides adjustability in flame temperature profile as well as lower NOx formation. By changing the fuel, primary oxygen, and secondary oxidant injection velocities, the relative proportion of primary and secondary oxidants, and the relative positions of injectors, a fully adjustable flame is developed.
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PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The present application is a Divisional of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/340560, filed Dec. 29, 2011; which application claims the benefit of Italian Patent Application No. VA2010A000100, filed Dec. 29, 2010; all of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates in general to built-in self-test (BIST) and SCAN techniques of digital integrated circuits (digital ICs) and in particular to techniques adapted to test “at-speed” multi-clock-domain digital ICs.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It is generally recognized that conventional test techniques, such as stuck-at-fault testing supplemented with I DDQ (Direct Drain Quiescent Current) testing, are ineffective in screening out timing-related defects in modern small-feature-size (e.g., 90 nm) ICs, running at frequencies that may reach the GHz range [1].
[0004] On another account, in order to enhance flexibility, IC designs with multiple clocks have become more and more popular. Most system-on-chip (SoC) designs have multiple function components and various peripheral interfaces. Components and interfaces, following different standards, often operate at different frequencies. For example, the Intel® IXP425 network processor, which is widely used in communication systems, has a processor running at 533 MHz, three network processor engines running at 133 MHz, and a variety of interfaces running at various frequencies [4]. This multi-clock trend creates a difficult challenge for at-speed testing.
[0005] Nevertheless, at-speed testing of transition faults and path-delay faults is becoming essential in many applications for testing high performance digital circuits.
[0006] Theoretically, the required at-speed test clock signals could be provided either by an external ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) or generated on chip by internal PLLs, digital dividers, or equivalent integrated high frequency generators. However, the cost of a suitable ATE tool or the cost of the IC package may become prohibitive, especially for circuits running in the GHz range.
[0007] Therefore, there is a quest for a clock control in the test structure that would make it possible to carry out at-speed testing using a relatively low-speed ATE.
[0008] The concept of such a clock control is to use on-chip clock sources, such as, for example, PLLs or digital dividers, to provide at-speed test pulses, while the ATE tool provides shift pulses and test control signals of slower speed. On-chip-test-clock generation is economical and is utilized in many industry designs [2-3].
[0009] Many methods have been proposed to address the aggravation of the technical problems created by the presence of an increasing number of distinct clock domains. Publications [5] and [6] disclose an at-speed testing architecture for multi-clock-domain ICs, based on built-in self-test (BIST) logic; [7] discloses a control scheme for inter-clock at-speed testing. These control schemes may efficiently test the timing-related faults between clocks, but need additional logic to support intra-clock at-speed testing, thus increasing the area overhead. Moreover, these known schemes may generate only one type of test-clock pair, which means that they may not be flexible enough to support efficient ATPG (Automatic Test Pattern Generation) software techniques.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,537, which is incorporated by reference, describes a basic infrastructure for built-in self-test of digital ICs. A linear feedback shift register (LFSR) generates random patterns. A multi-input shift register (MISR) is used to collect and compact test responses. Multiple parallel scan chains are coupled between the LFSR and MISR for inserting test vectors into the circuit under test and for capturing the results. A BIST controller coordinates the loading of scan chains with pseudorandom patterns from the generator. After the loading of a pseudorandom pattern is completed, a single capture clock is applied to capture the responses into the scan chains. Subsequently, the responses are shifted out and compressed into a signature. The well-known scan technique wherein scan chains are implemented in a digital circuit design by dividing the design into combinational and sequential logic is used.
[0011] The sequential logic is used to form scan cells that can be configured into scan chains during testing of the circuit. Test stimulus in the form of a test vector of data is brought in from a source such as a PRPG and clocked into the scan chain. In capture mode, data is propagated from input scan cells through functional paths of the combinational logic and captured in output scan cells (which may be the same as or different from the input scan cells). Capture mode exercises the logic's functional paths and hence tests for faults in these structures. After capture, the scan enable changes the cell operation back to scan mode and the captured data is shifted out into a response compactor such as a multiple input signature register (MISR). While the response is shifted out for one scan vector, input data is shifted in for the next scan vector. Shift in and shift out become parallel operations. After the last scan vector is shifted into the MISR, a signature is obtained in the MISR. This signature is compared with a fault-free signature to determine if the digital circuit is fault-free.
[0012] Basically, two operations are performed in both BIST and SCAN architectures, namely: scan and capture. The scan operation shifts test data into a scan chain. Once there, the test data is available in the scan chain for propagation through the circuit. The capture operation then captures the test data response after the data has propagated through the circuit, normally within one clock cycle of the digital circuit's clock. The scan operation then shifts the response out of the scan chain. The quality of at-speed testing is determined by two or more edges of the functional clock. The clock edge at which the last shift occurs is the update edge. The update edge applies the test vector to the combinational logic. The capture edge is the clock edge at which the memory elements capture the test vector response. If one or more to-be-tested sequential elements within the logic core are not initialized during the scan operation, then more edges of the functional clock may be needed to initialize and test all circuit elements. Typically, this happens when the sequential elements are not included in any scan chain (e.g., flip-flop or latch), or are memory elements instantiated within the logic core (e.g., RAM modules).
[0013] An alternative scheme uses the capture clock to provide both update and capture edges. The minimum time between an update edge and a following capture edge is the time allowed for the data to propagate through the combinational logic. This time window is termed the “at-speed path”.
[0014] According to the method disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, all scan chains are assumed to operate at the same frequency. If the circuit has multiple frequencies, it has to operate at the slowest frequency to allow enough time for signals in those slow domains to propagate reliably to steady states before they are captured. The transitions are generated by the last shift in every loading sequence. All responses are captured simultaneously.
[0015] Reference [8] discloses a clock-chain-based clock-control scheme adapted to efficiently test delay faults in intra-clock domain in an industry design running at 1 GHz, and [9] discloses an improved clock-chain-based clock-control scheme for multi-clock at-speed testing adapted to generate various test clock sequences for both inter-clock domain and intra-clock domain at-speed testing having a reduced area requirement with an increasing number of clock domains.
[0016] Another viable SCAN technique and implementing architecture adapted to effectively cope with the technical problem of at-speed testing of multi-clock-domain ICs is disclosed in the paper “Automatic Insertion Flow of On Chip Controller for At-Speed Testing”, by Franco Cesari and Salvatore Talluto, presented at the SNUG Europe 2007 Conference, and in the successive paper “Full Hierarchical Flow for Custom On-Chip Controller and Scan Compression Insertion for At-Speed Testing”, by Franco Cesari, Salvatore Talluto, Alfredo Conte, and Paolo Giovacchini, presented at the SNUG Europe 2008 Conference, the whole contents of which are incorporated by reference.
[0017] The SCAN architecture described in these publications is based on the insertion of dedicated-clock sourcing circuits, named OCCs (acronym for on-chip clock), at least one, and more likely several, for each clock domain of the multi-clock-domain IC.
[0018] These OCCs are finite state machines, the function of which is that of sourcing the respective test clock signals to the digital circuits of the domain, both those generated by the external ATE being used for the test, typically when carrying out conventional stuck-at faults checks, that may be supplemented by I DDQ (direct drain quiescent current) tests, and those generated internally by suitable integrated clock generators, for example PLLs, digital dividers, and alike functional circuits for at-speed testing for time-related faults such as transition faults (TF) and path-delay faults.
[0019] Defectiveness of multi-clock-domain digital ICs is measured by a calculated DPPM value on the basis of process yield and test coverage of the integrated devices. The DPPM value reflects the number of failures activated by the test program, which corresponds to the sum of failures due to different overall defect types.
[0020] As already mentioned, a particularly elusive type of defect are the transition faults (TF), and according to present day “at-speed” multiple-clock-domains digital-IC-testing techniques, TFs are normally tested “intra-domain” using the IEEE 1450 Standard test language, whilst “inter-domain” at-speed testing of transition fails remains the responsibility of the designer of the ICs, who has to guarantee two main test conditions, namely;
a) internal at-speed clocks phase predictability and coherently with the external test signals (ATE clocks, scan enable, etc.); b) respect of the test cycle described in the Standard protocol.
SUMMARY
[0023] There is the well recognized need to improve the transition-fault coverage for
[0024] SCAN-test design schemes employing internal at-speed clock signals, derived by internal PLLs or digital-dividers-clock-signal generators, to be applied to the circuitries of the respective clock domain, in order to reduce the defectiveness value DPPM (according to the known Brown-Williams law).
[0025] An embodiment achieves extended test coverage of complex multi-clock-domain integrated circuits without forgoing a structured and repeatable standard approach. In an embodiment, custom solutions may be avoided, thus giving freedom to the digital designer to implement his RTL code, respecting the generally few mandatory rules identified and communicated by the DFT engineer. Therefore, scan structures like the OCCs, scan chain, etc., are instantiated at gate pre-scan level, with low impact on the functional RTL code written by the designer.
[0026] In an embodiment, it has now been found a viable manner of modifying the known on-chip clock sourcing circuits (OCCs) of the different clock domains described in the above-identified references, herein incorporated, for at-speed testing of multiple-clock-domain digital ICs, adapting them to the introduction in the test circuit of a new additional functional logic circuit block, named “inter-domain on-chip-clock controller” (icOCC), interfaced with every (so adapted) OCC, which actuates synchronization among the different OCCs that source the test clock signals coming from the external ATE and from internal at-speed test-clock generators to the respective circuitries of the distinct clock domains.
[0027] An embodiment of the icOCC circuit effectively resolves a persistent phase uncertainty between externally generated, ATE-controlled, test-clock signals (relatively slow) and the internally generated at-speed test-clock signals that manage each step of the scan test, namely: the scan shift and the scan capture steps.
[0028] Basically, the icOCC circuit of an embodiment recognizes the at-speed clock signal phases, after which it enables the OCCs to stimulate the logic circuitries across the different clock domains of the IC. In practice, the icOCC circuit permits control of the clock-signal pulses of “launch” and “capture”, of external and internal origin, in a deterministic manner. Moreover, the icOCC circuit initializes every OCC for executing the scan-shift step.
[0029] An embodiment of the icOCC circuit makes it possible to load and manage in the right way the test patterns generated by an ATPG tool and loaded by the external ATE to stimulate the IC, when the cross-domain pattern generation is activated. Practically, the new added logic does not require any modification of the test protocol file “spf” in order to generate the test patterns. For example, it may be possible to reuse the old “spf” file, and to add the relations between the internal clock signals and the different internal clock domains.
[0030] This means that an ATPG test flow continues to be managed automatically according to a full SCAN technique as that described in the above-cited references.
[0031] An embodiment of the test scheme is adaptable also for architectural choices other than full SCAN using an ATPB tool, namely for a BIST solution, based on internal LSFR and MISR structures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the basic scheme of interfacing between the icOCC circuit and the plurality of sourcing circuits OCCs for clock management in scan mode according to the cross-domain path.
[0033] FIG. 2 is an exemplary cross-domain path as extracted from a commercial ATPG tool.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows fundamental blocks of an icOCC circuit according to an embodiment.
[0035] FIG. 4 shows the behavior of an icOCC circuit in a scan shift step (i.e., scan enable at 1), where each OCC was being initialized and the Pattern was loaded using the relatively slow external ATE clock, according to an embodiment, where the internal fastest clock signals are propagated in a predictable pulse range to initialize the OCCs (for example, 3 OCC are shown in FIG. 4 as being controlled by the icOCC).
[0036] FIG. 5 shows the behavior of an icOCC circuit in a capture step (scan enable at 0), where the phase of the two at-speed clocks are recognized after the falling edge of the relatively slow external ATE clock, according to an embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a basic scheme of an alternative embodiment that is supported by the ATPG tool used for verifying the effectiveness of a test architecture according to an embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of ATPG flow for cross-domain test-pattern generation, according to an embodiment.
[0039] FIG. 8 includes timing diagrams showing simulation results of cross domain at-speed testing of a multi-clock domain digital IC according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a basic scheme of clock sourcing management in SCAN mode for at-speed testing of multi-clock-domain digital ICs through a test structure using an ATPG tool and the symbolic representation of a cross domain path between two different clock domains. The external ATPG tool is adapted to manage the test patterns generation for both transition fault (TF) and path-delay-fault models, allowing wrong logic values to be captured by the scan registers and allowing detection of faults.
[0041] According to the previously cited disclosure at the SNUG-Europe 2007 and 2008 Conferences, insertion of clock sourcing logic OCCs for each clock domain is done at the RTL level of definition of the clock-tree distribution to the circuits of the respective clock domain of the digital IC design.
[0042] General rules of preparation of an appropriate RTL instruction flow as those described in the previously incorporated disclosures are recalled herein below:
1) all free-running clocks (PLL outputs), are identified as an insertion point for an OCC, and, in an embodiment, it is forbidden to insert two OCCs in sequence; that is, in an embodiment an OCC clock output of one OCC is never coupled to an OCC clock input of another OCC. The arrowed signals (e.g. ->) in FIG. 1 are the clock signals, used to load the value (1 or 0) into the scan flip-flop elements depicted as square blocks at the bottom of FIG. 1 , launching and capturing the transition to stimulate the logic path within the “cloud”. All free-running clock signals are provided by the PLLs or digital dividers within the IC (see, e.g., the Clock Generators in FIG. 1 ). These signals are considered as insertion points and input signals for each OCC blocks (e.g., arrowed Input clock OCC signal 1 and Input Clock OCC signal 2 in FIG. 1 ). Each OCC will gate its own clock, providing it to the scan flip-flops (e.g., arrowed signals Output clock OCC signal 1 and Output clock OCC signal 2 in FIG. 1 ). In an embodiment, it is forbidden to provide this gated output clock to another OCC. The other signals with no arrow and propagating between the OCCs and the icOCC are control signals (e.g., clk_ctrl_data_ 0 , clk_ctrl_data_ 1 per the commented rtl code below). 2) any output signal of clock dividers propagates through multiplexing logic to the OCC input setting functional case analysis (all fastest frequency clocks are propagated). The OCCs are instantiated at the outputs of the multiplexing logic; 3) the DFT tool directly couples the ATE clock to the OCCs; therefore, there is no need to couple it at the RTL level; 4) an external ATE clock can pulse directly the scan flip-flop, but cannot do so for the OCCs; 5) the Test Mode (or Scan Mode) signal cannot be used to set the input multiplexing logic of OCCs; instead, the DFT tool adds and uses this signal as input for the OCCs. When the Test Mode (or Scan Mode) signal is asserted to “1”, the OCCs propagate the free running clock pulses in the capture procedure, and propagate the ATE clock in load or unload procedures; 6) should clock gating logic be used, the Test Enable pin cannot be coupled to the Scan Enable used by OCCs. A different Scan Enable signal at the top-level hierarchy is instead used. This allows the ATPG tool to independently manage clock propagation through the OCCs and the logic circuits of the different domains of the design. During OCCs insertion, clock gating logic is enabled; 7) the OCC could be inserted at the RTL level too per above, and at the same time as the icOCC insertion. This flow has been successfully tried and gives similar results as those described below.
[0050] FIG. 2 is an exemplary cross domain path as extracted from a commercial ATPG tool: Tetramax Synopsys™.
[0051] According to an embodiment, a new additional functional-logic circuit block, termed “inter-domain on-chip-clock controller”, briefly icOCC, interfaces with every suitably adapted OCC, for synchronizing the different OCCs that source the test clock signals coming from the external ATE according to the pattern generated by the ATPG tool and from internal at-speed test-clock generators to the respective scan chains of the different clock domains.
[0052] The fundamental blocks of an icOCC circuit according to an embodiment are depicted in FIG. 3 .
[0053] The icOCC circuit block contains different functional blocks, basically an array of counters, one for each clock domain, pulsed by the respective internally generated clock signal (by a PLL or digital-divider circuit), and sourced by a dedicated OCC to test, at speed, the domain circuitry; a finite state machine, FSM, adapted to manage event generation in the scan-shift and in the scan-capture modes; and an array of clock gating cells, one for each clock domain sourced by the OCC.
[0054] By way of exemplary illustration, a verilog behavioral code description of the principal blocks intended for a full SCAN test technique are provided below.
[0055] The icOCC circuitry is inserted into the circuit design at the RTL level, while the OCCs may be inserted automatically by a script at the pre-scan net-list gate level following the rules identified in “Automatic Insertion Flow of On Chip Controller for At-Speed Testing”, by Franco Cesari and Salvatore Talluto, presented at the SNUG Europe 2007 Conference and which is incorporated by reference; or they may be instantiated at RTL level and recognized by script, according to the technique disclosed in “Full Hierarchical Flow for Custom On-Chip Controller and Scan Compression Insertion for At-Speed Testing” by Franco Cesari, Paolo Giovacchini, Salvatore Talluto, and Alfredo Conte, presented at the SNUG Europe, 2008 Conference and which is incorporated by reference.
[0056] The icOCC needs to know each state of the controlled OCCs, and a script (for example in TCL language) may provide the required coupling of the signal state (clk_ctrl_data_#) of each OCC, in order to identify the pair of clock domains to be stimulated for launching and capturing the transition at-speed. The OCC Signal State is declared at RTL, for example as Verilog “wire”, and coupled to ground before the scan-chain/OCC insertion. Only after the Scan Insertion step can the TCL script be loaded. It will allow coupling the signal state to the icOCC circuitry, building the appropriate BUS interface to each OCC.
[0057] By way of exemplary illustration, a generic top-level digital design with the requested signals is reported below as an embodiment adapted to perform the insertion of the at-speed scan structure for an embodiment employing three OCCs for each clock domain (the number OCCs that may be employed for each clock domain may be different and is not limited).
[0000]
module TOP(
...,
reset_n, // reset scan signal active low
atg_scanenable, //ATPG Scan enable signal: 1,Scan Shift; 0 Scan
Capture
...,
...,
test_clk,// ATE external test clock
test_mode,// ATE Scan Mode active high
pll_bypass,// ATE at-speed scan test active low
...,
...,
CLOCK_1,// free running Xtal oscillator for
internal PLL
...,
...,
DFT_SHIFT_CLK // dedicated External Scan clock for clock chain
//to control the OCCs via ATE. It is possible to share it with the tst_clk
port //(for low pin application).
);
...
...
// these nets have to be declared and pre-coupled at RTL level
//because they are used by the Scripts for the icOCC-OCC interface.
wire [19:0]
clk_ctrl_data_0,clk_ctrl_data_1,clk_ctrl_data_2;
assign clk_ctrl_data_0 = 20′b00000000000000000001;
assign clk_ctrl_data_1 = 20′b00000000000000000001;
assign clk_ctrl_data_2 = 20′b00000000000000000001;
....
//PLL Clock Buffers according to the [SNUG paper]
tcell_clk_distr_bf_0 BUFF_OCC_0(.Z(CLK_PRE_0),
.A(CLK_PLL_0_int)); // fast clock
tcell_clk_distr_bf_1 BUFF_OCC_1(.Z(CLK_PRE_1),
.A(CLK_PLL_1_int)); // slow clock
tcell_clk_distr_bf_2 BUFF_OCC_2(.Z(CLK_PRE_2),
.A(CLK_PLL_2_int)); // slowest clock
...
//PLLs instantiation
clock_generator_CLK0 PLL0
(.ref(CLOCK_1),.clk(CLK_PLL_0));
clock_generator_CLK1 PLL1
(.ref(CLOCK_1),.clk(CLK_PLL_1));
clock_generator_CLK2 PLL2
(.ref(CLOCK_1),.clk(CLK_PLL_2));
Synthesis timing constraints for Design Compiler Synopsys ™
set_dont_touch [get_cells BUFF_OCC_0/BUF_LH]
set_dont_touch [get_cells BUFF_OCC_1/BUF_LH]
set_dont_touch [get_cells BUFF_OCC_2/BUF_LH]
create_clock -p 25 CLOCK_1
create_clock -p 1 [get_pins BUFF_OCC_0/A] -name
CLK_PLL_0
create_clock -p 2 [get_pins BUFF_OCC_1/A] -name
CLK_PLL_1
create_clock -p 4 [get_pins BUFF_OCC_2/A] -name
CLK_PLL_2
set_ideal_network [get_ports { RESET }] -
no_propagate
uniquify
compile -scan
[0058] Within the module TOP, the module icOCC, which contains the core of a novel architecture according to an embodiment, is instantiated.
[0000]
CONTROLL_SOCC_SNPS icOCC_snps(
.CLK_0(CLK_PLL_0),
.CLK_1(CLK_PLL_1),
.CLK_2(CLK_PLL_2),
.CLR (atg_scanenable), //
.ATPG_SE(atg_scanenable),
.TEST_MODE(test_mode),
.CLK_O0(CLK_PLL_0_int),//icOCC provides the internal clock 1 to
OCC1
.CLK_O1(CLK_PLL_1_int),// icOCC provides the internal clock 2 to
OCC1
.CLK_O2(CLK_PLL_2_int),// icOCC provides the internal clock 3 to
OCC1
.TSTCLK(test_clk),
.clk_ctrl_data_0(clk_ctrl_data_0),//State Signals for OCC1
.clk_ctrl_data_1(clk_ctrl_data_1),// State Signals for OCC2
.clk_ctrl_data_2(clk_ctrl_data_2)// State Signals for OCC3
[0059] The icOCC block manages both the Scan Shift and Scan Capture steps, in order to initialize each OCC in a known state during the scan shift pattern (ATPG_scan enable asserted at 1).
Scan Shift
[0060] With reference to FIG. 4 , in an embodiment, the icOCC propagates the internal clock in order to initialize the finite state machines inside each OCC after the first external ATE clock pulse (slow clock in the timing diagrams of FIG. 4 ) when the ATPG scan enable in asserted at 1 (Scan Shift pattern)
[0061] After a respective number of pulses that is selected according to the application to initialize the finite state machine of each OCC, each counter of the icOCC generates an event (REF_X), which causes the icOCC to stop propagating the at-speed clock signals generated by the internal generators and to maintain its state before the next capture step.
[0000]
counter COUNTER_C1 (
.C(CLK_0),
.CLR(ATPG_SE),
.Q(REF_1)
);
counter COUNTER_C2 (
.C(CLK_1),
.CLR(ATPG_SE),
.Q(REF_2)
);
counter COUNTER_C3 (
.C(CLK_2),
.CLR(ATPG_SE),
.Q(REF_3)
);
[0062] Each counter resets in capture step, ready for the next initialization for a successive shift step.
Scan Capture
[0063] A function of the icOCC according to an embodiment is to recognize the phase of clock signals of different frequencies that are instrumental to launch the at-speed transition in a cross-domain path and to capture the results.
[0064] With reference to FIG. 5 , the PLL_X_int clocks at different frequencies are propagated after the falling edge of the external ATE (slow_clk) clock, by recognizing the related phases.
[0065] By way of example, a finite state machine code as the one reported below allows generating different predictable events when the synchronous clocks CLK 1 and CLK 2 move the machine among the states. One of the transition states may be chosen for generating a “Lock Event” that is used to open a clock gating cell within the icOCC module.
[0000]
always @(posedge CLK_1 or posedge CLR)
begin
if (CLR)
begin
FF1_reg <= 1′d0;
end
else
begin
FF1_reg <= FF2_Nreg;
end
end
always @(posedge CLK_2 or posedge CLR)
begin
if (CLR)
begin
FF2_reg <= 1′b0;
FF2_Nreg <= 1′b1;
end
else
begin
FF2_reg <= FF1_reg;
FF2_Nreg <= ~(FF1_reg) ;
end
end
assign EVENT_OOint = FF1_reg & !FF2_reg;
Scan Capture—Alternative Possibility
[0066] The lock event of the previous synchronous finite state machine could be generated alternatively by the Asynchronous Phase Detector (APD), an embodiment of which is proposed down below for the icOCC-OCC interface.
[0000]
module phase_async (
CLK_1,
CLK_2,
CLR,
EVENT_O
);
input CLK_1,CLK_2,CLR;
output EVENT_O;
wire F1,F2;
reg F1_reg,F2_reg;
always @(posedge CLK_1 or negedge F2_reg)
begin
if (!F2_reg)
begin
F1_reg <= 1′b0;
end
else
begin
F1_reg <= 1′b1;
end
end
always @(posedge CLK_2 or posedge F1_reg )
begin
if (F1_reg)
begin
F2_reg <= 1′b0;
end
else
begin
F2_reg <= 1′b1;
end
end
assign EVENT_O= F2_reg & !CLR
endmodule
[0067] This circuit maintains the flexibility of the previous embodiment: one domain is covered by each OCC and the icOCC recognizes the phases of different clock domains; but the APD allows overtaking some implementation requirement or constraints of previous Synchronous FSM for lock event generation.
[0068] One could avoid aligning the clock tree with zero clocks skew between the CLK_ 1 and CLK_ 2 and avoid the extra effort work to respect the setup or hold constraint of the FF1 or FF2 flops of the Synchronous FSM. The APD uses the asynchronous flops reset (CLR), which has a very short recovery removal time constraint compared to the SETUP/Hold time. This may make the circuit with APD embedded more robust than previous circuits.
[0069] There may be other advantages as well.
[0070] One, in order to avoid over buffering in Clock tree aligning or to avoid losing clock latency in cross domain (e.g., Launched by CLK_ 1 and captured by CLK_ 2 ), may design a circuit with clock latency constraint tolerating a deterministic skew between the clock CLK 1 and CLK 2 . In this case one could identify the clock phase relation and modulate the logic transition between different clock domains using the clock chain within the OCC with a custom pattern.
[0071] The phase relation between different clocks may be recognized only after a determinate time after the initial of Capture Time (scan enable 0). The down below circuit is may guarantee the right time propagation of scan enable signal to all “Scan Flip Flops” within the circuit:
[0000]
always @ (negedge TSTCLK) begin
if (ATPG_SE) EEVENT = 1′b0; else EEVENT = 1′b1;
end
always @ (posedge EVENT_OOint) begin
if (EEVENT) EEVENT_2 = 1′b1; else EEVENT_2 = 1′b0;
end
assign EEVENT_3 = EEVENT & EEVENT_2 & (|clk_ctrl_data_1);
// when the clock phase is detected after the TSTCLK, the pulses could
be enabled in case the domain 1 (clk_ctrl_data_1) have to be stimulated.
[0072] EVENT — 3 is used by a combinatorial logic circuit that satisfies the following specification: “the clock-gating-cell (often named gator) enable signal must be activated when the Predictable Phase event has been detected after the falling edge of the external ATE clock (TSTCLK)”
[0073] The combinatorial circuit specified below manages the enabling of the clock gating cell in both steps, Scan Capture and Scan Shift. In Scan Shift, it allows propagating the fastest clock until OCC initialization, guaranteed by the events generated by each Counter (REF_X). In Scan Capture it allows propagating the fastest clock after the falling edge of the Scan enable ATPG_SE and after the first falling edge of the ATE clock.
[0000]
always @ (EEVENT_3 or TEST_MODE or REF_3 or REF_2 or
ATPG_SE)
begin
if (~TEST_MODE) begin // for functional mode
E_3_I <= 1′b1;
E_2_I <= 1′b1;
end
else // for Scan Mode
begin
if (ATPG_SE)
begin // shift scan
if (~REF_3 ) E_3_I <= 1′b1; else E_3_I <= 1′b0;
if (~REF_2 ) E_2_I <= 1′b1; else E_2_I <= 1′b0;
end
else //capture scan
begin
E_3_I <= EEVENT_3;
E_2_I <= EEVENT_3; // common launch from domain 2 to
domain 3
end
// endcase ;
end
end
always @ (EVENT_3 or TEST_MODE or REF_1 or REF_3 or
ATPG_SE)
begin
if (~TEST_MODE) begin // for functional mode
E_1_I <= 1′b1;
E_3_II <= 1′b1;
end
else // for Scan Mode
begin
if (ATPG_SE)
begin // shift scan
if (~REF_1 ) E_1_I <= 1′b1; else E_1_I <= 1′b0;
if (~REF_3 ) E_3_II <= 1′b1; else E_3_II <= 1′b0;
end
else //capture scan
begin
E_1_I <= EVENT_3;
E_3_II <= EVENT_3; // common launch from domain 1 to
domain 3
end
// endcase ;
end
end
[0074] State signals of the pertinent OCC are needed in order to control propagation of the at-speed clocks through the clock gating cell when the clk_ctrl_data_XX is loaded via the ATPG tool. This means that the XX domain will be stimulated following the rules coded below (three clock domains are contemplated in this example):
[0000]
// only for inter clock and intra clock domain testing of D1 and D2
assign E_1 = E_1_I & (|clk_ctrl_data_0 || ATPG_SE );
assign E_2 = E_2_I & (|clk_ctrl_data_1 || ATPG_SE );
// common launch from domain 1 and 2 to domain 3
assign E_3 = (E_3_I || E_3_II) & (|clk_ctrl_data_2 || ATPG_SE);
[0075] The Enable E_x signal allows clock propagation during a shift scan step, when ATPG_SE is asserted at 1 and E — 1I is at 1 for OCC initialization. In the capture scan step (ATPG_SE asserted at 0), the clock gating cell propagates the clock after detection of the EVENT — 3 only if the OCCx is loaded (clk_ctrl_data_X) in order to stimulate the domain. An Oaring circuit guarantees this behavior:
[0000]
|clk_ctrl_data_1
assign TE_3= !(|clk_ctrl_data_0) & !(|clk_ctrl_data_1) &
(|clk_ctrl_data_2) & !ATPG_SE;
[0076] In order to support particular cases, for example wherein a clock domain (for example D3) may capture transitions launched by other clock domains functioning at different frequencies (e.g. D1 and/or D2), a second pin of the clock gate cell (TE pin) may be used for enabling clock propagation. The TE and the E pins are generally ORed within the standard clock-gating cell.
[0077] The OCC signal state decoder has been used to enable clock propagation via the ATPG tool by the TE way: (!(|clk_ctrl_data_ 0 ) & !(|clk_ctrl_data_ 1 ) & (|clk_ctrl_data —2)).
[0000]
Clock gating Cell
tcell_clk_distr_cbuf4occ I1 (.CP(CLK_0), .E(E_1), .TE(1′b0),
.Q(CLK_O0));
tcell_clk_distr_cbuf4occ I2 (.CP(CLK_1), .E(E_2), .TE(1′b0),
.Q(CLK_O1));
tcell_clk_distr_cbuf4occ I3 (.CP(CLK_2), .E(E_3), .TE(TE_3),
.Q(CLK_O2));
[0078] FIG. 6 is the basic scheme of an alternative embodiment that is supported by the ATPG tool used for verifying the effectiveness of the novel architecture according to an embodiment.
[0079] The Tetramax Synopsys™ ATPG tool is capable of supporting the at-speed inter-clock pattern generation, to control the latency of the fastest clocks, generated by PLLs or Digital Dividers, but it may require the user to implement a circuit that synchronizes the clocks (both those generated by the internal PLL/digital dividers and the externally ATE generated clock) in a deterministic way, starting with a common event (e.g., the negative edge of the external ATE clock).
[0080] The designer's choice to use an embodiment of an icOCC synchronization circuit is manifested by the command of the ATPG SCRIPT and the SPF Instructions being: . . . ATPG script.
[0081] Command switches within the ATPG Tetramax Synopsys™ tool enable launching and capturing the clock pulses within the capture step window, between different clock domains. When the at-speed cross domain is activated, two domains per pattern are stimulated.
[0000]
SPF, STIL Protocol File for ATPG:
set_delay -launch_cycle system_clock
set_delay -nocommon_launch_capture_clock -
allow_multiple_common_clocks -nopi_changes
set_drc -internal_clock_timing CTiming_X
....
....
[0082] It may also be possible to control the clock phase by managing the SPF variables: Latency and CTiming field.
[0000]
PLLStructures “BUFF_OCC_2/pll_controller_CLK_2” {
PLLCycles 20;
Latency XX; // it is possible to add extra pulses XX latency to
// shift the launch & capture pulses
Clocks {
″test_clk″ Reference;
″BUFF_OCC_2/BUF_LH/Z″ PLL {
OffState 0;
}
″BUFF_OCC_2/pll_controller_CLK_2/U2/Z″ Internal {
OffState 0;
PLLSource “BUFF_OCC_2/BUF_LH/Z”;
Cycle 0
″BUFF_OCC_2/snps_clk_chain_2/U_shftreg_0/ff_19/q_reg/Q″
1;
...
...
ClockTiming CTiming_X {
SynchronizedClocks group0 {
Clock “BUFF_OCC_1/BUF_LH/Z” { Location
″BUFF_OCC_1/pll_controller_CLK_1/U2/Z″; Period ‘2ns’; }
Clock “BUFF_OCC_2/BUF_LH/Z” { Location
″BUFF_OCC_2/pll_controller_CLK_2/U2/Z″; Period ‘4ns’; }
}
}
[0083] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of ATPG flow for cross domain test pattern generation, according to an embodiment.
[0084] The cross-domain pattern stimulates the faults across the logic gates in FIG. 2 between two clock domains, pulsed by clock signal 1 and clock signal 2 .
[0085] The comparison between the fault dictionaries written for inter-clock testing versus intra-clock confirms that the fault, which impacts a specific gate “U4” (by way of example refer to the timing analysis and fault dictionary herein below), belongs to the logic propagation path across two clock domains and is detected (Signals Clock time period per Domain 1: CLK_PLL — 1 at 1 ns; Domain 2: CLK_PLL — 2 at 2 ns).
[0086] 1. Cross Domain Path (Timing analysis)
[0000]
Startpoint:
INST_1/REG_OUT_regx0x
(rising edge-triggered flip-flop
clocked by CLK_PLL_1)
Endpoint: INST_FSM/
stato_regx0x
(rising edge-triggered flip-flop
clocked by CLK_PLL_2)
Path Group: CLK_PLL_2
Path Type: max
Des/Clust/Port
PROVA Small
Library
Point
Wire Load Model
Incr
Path
clock CLK_PLL_1 (rise edge)
1.00
1.00
clock network delay (ideal)
0.00
1.00
INST_1/REG_OUT_regx0x/CK
0.00
1.00 r
INST_1/REG_OUT_regx0x/Q
0.16
1.16 r
INST_1/U44/Y
0.09
1.25 r
INST_1/OUT[0](flops_shift_2)
0.00
1.25 r
U4/A<-
0.00
1.25r
U4/Y
0.06
1.31 r
INST_FSM/ingressi[2](FSM)
0.00
1.31 r
INST_FSM/U6/Y
0.08
1.39 r
INST_FSM/U5/Y
0.04
1.43 f
INST_FSM/stato_regx0x/D
0.00
1.43 f
data arrival time
1.43
clock CLK_PLL_2 (rise edge)
2.00
2.00
clock network delay (ideal)
0.00
2.00
INST_FSM/stato_regx0x/CK
0.00
2.00 r
library setup time
−0.06
1.94
data required time
1.94
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
data required time
1.94
data arrival time
−1.43
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
slack (MET)
0.50
[0087] 2. Fault Dictionaries
[0000]
./provaTF.dict:str AN U4/A
./provaTFcross.dict:str DS U4/A
[0088] The fault dictionaries of the classic Pattern, generated for intra-clock domain testing, confirm that the fault is not testable (AN) by the ATPG tool, but is caught by the second Pattern generated for inter-clock domain testing. The second fault dictionary contains the information on the detected fault (DS—Detected).
[0089] In FIG. 8 is shown timing diagrams of simulation results of cross domain at-speed testing of a multi-clock-domain digital IC.
[0090] The final waveforms demonstrate how the icOCC works as expected showing how the FSM within the icOCC evolves through the state (F1_reg, F2_reg).
[0091] When the lock phase between the fastest and slowest internal PLL-generated clocks (CLK_ 1 and CLK_ 2 ) is detected after the falling edge of the external ATE clock (slow clock), the clock-gating cell can propagate the at-speed clock signals (CLK_ 01 and CLK_ 02 ) to the respective two pertinent OCCs.
[0092] The pulse time, which stimulates the gate logic, launching the transition “clk-launching” and result-capturing “clk-Capture”, depends on the user who may modify the clock latency by ATPG script and SPF instruction.
[0093] An embodiment adopts a deterministic synchronization mechanism between slow ATE clocks and fast internally generated test clock signals “at speed”, whilst the rest of the scan structure is inserted automatically. This makes for an outstanding flexibility of an embodiment of the at-speed test architecture.
[0094] It is so made possible to introduce general purpose circuitry adapted to change the at-speed test frequency so that the IC may eventually be requalified. By contrast, with the custom approach of conventional BIST architectures, wherein a certain clock ratio range between different clock domains at RTL level must be respected, the possibility of chip requalification may be very limited.
[0095] According to an embodiment, changing of the clock ratio has no impact on the RTL level. Therefore, it may be possible to set the OCC clock chain depth in order to calibrate pulse propagation by TCL script. By contrast, with a custom approach of conventional inter-domain at-speed testing, the clock chain depth is fixed at the RTL level.
[0096] The OCCs are normally nested in the design hierarchy, and can be reused for inter-clock domain at-speed testing if the icOCC is instantiated at the RTL level. Only the clock-domain-matrix information is needed (who-speaks-with-whom?) in order to adapt the icOCC circuitry.
[0097] Many custom solutions use the d_se (delayed scan enable) signal to lock the counter in respect to only the fastest PLL clock; by contrast, an embodiment overcomes the OCCs' metastability problem for every clock domain. Therefore, there is no need to implement metastability registers at the RTL level for re-sampling the scan enable.
[0098] Other recent industrial solutions propose to recognize the frequency relation between different clocks (0p5x, 1x, 2x, 4x . . . ), counting the edge transition of the fastest versus the slower clock signal frequencies, and sampling the common scan enable signal with the fastest clock before providing it to slower clock domain. This technique may impose more restrictive constraints about the phase relation between different clock signals that cannot be skewed.
[0099] Moreover, adopting the APD solution, it may be possible to test the transition fault which impacts in the logic path, with different clock phases.
[0100] Overall, the digital RTL designer doesn't need to know further test signal specifications to implement an embodiment of the icOCC circuits.
[0101] Furthermore, an integrated circuit on which one or more icOCCs may be included may be any type of integrated circuit, for example, a controller such as a processor.
[0102] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, where an alternative is disclosed for a particular embodiment, this alternative may also apply to other embodiments even if not specifically stated.
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An embodiment is directed to extended test coverage of complex multi-clock-domain integrated circuits without forgoing a structured and repeatable standard approach, thus avoiding custom solutions and freeing the designer to implement his RTL code, respecting only generally few mandatory rules identified by the DFT engineer. Such an embodiment is achieved by introducing in the test circuit an embodiment of an additional functional logic circuit block, named “inter-domain on chip clock controller” (icOCC), interfaced with every suitably adapted clock-gating circuit (OCC), of the different clock domains. The icOCC actuates synchronization among the different OCCs that source the test clock signals coming from an external ATE or ATPG tool and from internal at-speed test clock generators to the respective circuitries of the distinct clock domains. Scan structures like the OCCs, scan chain, etc., may be instantiated at gate pre-scan level, with low impact onto the functional RTL code written by the designer.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a surface pressure distribution sensor which is suitable for detecting microscopic asperity patterns such as fingerprint patterns by using a flexible conductive film, and also relates to a manufacturing method of such a sensor.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIGS. 14 A- 14 B show an example of an active matrix surface pressure distribution sensor for detecting fingerprint patterns. FIG. 14A is a plan view of the device, and FIG. 14B and FIG. 14C. are cross sectional views taken along line D-D shown in FIG. 14A.
[0005] A conventional sensor 200 for surface pressure distribution includes a substrate 201 which is made of a glass, a ceramic or the like, and a common electrode film 202 . The device also has a number of TFTs (thin film transistors) 204 a thereon as unit detection elements.
[0006] Each of the unit detection elements 204 includes TFT 204 a and contact electrode connected thereto. The unit detection elements 204 are arranged in the form of a matrix on the substrate 201 . The active layers of the TFTs of the unit detection elements 204 are made of an amorphous silicon film. The contact electrodes 204 b are made of ITO (indium tin oxide).
[0007] The common electrode film 202 is provided so as to face the substrate 201 , and includes a flexible insulator film 202 a and a conductive film 202 b deposited on the rear side of the film 202 a (TFT side). The common electrode film 202 is fixed on a sealing agent 203 applied around the substrate 201 so as not to be in contact with the substrate 201 .
[0008] An example of a manufacturing method of this surface pressure distribution sensor will be described. After the TFTs are formed on the substrate 201 , the sealing agent 203 made of a low temperature thermosetting resin is applied around the substrate 201 in order to affix the common electrode film 202 thereon. The common electrode film 202 is then affixed on the substrate 201 and subjected to a heat treatment. Consequently, the substrate 201 and the common electrode film 202 are fixed to each other.
[0009] [0009]FIG. 14C shows an example of detecting fingerprint patterns by using this surface pressure distribution sensor. By placing a finger F to press slightly the top of the sensor 200 , the common electrode film 202 as a whole is pressed down. However, the difference in pressure between the peaks and the valleys of the fingerprint pattern causes only the contact electrodes 204 b of the unit detection elements 204 directly below and in the vicinity of the peaks to come into electrical contact with the common electrode film 202 . On the other hand, the contact electrodes 204 b of the unit detection elements 204 directly below and in the vicinity of the valleys of the fingerprint pattern are not in electrical contact with the common electrode film 202 . Hence, the signals corresponding to the regions in which the common electrode film 202 and the unit detection elements 204 come into contact with each other are generated so as to detect fingerprint patterns.
[0010] It is known that a surface pressure distribution sensor with TFTs can be realized by the above-mentioned structure and manufacturing method. However, the reproducibility of such devices is poor when mass-produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The invention provides a surface pressure distribution sensor that includes a substrate unit detection elements disposed on the substrate, a flexible conductive film disposed over the substrate so that the distance between the flexible conductive film and the substrate is between 15 μm and 40 μm, and a sealing agent attaching the flexible conductive film to the substrate.
[0012] The invention also provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements on a substrate, forming a flow barrier at a peripheral portion of the substrate, applying a sealing agent containing resin fibers or spherical spacers having a diameter of 15 μm to 40 μm on the substrate at a portion outside the flow barrier, placing a flexible conductive film on the sealing agent to cover the substrate, and applying a pressure to the sealing agent so that the distance between the flexible conductive film and the substrate is determined by the diameter of the resin fibers or the spherical spacers.
[0013] The invention further provides a surface pressure distribution sensor that includes a substrate, unit detection elements disposed on the substrate, a sealing agent disposed on the substrate and surrounding the unit detection elements, a flexible conductive film attached to the sealing agent and covering the substrate, and a flow barrier disposed on the substrate on the inner side of the sealing agent.
[0014] The invention also provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements on a substrate, applying a thermosetting resin on the substrate so that the thermosetting resin surrounds the unit detection elements, performing a first heat treatment on the thermosetting resin so as to form a flow barrier, applying a sealing agent on the substrate at a portion outside the flow barrier, placing a flexible conductive film on the sealing agent to cover the substrate, and performing a second heat treatment so as to attach the flexible conductive film to the substrate.
[0015] The invention further provides a surface pressure distribution sensor that includes a substrate, unit detection elements disposed on the substrate, a sealing agent disposed on the substrate and surrounding the unit detection elements, a flexible conductive film attached to the sealing agent and covering the substrate, and a hermetically sealed structure defined by the substrate, the flexible conductive film and the sealing agent and containing a gas.
[0016] The invention also provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements on a substrate, applying a sealing agent on the substrate so as to surround the unit detection elements, and attaching in an atmosphere of an inert gas a flexible conductive film to the substrate using the sealing agent so as to seal the unit detection elements hermetically.
[0017] The invention further provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements on a substrate, applying a sealing agent on the substrate, placing a flexible conductive film on the sealing agent so as to cover the substrate, applying a pressure to the sealing agent by rolling a roller on the flexible conductive film, and performing a heat treatment to harden the sealing agent.
[0018] The invention also provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements on a substrate, applying a sealing agent on the substrate so as to surround the unit detection elements, placing a flexible conductive film on the sealing agent so as to cover the substrate, performing a first heat treatment so as to harden the sealing agent and attach the flexible conductive film to the substrate, and performing a second heat treatment to shrink the flexible conductive film attached to the substrate.
[0019] The invention further provides a surface pressure distribution sensor that includes a substrate, unit detection elements disposed on the substrate, a flexible conductive film disposed over the substrate, a sealing agent attaching the flexible conductive film to the substrate, and a contact for an electrical connection of the flexible conductive film. The contact includes a thermosetting resin and conductive particles mixed in the thermosetting resin.
[0020] The invention also provides a manufacturing method of a surface pressure distribution sensor. The method includes forming unit detection elements and a contact pad on a substrate, forming a flow barrier on the substrate so as to surround the unit detection elements, applying a sealing agent on the substrate at a portion outside the flow barrier, applying a contact resin containing conductive particles on the contact pad, placing a flexible conductive film on the sealing agent and the contact resin to cover the substrate, and performing a heat treatment so that the flexible conductive film is attached to the substrate with the sealing agent and is electrically in contact with the contact pad.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] [0021]FIG. 1 is a plan view a surface pressure distribution sensor of an embodiment of this invention.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 4A is a plan view of a unit detection element of the sensor of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is a cross sectional view of the unit detection element.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 5A is a cross sectional view of the sensor of FIG. 1 when a finger touches the sensor, and FIG. 5B is an operating circuit of the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0026] [0026]FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross sectional views to show the variation of the separation distance of the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 7A is a cross sectional view of the sensor of FIG. 1 formed on a mother glass, and FIG. 7B is a partially expanded view of FIG. 7A.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 8 is a plan view to show a process step of manufacturing the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 9 is a plan view to show a process step of manufacturing the sensor of FIG. 1 following the step of FIG. 8.
[0030] [0030]FIG. 10 is a plan view to show a process step of manufacturing the sensor of FIG. 1 following the step of FIG. 9.
[0031] [0031]FIGS. 11A and 11B are cross sectional views to show a defect formation without the use of a flow barrier.
[0032] [0032]FIGS. 12A and 12B are cross sectional views to show a contact pad and related structures of the sensor of FIG. 1.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view to show a defect formation without a proper tension applied to the flexible conductive film.
[0034] [0034]FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14 C are cross sectional views to show a conventional surface pressure distribution sensor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] An embodiment of this invention will be described in detail referring to FIGS. 1 - 13 . FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 show the structure of a surface pressure distribution sensor 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view of this device, FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view.
[0036] The surface pressure distribution sensor 100 has a structure in which a substrate 1 and a common electrode film 2 made of a flexible conductive film are fixed to each other by a sealing agent 3 . Inside the sealing agent 3 on the substrate 1 are arranged a number of unit detection elements 4 in the form of a matrix. A flow barrier 5 is disposed along the inner surface of the sealing agent 3 , and a contact 6 is disposed between the sealing agent 3 and the flow barrier 5 . An external contact terminal 7 is placed on one side of the substrate 1 .
[0037] The substrate 1 , which is made of a glass in this embodiment, may be another insulator substrate made of quartz, a ceramic, a plastic or the like, or may be a semiconductor substrate.
[0038] The common electrode film 2 has a structure in which a metallic conductive film 2 b made of a metal such as gold is deposited on the rear side (TFT side) of a flexible insulator film 2 a made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylenenaphthalate) or the like. The sealing agent 3 is thermosetting resin which is a fluid before being set and is hardened by a heat treatment.
[0039] Each of the unit detection elements 4 includes a TFT 4 a , which is a switching element, and a contact electrode 4 b connected thereto. The active layers of the TFTs 4 a are silicon film, and preferably are polysilicon film. In this embodiment, the switching elements are TFTs. However, other switching elements may be used. For example, when the substrate 1 is a semiconductor substrate, they may be transistors employing the semiconductor substrate 1 as an active layer. Furthermore, they may be thin film diodes. The contact electrodes 4 b are a conductive film that is formed on the insulator film covering the TFTs 4 a , and is made of, for example, ITO.
[0040] The flow barrier 5 is made of the same thermosetting resin as the sealing agent 3 . The contact 6 is provided to supply the common electrode film 2 with a GND (ground) potential, and is disposed between the sealing agent 3 and the flow barrier 5 . The contact 6 includes a contact pad 6 a made of Al and an overlying contact resin 6 b made of a thermosetting resin containing Au pearl, or fillers made of Au. The external terminal 7 is connected with an external circuit via a FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit), which is not shown in the figure.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, gate lines 8 and drain lines 9 are arranged in the form of a matrix on the substrate 1 . The gate lines 8 are provided with gate signals, and the drain lines 9 are provided with scanning signals. The TFTs 4 a are located at the intersections of the gate lines 8 and the drain lines 9 . Gate electrodes are connected with the gate lines 8 , drain terminals are connected with the drain lines 9 , and source terminals are connected with the contact electrodes 4 b . Interconnections (not shown), which transmit various kinds of signals to be inputted to the gate lines 8 and the drain lines 9 , are placed on one side edge of the substrate 1 and connected to the external connection terminal 7 .
[0042] The unit detection elements 4 will be described in detail as follows with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is a plan view of one of the unit detection elements 4 , and FIG. 4B is a cross sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 4A. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 indicate the same components.
[0043] The TFT 4 a of the unit detection element 4 includes an active layer 11 of polysilicon on the substrate 1 . The active layer 11 includes a source region S and a drain region D, which have impurities introduced by a well-known method. A gate insulator film 12 is formed on the entire surface of the active layer 11 , and a gate electrode 8 a is formed on the gate insulator film 12 . The gate electrode 8 a is formed integrally with the gate line 8 . An interlayer insulator film 13 is formed on the gate electrode 8 a . The drain terminal D and the source terminal S on the active layer 11 are connected with the drain line 9 and with an extension electrode 9 a , respectively, via respective contact holes. The extension electrode 9 a is part of the same wiring layer as the drain line 9 , and is made of Al. A planarization film 14 is further laminated thereon to planarize the underlying layer. On the planarization film 14 is provided the contact electrode 4 b made of ITO, which is in contact with the extension electrode 9 a via a contact hole.
[0044] The operation of the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5 A schematically shows finger F put on the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 , and FIG. 5B is a conceptual circuit diagram of the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 .
[0045] Finger F presses the top surface of the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 , the common electrode film 2 as a whole is pressed down, as exaggeratedly shown in FIG. 5A. As shown in the figure, the peaks of the fingerprint pattern of finger F push the common electrode film 2 down directly below and in the vicinity of the peaks. On the other hand, the valleys of the fingerprint pattern fail to push down the corresponding portion of the common electrode film 2 . Consequently, the contact electrodes 4 b of the unit detection elements 4 corresponding to the peaks come into contact with the conductive film 2 b of the common electrode film 2 , whereas the contact electrodes 4 b of the unit detection elements 4 corresponding to the valleys are remain apart from the conductive film 2 b.
[0046] The conductive film 2 b of the common electrode film 2 is grounded via a resistance 15 . The drain lines 9 of the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 are connected with an X-direction register 70 , and the gate lines 8 are connected with a Y-direction register 80 . The Y-direction register 80 outputs scanning signals sequentially to the gate lines 8 by switching the lines 8 at a predetermined timing. Assume that a certain gate line 8 is applied with a gate signal of a certain potential (“H” level). The TFTs 4 a connected to the gate line 8 applied with the gate signal are all turned on. Meanwhile, the X-direction register 70 applies scanning signals sequentially to the drain lines 9 by switching the lines 9 at a predetermined timing.
[0047] When the common electrode film 2 is pushed down by the peaks of the fingerprints of finger F and comes into contact with the contact electrodes 4 b , the voltages as scanning signals increase for a short time, but decrease again since a current goes out via the TFTs 4 a and the resistance 15 . When the common electrode film 2 is not in contact with the contact electrodes 4 b in the valleys of the fingerprints of the finger F, the voltages of the scanning signals are maintained without a decrease. By reading them as voltage signals by a detector 16 , a surface pressure distribution corresponding to one line can be measured. Then, the surface pressure distribution of the entire surface can be measured by sequentially switching the gate lines 8 to apply gate signals, and by reading the signals from all the unit detection elements 4 in the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 .
[0048] The detector 16 is a voltage measuring device branched from the drain lines 9 in this embodiment because it has a simple circuit configuration, or may be a current measuring device inserted in series to the drain lines 9 .
[0049] The design consideration on the gap G in FIG. 2 between the substrate 1 and the common electrode film 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. When the gap G is 10 μm or less, there may be problems because the gap may be too small. When the common electrode film 2 is affixed, it is highly likely that the film 2 contacts the substrate 1 in the center at this small gap, as shown in FIG. 6A. In addition the amount of air sealed in the device may vary significantly with this small gap, which results in variations in sensitivity. Dry air or an inert gas may also be sealed in this cavity. In contrast, when the gap G is 40 μm or larger, as shown in FIG. 6B, the amount of air sealed inside the device is so large that the common electrode film 2 may not be pressed down properly by a finger to contact the unit detection elements 4 , thereby adversely effecting the sensitivity. Consequently, the gap G of 10 μm to 40 μm is preferable. The sensitivity of the sensor is high when the gap G is small since fingerprints are detected with a minimal touch of a finger, and the variations in the sensitivity are small when the gap G is large. When the common electrode film 2 , which is made of a flexible film, is under a low tension, the film is in constant contact with the unit detection elements 4 even when it is not pressed down by the finger F, making the sensor defective. If the film 2 is in constant contact with the elements 4 within only a small area (which is referred to as slight contact), with the touch of the finger F the common electrode film 2 is bent along the curve of the touching finger F without causing any problem in sensing the fingerprints. However, the pressure is detected even after the finger F is removed, because a certain portions of the common electrode film 2 remains in contact with the unit detection elements, thereby causing a problem in the quality of the product. This slight contact occurs often when the gap G is around 10 μm. Hence, it is preferable to set the gap G at 15 μm or larger. In this embodiment, the optimal value is set at 25 μm.
[0050] Here, the distance 25 μm of the gap G is somewhat large as compared with, for example, the distance of 6 μm to 7 μm between the substrates in an LCD (liquid crystal display) device. In general, in the case of an LCD, a spherical spacer, called micro pearl, is sprayed on the entire surface between the substrates in order to make the spacing between the substrates uniform. However, in the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 of this embodiment, it is impossible to spray the spacer because the common electrode film 2 and the unit detection elements 4 must come to a mutual contact.
[0051] Because of this inability to use the spacer, the gap G must be secured by the sealing agent 3 . Thus, in this embodiment, pillar-like resin fibers with a diameter of 25 μm and a length of 45 μm to 50 μm are mixed into the sealing agent 3 so as to maintain the predetermined gap G. The resin fibers, which are manufactured by a different method from the spherical spacers, are suitable for this sensor because of its accurate control in the diameter, i.e., 25 μm±0.3 μm. Glass fibers may also be used. Furthermore, a spherical spacer having a diameter of about 25 μm may also be used, replacing the fibers. When the sensitivity is considered as priority over the adhesion or slight contact issues, the gap G may be between 10 μm and 15 μm. In this case, the diameter of the resin fiber, the glass fiber or the spherical spacer employed is between 10 μm and 15 μm.
[0052] A manufacturing method of the surface pressure distribution sensor 100 of this embodiment will be described, with reference to FIG. 7 through FIG. 10.
[0053] [0053]FIG. 7A shows a plurality of the surface pressure distribution sensors 100 formed on a mother glass 1 prior to the attachment of the common electrode film 2 , and FIG. 7B is a cross sectional view of one of the unit detection elements. Forming a plurality of surface pressure distribution sensors 100 on one sheet of the mother glass can reduce the manufacturing cost of the surface pressure distribution sensors. First, a buffer layer (not shown) having a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film is formed on the mother glass 1 . Then, an amorphous silicon film is deposited and crystallized by laser annealing so as to form a polysilicon film. Next, the gate insulator film 12 is formed and a metallic film made of chrome is formed and etched so as to form the gate line 8 . The gate electrode 8 a is connected to the line and the external connection terminal 7 (not shown). While utilizing the gate electrode 8 a as a mask, impurities are introduced by a well-known method to form the source region S and the drain region D, thereby forming the active layer 11 . Then, the interlayer insulator film 13 is formed, and contact holes are formed at predetermined positions, and the drain line 9 , extension electrode 9 a , and contact pad 6 a around the substrate (not shown in FIG. 7) are formed. The contact pad 6 a is provided by creating an opening in the interlayer insulator film 13 at the corners of the substrate 1 . The contact 6 includes the contact pad 6 a and the contact resin 6 b , and supplies the common electrode film 2 with a GND potential, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. Furthermore, the contact electrode 4 b is formed so as to form a number of unit detection elements 4 on the substrate 1 . Subsequently, the large substrate 1 is cut along scribe lines 50 so as to divide the mother substrate 1 into individual substrates 1 , which are used as individual surface pressure distribution sensors.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, a thermosetting resin is applied only on its peripheral portion to form a frame around the substrate 1 . Note that the resin frame leaves a predetermined distance from the edge of the substrate 1 . Then, a heat treatment is carried out at 70° C. for 20 minutes to form the flow barrier 5 , which is semi-hardened. Hereinafter, this heat treatment for the formation of the flow barrier 5 is referred to as pre-baking. The term “semi-hardening” indicates that the viscosity of the resin after the semi-hardening becomes at least twice as much as the initial viscosity of the resin, which is about 100 Pa·s. In the semi-hardened state, the resin does not flow driven by a capillary force.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 9, the sealing agent 3 containing resin fibers or the like with a diameter of 25 μm is applied on the substrate 1 outside the flow barrier 5 . Furthermore, in order to form the contact 6 , the thermosetting resin containing metallic balls is potted on the contact pad 6 a provided outside the flow barrier 5 . The metallic balls may be Au pearl with a uniform particle size (AU-230, with a diameter of 30 μm, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.). The Au pearl is a powder having uniform spherical resin particles coated with Au. If the contact 6 is made of a Ag paste, the ITO may deteriorate because Ag powders are sharp in shape and have variations in diameter. In contrast, Au pearl does not cause such deterioration. In addition, the use of Au pearl can decrease resistance, making it possible to reduce the resistance of the contact 6 even with a small area. As the resin for the base material of the contact 6 and the sealing agent 3 , a low temperature thermosetting resin is used.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 10, in an atmosphere of nitrogen without moisture, a plurality of substrates 1 are aligned in one direction, and the common electrode film 2 which is long in that direction is placed on the substrates 1 in such a manner that the external connection terminals 7 are excluded. In addition, the process steps of this embodiment may be performed in air or an atmosphere of a inert gas. A roller 51 is rolled on the common electrode film 2 so as to affix the film 2 onto the plurality of substrates 1 . The use of the common electrode film 2 which is long in one direction enables the long common electrode film 2 to be pressed while giving it an appropriate tension. The application of pressure by the roller 51 releases excess air from between the substrates 1 and the common electrode film 2 . Then, under a load, a heat treatment is carried out for 30 minutes at 90° C., at which the low temperature thermosetting resin of the sealing agent 3 is fully hardened so as to harden the contact resin 6 b and the resin of the sealing agent 3 . Thus, the common electrode film 2 is fixed on the substrates 1 , and at the same time, the contact 6 is formed to connect the contact pad 6 a and the common electrode film 2 . In addition, the flow barrier 5 is also fully hardened into a shrunk form with a reduced height. This heat treatment is referred to as main baking. In this case, the gap G between the substrates 1 and the common electrode film 2 is optimized in accordance with the diameter of the resin fiber or the like during the main baking under the load. In this embodiment the gap G is 25 μm. Finally, the common electrode film is divided into individual pieces corresponding to the substrates 1 , thereby completing the surface pressure distribution sensors 100 . The reason for employing the low temperature thermosetting resin as the sealing agent 3 and the contact 6 is that the heat-resistant temperature (softening temperature) of PET used as the flexible insulator film 2 a of the common electrode film 2 is approximately 120° C. and it is impossible to carry out a heat treatment above this temperature.
[0057] The following is a description of the flow barrier 5 . In general, the flow barrier 5 is not provided in an LCD, and both substrates are fixed with the sealing agent 3 only. However, since the surface pressure distribution sensor requires the flexible common electrode film 2 , the flow barrier needs to be placed. FIGS. 11A and 11B show cross sectional views of the sealing agent 3 formed without providing the flow barrier 5 . First, as shown in FIG. 11A, the sealing agent 3 is applied on the substrate 1 . Then, the common electrode film 2 is placed thereon. However, the thermosetting resin, which has a low viscosity before hardening, is pulled by the capillary force between the substrate 1 and the common electrode film 2 as shown in FIG. 11B. Thus, the sealing agent 3 itself flows into the center of the sensor, and the device becomes defective. To solve this problem, the flow barrier 5 is provided inside the sealing agent 3 to prevent the occurrence of a capillary phenomenon so as to prevent the sealing agent 3 from entering inside.
[0058] Even if no capillary phenomenon occurs while the common electrode film 2 is fixed to the substrate, there is another problem. That is, while thermosetting resin is heated to be hardened, the solvent evaporates and generates gas. Some of the gas is sealed inside the surface pressure distribution sensor, and makes it difficult to control the air to be sealed, thereby causing variations in sensitivity, and at the worst, expanding the adhered region until the sensing becomes impossible. That is why the flow barrier 5 is applied and semi-hardened by pre-baking in the above process. The pre-baking before the lamination of the common electrode film 2 releases gas from the flow barrier 5 and prevents the gas released from the sealing agent 3 and the contact resin 6 b from being sealed inside the sensor during the main baking conducted after the lamination of the common electrode film 2 .
[0059] It is possible to reduce the generation of gas without providing the flow barrier 5 . For example, a preliminary heat treatment on the sealing resin 3 may be performed, and then another heat treatment for full-hardening may be performed at the attaching of the common electrode film 2 . However, the sealing agent must be low temperature thermosetting resin because the flexible insulator film of the common electrode film has a low heat resistance temperature. This causes the resin to be hardened too much in the first heat treatment, and to lose its affixing ability significantly during the heat treatment for full-hardening. This leads to a low yield or shortening of the life of the sensor. In this embodiment, on the other hand, there is no decrease in the affixing ability since the flow barrier 5 is pre-baked and a fresh sealing agent 3 is provided separately at the time of attaching the common electrode film 2 . Furthermore, the sealing agent 3 can be applied up to the edges of the substrate 1 to secure a higher affixing strength.
[0060] The pre-baking for semi-harden the flow barrier 5 must be controlled so that the resin does not reach the full-hardening level. The reason for this is as follows. Full-hardening of the flow barrier 5 by pre-baking makes the flow barrier 5 inflexible when the common electrode film 2 is affixed. In this case, the gap G is determined by the height of the hardened resin of the flow barrier 5 . During the fixing of the common electrode film 2 , the height of the flow barrier 5 can be controlled only by the amount of resin to be applied thereto. Therefore, the flow barrier 5 must have a height in the semi-hardened stage of about the same as or lower than the finally predetermined gap G, which is 25 μm in this embodiment. However, when the flow barrier 5 is very low in height, it becomes impossible to suppress the occurrence of the capillary phenomenon. In this embodiment, however, since the flow barrier 5 is flexible, it may be formed higher than the gap G and then be pushed down at the time of attaching the common electrode film 2 . Hence, by making the flow barrier 5 loose the fluidity but still maintain flexibility enough to be deformed by the application of pressure during the main baking, the gap G is determined by the diameter of the resin fibers, which fill the space between the substrate 1 and the common electrode film 2 .
[0061] The material of the flow barrier 5 may be photosetting resin, resist, or any other material as long as it is not fluid and has some flexibility. However, it is preferable that the sealing agent 3 and the flow barrier 5 are both made of low temperature thermosetting resin. Using the same low temperature thermosetting resin makes the flow barrier 5 and the sealing agent 3 have an affinity for each other, and the same setting requirements enable the contact 6 and the sealing agent 3 to be hardened by one heating operation. In addition, the sealing agent 3 and the flow barrier 5 can be integrated. This enables the flow barrier 5 to function as part of the sealing agent 3 after the main baking, and the width for sealing to increase by 1.5 to 2 times, thereby improving the moisture resistance of the elements such as TFTs 4 a formed on the substrate 1 . Furthermore, if the flow barrier 5 deformed by the roller remained flexible after the main baking, the elasticity of the flow barrier 5 would function to peel off the common electrode film 2 . However, full-hardening the flow barrier 5 by the main baking eliminates this problem, thereby improving the yield. In addition, the flow barrier 5 is full-hardened at the same time as the sealing agent 3 , thereby eliminating the need for the process of hardening the flow barrier 5 .
[0062] In addition, in the case of an LCD, the contact 6 is generally formed by using Ag paste. In this embodiment, the contact resin 6 b was made by using Ag paste as an experiment only to find that the common electrode film 2 had conduction failures frequently. The reason for this is believed to be as follows. When the main baking is carried out for 30 minutes at 90° C. because PET and PEN of the base material of the common electrode film have glass transition temperatures of 67° C. and 113° C., respectively, the base material of the Ag paste is not full-hardened because its hardening temperature is 120° C., thereby causing the surface strength to be deteriorated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the contact resin 6 b is made by mixing Au pearl into the same low temperature thermosetting resin as the one used for the sealing agent 3 and the flow barrier 5 . Making the contact resin 6 b also from the low temperature thermosetting resin can secure the hardening of the contact resin 6 b , thereby offering a sufficient surface strength.
[0063] [0063]FIGS. 12A and 12B show a cross sectional views of the contact 6 . These are cross sectional views taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 12A, the contact 6 is placed inside the sealing agent 3 to prevent the contact 6 from contacting outside air, thereby preventing deterioration of the contact 6 . Furthermore, the contact 6 is placed outside the flow barrier 5 to prevent the contact resin 6 b from flowing into the sensor. Thus, the contact 6 is provided between the flow barrier 5 and the sealing agent 3 .
[0064] Furthermore, placing the contact 6 inside the sealing agent 3 allows the conductive film 2 b of the common electrode film 2 not to extend beyond the sealing agent 3 as shown in FIG. 12B. By eliminating the conductive film 2 b in the position corresponding to the sealing agent 3 and fixing the exposed flexible insulator film 2 a made of PET or PEN directly on the sealing agent 3 , the common electrode film 2 is prevented from being removed from the substrate 1 due to the peeling off between the flexible insulator film 2 a and the conductive film 2 b , thereby further improving the reliability. Since the resin covers the contact pad 6 a formed on the substrate 1 , the contact pad 6 a is not exposed and is protected against deterioration due to oxidation.
[0065] The following is a description of the use of the roller 51 for fixing the common electrode film 2 , which is described with reference to FIG. 10. The roller 51 is preferably made of silicon resin, silicon, polycarbonate, ABS resin or the like, having a hardness (Hs; hardness spring) of 50 or higher, and most preferably 50 to 150. The roller 51 may also be made of a ceramic, a metal, a glass or the like having some hardness sufficient to perform accurate air control. A soft material having a hardness of less than 50 causes the roller 51 itself to be bent, making the air amount control inaccurate.
[0066] The pressure of the roller 51 is set at 100 g/cm 2 to 1000 g/cm 2 , and the preferable speed of the roller 51 is 5 mm/s to 50 mm/s. In addition, the optimum tension of the common electrode film 2 , when it is applied, is 100 g to 3000 g.
[0067] The common electrode film 2 requires the optimum tension in sensing. The common electrode film 2 has a flexibility and air is sealed in the device. As shown in FIG. 13, since the finger slides during the sensing, insufficient tension may cause unnecessary folding 150 on the common electrode film 2 , making optimum sensing impossible. In this embodiment, the flexible conductive film (PEN or PET) fixed on the substrate undergoes heat treatment so as to be shrunk to obtain an optimum tension (hereinafter, this heat treatment is referred to as shrink-baking). The shrink-baking for shrinking the base material is carried out within a short time at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature and lower than the softening point of the flexible insulator film 2 a . The preferable temperatures is higher than the glass transition temperature by 10° C. to 20° C. For example, in the case of PEN and PET having glass transition temperatures of 113° C. and 80° C., respectively, the heat treatment is carried out for 3 minutes at temperatures 10° C. to 20° C. higher than these temperatures. The base material of the flexible insulator film 2 a is shrunk by 1% to 3% after the shrink-baking so as to obtain an optimum tension, which does not cause unnecessary folding. The shrinking is best restricted to 2% or so because too much shrinking hardens the flexible conductive film 2 .
[0068] Dry air without moisture or nitrogen gas may be filled between the common electrode film 2 and the substrate 1 . If the air inside the sensor contains moisture, the TFTs 4 a would be constantly exposed to this air. Accordingly, in this embodiment, nitrogen gas containing no moisture is sealed into the space created by the common electrode film 2 , the substrate 1 and the sealing agent 3 . This can prevent the TFTs 4 a from deteriorating or having property shift due to moisture intake. The gas to be sealed into the space is not limited to nitrogen, and may be an inert gas that does not react with the components formed on the substrate 1 or the surface of the common electrode film 2 . Dry air may be used because it can avoid entry of moisture into the TFTs 4 a and does not accelerate relevant chemical reactions. In addition, ambient air may be sealed in the device without drying treatment of the air. Although it is also possible to use a gas containing so-called inert elements such as Ar, Ne and Kr, nitrogen is used in this embodiment to reduce cost.
[0069] As described above, the distance between the substrate and the flexible conductive film is 15 μm or larger, which reduces the variations in the amount of air sealed in the device and, thus, in sensing sensibility. This also prevents insufficient hardening of the sealing agent due to an excessively narrow gap. Accordingly, the production reliability is improved since the peeling off of the common electrode film and the entry of outside air into the sensor are prevented. Furthermore, in this configuration, the common electrode film does not adhere to the substrate during the attachment of the film to the substrate. Setting the distance between the substrate and the flexible conductive film at 40 μm or smaller prevents the sensor from containing too much air inside, which results in a decrease in the sensitivity.
[0070] Since the distance between the substrate and the flexible conductive film is determined by the diameter of the resin fibers, the glass fibers or the spherical spacers mixed into the sealing agent, the device can be manufactured with a precise separation distance control. A reduction in the error of the distance control results in a reduction of the amount of the defective devices produced.
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In view of conventional circumstances where a surface pressure distribution sensor has poor reproducibility when mass-produced, so it has been desired to stabilize sensing properties, to secure reliability, and to improve productivity and yield, the invention achieves stabilizing sensing properties, securing reliability, and improving productivity and yield by optimizing the size of the flow barrier provided inside the sealing agent and the gap, the material and location of the contact, and the tension of the common electrode film.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/109,139, filed Oct. 28, 2008, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
This application is also related to U.S. Design application No. 29/346,215, filed Oct. 28, 2009, U.S. Design application No. 29/346,216, filed Oct. 28, 2009, U.S. Design application No. 29/346,217, filed Oct. 28, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/205,660, filed Jan. 21, 2009, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to free standing and readily erectable graphic displays such as those used for trade shows. More particularly, this invention relates to retractable banner stands with accessories.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Displays for trade shows are generally structures that can transported, erected on a convention or show floor for a brief period of show time, then disassembled, transported and stored until the next usage. Such displays can be massive complex multi-story structures or simple single banner displays. The massive displays are typically constructed of metal trusses, metal box frames, and large diameter (greater than two ½ inches) metal tubing providing great flexibility in varying designs and offering many accessories such as shelving, lighting, literature racks, and flat panel electronic displays. Such large displays often require crates to store and transport and require trained crews several hours or more to erect. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,834 assigned to Skyline Displays, Inc., the owner of this invention, illustrating such displays and U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,283 illustrating a crate and such displays.
A common simpler tradeshow display comprises a bundled network of interconnected support rods that expands into a volumetrically substantial three-dimensional space. Such expanded structures are then covered with sheet material capable of supporting graphics on the material. Such structures typically have a curved foot print providing an attractive smooth curved surface for the graphics. Such displays may also have vertical supports that may be utilized for supporting shelving and other accessories. The curved footprint effectively provides stability and allows shelves and other appurtenances such as lighting. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,829,869 and 4,658,560 assigned to Skyline Displays, Inc., the owner of the instant application. These displays are simple enough that they may be erected by users of the display but often, especially with accessories, such erection and take down is commonly done by hired contractors.
Perhaps the simplest displays usable in trade shows and other settings where simple graphic banners or signs or any visual information is to be temporarily displayed, are retractable banner stands. Such stands offer the distinct advantage that such displays can be easily transported by, quickly and easily erected by and taken down by the show attendants that will be using the display. Such displays can also divide space and support visual graphical displays for viewing by attendees. These displays are quite simple, comprising a housing with a retractable banner therein, a pole that plugs into the housing for supporting the screen in an extended position, and one or two stabilizing feet that rotate outwardly.
Such banner stands can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,571,496, D468,362, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0050083, and PCT Application Nos. WO 01/91092, WO 01/35381, and WO 00/47508, which are all directed to various aspects of retractable banner stands. These applications and publications are incorporated by reference herein in illustrating conventional retractable banner stand mechanisms and components. Retractable banner stands also provide the advantages protection and storage of the graphic display banner in the housing when the display is not in use. A disadvantage of such displays is that they are not typically as stable as the displays comprising the network of support rods described above and certainly not as stable as the larger displays constructed of trusses, metal box frames, and large diameter tubing. Nor do retractable banner stands have the three dimensional depth associated with the displays comprising the network of support rods, nor do such displays typically have shelves or capabilities of supporting appurtenances such as lighting, brochure racks or bins, display screens, and other electronics due to the lack of structure for attachment of same.
The core in such retractable banner stands comprises a cylindrical tubular base with an attachment point for the end of a banner and the banner windable on the exterior of the tubular base. A first end with an axially extending tab centrally positioned and attached to an inner hub and affixed to one end of a torsion spring, an outer hub rotatable and radially positioned with respect to the inner hub and tab and affixed to the other end of the torsion spring. The outer hub affixed to the cylindrical outer tubular housing. Conventionally, the tab is secured from rotation by insertion through a slot in the housing such that the tab is exteriorly exposed. An axle configured as a round pin extends from the second end of the core and typically extends out of the housing from the end opposite the tab allowing the core to rotate thereabout. Conventionally, the banner width will extend approximately 90 to 95% of the length of the housing.
Such retractable banner stands may be positioned end-to-end, often in a group of three to provide a backwall to an exhibit space. Such exhibit spaces are often sold with typical widths of 10 feet or 3 meters and three banner stands positioned end-to-end with typical banner widths of 32 to 38 inches conveniently provide a relatively inexpensive and easily erectable back wall for such exhibit spaces. Although three identically sized banner stands and banners, with the banners in alignment are suitable for such backwalls, such an arrangement can be visually improved or made more interesting by varying the depths and shapes of the banners. It is always advantageous to provide such variation and shape differentials with minimal expense and ease of erection of such back walls. The improvements and inventions herein provide such advantages to back walls formed of retractable banner stands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A retractable banner stand, in one embodiment, has a base with a housing containing an extendable and retractable banner, the housing having a slot through which the banner is extended and retracted, a floor engagement portion of the base, such as a pair of feet extending forwardly and rearwardly, on two ends of the housing having sockets for receiving vertical poles, the vertical poles insertable into said sockets and extending upwardly along the banner when the banner is extended. The vertical poles may be utilized to support accessories. A vertical post for supporting the extended banner is secured to the housing and extends upwardly behind the banner.
The feet may be permanently attached and/or fixed to the housing, or they may in certain embodiments be removable or pivotal.
In a preferred embodiment a backwall for a display area, such as at a tradeshow, may be created with two such banner stands in end-to-end alignment and spaced from each other. The vertical poles may be inserted at the inside ends of the housings of the two space apart banner stands and a horizontal cross member may be utilized to suspend a third banner in-between the banners of the two spaced apart banner stands.
With respect to an embodiment of the individual retractable banner stands, a conforming horizontal bar is attached to the top edge of the banner, the bar having no outward and upward protrusions and seats on the top of the vertical banner support post. A selection of accessories may be attached onto variable vertical positions on the tubing by way of tubing clamps. The accessories may be selected from the group of shelves, literature holders, lighting, and electronic display screens. Additional accessories may have downwardly facing sockets to engage the top of the vertical poles, such as a horizontal cross member for an additional banner. In a preferred embodiment, the feet are provided by a pair of saddles at each end of the banner housing, each saddle having a curved surface for receiving the housing and a pair of outwardly extending feet with upwardly extending sockets, the housing secured to the feet. In particular embodiments, the saddles are located axially outboard from the banner core, providing a more stable base than conventional retractable banner stands. In an embodiment the saddles are fixed to
An advantage of the positioning and fixation of the feet so positioned is that the erected banner stand can be tipped forwardly and rearwardly for attachment of accessories particularly to the horizontal banner support bar.
A feature and advantage of certain embodiments of the invention is that a retractable banner stand provides a banner with a shelf extending across the front face of the banner. The shelf having two ends and supported on each end by a pole extending upwardly from a socket in one of two forward feet stabilizing a housing from which the banner extends and retracts.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that a housing containing the core is provided having a slot through with the banner extends and retracts that receives the conforming horizontal bar that secures the top edge of the banner and that attaches to a horizontal post. The upper surface of the bar is shaped to conform to the exterior surface of the housing and has no upwardly facing discontinuities such as hardware loops or hooks for connecting to the banner support post. The exterior surface of the bar provides a flush surface with the housing exterior surface. A feature and advantage of the lack of hooks, or other attachment hardware, is that the banner can be rolled onto the conforming horizontal bar without projections damaging the banner or graphics thereon. Additionally a very finished look to the housing is provided when the banner is retracted.
A further feature and advantage of the banner stand is that the banners attach to the core by way of a pair of cooperating strip attachment members that removably engage one another. A first strip attachment member is attached to the core, either directly or with a leader piece of sheet material. A second cooperating strip attachment member is secured to the lower bottommost end of the banner with graphics thereon. The two cooperating strip attachment members slidingly or otherwise engage with one another. This provides the advantage of the retractable banner stand user being able to readily switch out banners for the particular housing.
A feature and advantage of particular embodiments of the invention is that the housing provides a readily accessible locking means for securing the banner in an extended position. A movable manual slidable member is advantageously located on the top of the housing laterally adjacent to the slot. The movable member inserts a stop into one of a plurality of apertures in a hub portion of the core locking the core, while under torsional tension, for easy removal of the banner.
A feature and advantage of certain embodiments of the invention is that a retractable banner stand provides a banner with a shelf extending across the front face of the banner. The shelf having two ends and supported on each end by a pole extending upwardly from a socket in one of two forward feet stabilizing a housing from which the banner extends and retracts.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that a pair of posts extending from forwardly extending feet may provide a shelf spanning in front of the banner. Additionally adjacent posts on the sides, that is one inserted into a socket in a rearwardly directed foot and one in a socket in the adjacent forward foot may have a shelf spanning between the two.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that shelves may be utilized in association with a retractable banner stand in a stable foundation.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that stability of the housing with respect to the floor surface is enhanced with the saddle with opposing feet.
Poles may be plugged into the sockets and a plurality of pole clamps and shelves may be attached to the poles to provide overall structural rigidity to the display.
A feature and advantage of particular embodiments is a pole clamp configured with two pieces hinged, one piece comprising a C-shape body portion sized to receive the tubing and the other manually operable handle portion hinged to the C-shape portion and rotatably swingable between an open position where the C-shaped body portion can engage a pole and partially wrap therearound and a pole engagement position where a pole engagement portion on the operable handle portion contact the pole whereby the pole interferes with said rotation and a third position whereby the handle portion is pushed beyond the pole engagement position to an over-center position. Said pole clamp may have attachment portion with a threaded hole therein to receive ancillary pieces such as shelves, racks, brackets, display screens, and lighting.
A feature and advantage of the invention is a retractable banner stand with rigid fixed, non-movable feet positioned at the ends of a housing, the housing containing a core attached to a torsion spring and a banner windable on the core, the housing and feet having an I-shape from the plan view when placed on a floor surface, the feet at the top and bottom of the “I” providing four or more points or regions of contact with the floor surface and having a depth defined by the forward backward length of the feet. The housing and feet in combination with a case with a width sized for the housing and feet and in further combination with shelf accessories sized for the case. The case having trays for holding accessories and vertical posts.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that a first display may be positioned spaced from another like second display with a vertical pole extending from a foot on the first display, a vertical post extending from a foot on the second display, a cross member connecting the two displays, and a banner suspended from the cross member. Pole clamps may be utilized to secure lower corners to the two poles. In this manner a three banner display may be readily provided with two retractable banner stands and a few accessories. Such displays may provide an effective backwall at tradeshow display areas or the like.
A feature and advantage of a three banner display as described above is that the center banner may be forwardly or rearwardly offset from the two banners of the two retractable banner stands. Moreover, the center banner may be easily shaped and sized differently than the two outside banners of the retractable banner stands. For example, the banner can have an arcuate top edge, or a height and/or width greater or lesser than the two banners of the retractable banner stands.
A further feature and advantage of the three banner display is that the alignment of the three banners may be altered from parallel to concave, convex, or other shapes.
FIGURES OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an front perspective view of a retractable banner sign assembly with accessories in accord with the invention herein.
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a banner stand in accord with the invention herein.
FIG. 3 is a back perspective view of the banner stand assembly of FIG. 2 .
FIG. 4 is an front perspective view of a base of a banner stand with the banner retracted therein in accord with the invention herein.
FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the banner stand of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 6 is a end view of the banner stands of FIGS. 4 and 5 . The view from the opposite side being a mirror image thereof.
FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of a banner stand assembly embodying the invention with the banner removed illustrating the receiving slot for the horizontal banner bar.
FIG. 8 is an end elevational view illustrating the attachment of the conforming horizontal bar engaged with the banner support pole.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of one end of the banner stand according to the invention.
FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the other end of the banner stand of FIG. 9 .
FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the housing of the banner stand assembly embodying the invention and a cross sectional view of the feet portions configured as a saddle.
FIG. 12 is a PRIOR ART perspective view illustrating the torsion spring in a core.
FIG. 13 a is a front perspective view illustrating the first step in changing out a banner in accord with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 b is a perspective view illustrating a second step in removing a banner in accord with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 c is a third step of removing a banner in accord with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14 a is a perspective view of a pole clamp and accessory in accord with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14 b is a perspective view illustrating a step of attachment of the pole clamp with an accessory to a vertical pole with a manually operable handle portion in a first open position.
FIG. 14 c is a view of a pole clamp in a second position where a manually operable handle portion has been rotated to a pole engagement position.
FIG. 14 d is a cross-sectional view where the handle portion of the clamp of FIG. 14 c has been further rotated to an over center position locking the clamp into position.
FIG. 15 a is a side elevational view illustrating an attachment step for attaching a light to the horizontal banner support bar.
FIG. 15 b is a perspective view of the light of FIG. 15 positioned on the horizontal bar.
FIG. 15 c is a perspective view of a clamp suitable for holding a wire for a lamp.
FIG. 16 a is a perspective view of a carrying case with a pair of trays pursuant to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 16 b is a top plan view of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 16 c is another perspective view of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of a banner stand assembly forming a backwall formed of two retractable banner stands and accessory poles and a horizontal spanning member in accord with aspects of the invention.
FIG. 18 is a rear perspective view of the banner stand assembly of claim 17 .
FIG. 19 is a detail perspective view of the attachment of an intermediate banner to the poles.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an over-center clamp and banner clip.
FIG. 21 is a detail view of attachment structure of a horizontal support member to a vertical pole.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1-3 , a retractable banner stand 30 is illustrated in different configurations. The banner stand assembly is principally comprised of a base 40 , a banner 42 , a vertical banner support pole 44 , and a horizontal banner bar 45 . The banner stand assembly has a front side 52 and a back side 54 , a left side 56 and a right side 57 , a top 60 , and a bottom floor facing side 62 .
The base 50 is comprised of a housing 68 , forward extending feet portions 72 , 74 , and rearward extending feet portions 76 , 78 . The feet are positioned at the ends 82 , 84 of the housing. Each set of forward and backward feet comprise an integral piece having a conforming upwardly facing surface 90 that is securely assembled to the substantially round shape of the housing 50 . Each set of forward and backward feet two feet provides a saddle 94 below the banner housing.
The banner support pole 44 may be formed of two sections that assemble together and that are retained in a pole socket 98 attached to or as part of the base. As illustrated the pole is positioned intermediate the ends of the housing on the back side of the display assembly.
The banner 42 includes a front side 106 , a back side 107 , and upper portion 110 , a lower portion 112 , lateral edges 114 , and may include a graphic design 116 on the front side of the banner.
Each of the feet 72 , 74 , 76 , 78 are illustrated with the planar incline top surface 126 that tapers downwardly away from the housing. Further, each foot has at least one socket 130 exposed on the top side 132 of the feet for receiving accessory poles 138 . Attached to the accessory poles are accessories 144 which may comprise, for example, shelves 146 , literature racks 148 , electronic display screens, and lighting. The accessories that are attached to the accessory poles are attached by way of clamps 154 described in detail below.
Referring to FIGS. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 and 11 , further details of the retractable banner stand assembly are illustrated.
The base comprises the housing and the saddle with the feet portions, the housing is comprised of a tubular shell portion 202 , endcaps 204 , 206 and a banner slot defining slot frame 208 , the interior 212 of the housing is generally defined by the shell portion 202 , the endcaps and the slot defining portion or slot frame 208 . A conventional core 220 with the banner 42 wound thereon is contained within the housing. The core has a tab 232 at one end and a cylindrical pin 234 at the opposite end. The tab is affixed to a hub 236 that is affixed to a shaft 228 , the inner hub 236 is rotatable within a core shell engagement piece 242 , the torsion spring 244 has its inboard end 245 affixed to the inner shaft 228 that extends through the torsion spring 244 and is also fixed to the tab 232 . The other end, the outboard end 247 , of the torsion spring is affixed to the core shell engagement piece 242 . The assembly comprising the torsion spring is inserted into the tubular core shell 246 with the core engagement member 242 fixedly attached to said core shell so there is no rotation relative to each other. The tab 232 is affixed to tab bracket 252 which is suitably attached, such as by screws, to the housing cap 204 . The tab is thus non-rotatably secured within said bracket 252 . The cylindrical pin 234 is inserted into an aperture and is allowed to rotate freely within the bracket 256 on the opposite end of the housing. Rotation of the core shell will then rotate one end of the torsion spring with the other end, the inboard end 245 remaining fixed, thus “winding up” the spring.
The cylindrical pin end of the core, opposite the tab end, has a locking hub 260 which has a plurality of apertures 264 . The locking hub is fixed to the tubular core shell 246 . The bracket 256 is suitably attached to the endcap 206 by way of screws or other suitable means. Such a bracket may be an integral part of said end cap. A stop pin 268 is part of an actuator 270 that is constrained within an actuator bracket 274 and an exteriorly exposed manually movable member 278 may be slidingly attached to the bracket 274 and engages the actuator 270 . The slidable member 278 can move inwardly (toward the banner) or outwardly to move the pin 268 into an engagement with the locking hub by way of insertion into the apertures 264 .
With particular reference to FIG. 8 , the banner 42 is secured to the horizontal support bar 45 and may be attached by way of forming a loop 280 in the banner and inserting a dowel 282 into the loop and inserting the looped end with the dowel into the end of the horizontal support bar 45 to be captured in the interior 286 of said bar. Said bar suitably includes an exterior surface 292 which has a curvature or contour that matches or cooperates with the contour of the exterior 298 of the shelled portion 202 . The horizontal support bar 45 has a recess 302 facing downward that engages a protrusion 304 positioned at the top of the banner support post 44 . This eliminates the conventional hook or hardware loop that other horizontal support bars of conventional banner stands which is important when changing out banners as described below with reference to FIGS. 13 a - 13 c . The lower shape 312 of the horizontal banner support bar is configured to cooperatively be received within the slot 316 defined by the slot frame 208 . When so inserted, the upper surface of the horizontal support bar provides a near continuous surface with the exterior of the housing as defined by the shell 202 and the exterior portion of the slot frame 208 .
With particular reference to FIG. 11 , the housing saddles 340 , 342 comprising the forward feet and the rearward feet may be attached to the housing suitably by screws such as through the screw ports 348 , 349 of FIG. 11 . The saddles have sockets 350 , 352 formed therein or formed of separate inserts therein that receive the ends of the accessory poles. Such poles are conventionally formed of aluminum tubing 356 and may have two diameter steel inserts 357 at the end at the end of the tubing to be received in the socket. A floor engaging plate 354 may be attached to the bottoms of the saddles, particularly where the saddles are injection molded and internal cavities in the saddle due to molding efficiencies, such as to save polymer material and weight are appropriately covered.
Referring to FIGS. 1 , 7 , 14 a - 14 d , details of the attachment mechanisms of the accessories to the vertical accessory poles are illustrated. Flexibility in adjustment, height and rotational position on the pole is provided by the over center clamp 154 . Said over center clamp comprises a c-shaped base portion 370 with an interior curve surface 372 shaped to conform to the exterior surface of the accessory poles. A second hinged piece 376 has a tube engagement point 380 and a handle portion 382 . This second piece rotates to an interference engagement with the tube as illustrated in FIG. 14 c . Continued rotation of the second piece causes slight flexing in the second piece, c-shaped piece, and/or tubing to allow the engagement point to move to an over-center position as illustrated in FIG. 14 d . In such a position the second piece is locked into position with the significant force to hold the clamp at a desired location on the accessory poles. The c-shaped piece may have a threaded aperture 392 for receiving a screw 394 or other threaded member for attachment of the clamp to the accessories or brackets or other members holding the accessories. FIG. 14 a illustrates a spring loaded clamp 404 as an accessory. FIG. 14 b illustrates a circular shelf 406 . As can be recognized by those familiar with the art, other accessories commonly used in tradeshow displays may be suitably attached to the poles by way of the clamps.
Referring to FIGS. 15 a , 15 b and 15 c a further accessory is illustrated, namely a lamp 412 . This lamp has a conforming flexible bracket 414 that may flex to snap onto the upper contoured surface of the horizontal banner support bar. Additional bracket 418 is shaped to snap onto the tube and provide wire management to the lamp power cord 420 as illustrated in FIG. 15 . Such a lamp could, of course, be suitably attached to one of the accessory poles.
Referring to FIGS. 13 a , 13 b and 13 c , a method for exchanging out the banners in the retractable banner stand is illustrated. A leader portion 430 is conventionally attached to the core 220 . The leader has a sliding hook engagement member 432 that cooperatively engages by sliding with a cooperating engagement member 434 attached to the lower end 436 of the banner 42 to facilitate the switch or replacement of the banner in the banner stand as described herein the banner will be pulled out of the housing and wound up such as illustrated in FIGS. 13 a and 13 b . The banner is pulled out sufficiently such that the connection 440 between the leader 430 and the banner 42 is exposed. The moveable member 278 exposed on the top of the housing is moved such as by sliding toward the banner to engage the locking pin 268 with the locking hub 260 to fix the core in a specific rotational position at which point the torsion spring will have sufficient winding torque therein. The banner is removed as illustrated in a sliding fashion from FIG. 13 c and may be replaced with a different banner in a reverse fashion.
Referring to FIGS. 16 a , 16 b and 16 c , the I-shaped configuration of the housing and feet provides a definitive width for which a case 459 may be suitable sized. This definitive width W provides room in the case for additional accessories such as the accessory poles and the shelves and other suitable hardware or accessories. Separate trays 460 may be utilized to organize the retractable banner stands and accessories.
Referring to FIGS. 17 , 18 , 19 , and 20 , the retractable banner stand as illustrated herein may be paired with a like banner retractable banner stand spaced therefrom to form a three banner display suitable as a backwall. Vertical accessory poles 508 , 510 extend from the inwardly positioned feet 520 , 522 . An upper or first horizontal support member 540 extends between the two vertical poles. Such may attach to the vertical pole as shown in FIG. 8 or 21 with a post 552 at the top end 554 of the vertical pole and in a cooperating hole 553 on a fixture 555 attached or part of the horizontal support member 540 .
Referring specifically to FIGS. 17 and 18 , showing a three banner display suitable as a backwall, a first retractable banner stand 560 with a first banner 562 is spaced a distance d from a second retractable banner stand 564 with a second banner 566 . A third banner 578 is positioned intermediate the first and second banners. Intermediate banner support structure 533 comprises vertical poles, upper horizontal support member and a second or lower horizontal support member 570 may be utilized to stabilize and secure the bottom of the third or center banner 578 . Said three banners are typically about or slightly less (within 10% of) than 10 feet or 3 meters wide thereby fitting perfectly as a backwall in standard size tradeshow display areas. An intermediate or third banner 578 is suspended from the support structure 533 . The lower edge of the banner may be appropriately attached to the lower support member and to the accessory poles by use of the over center clamp 530 as illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 .
The cross members 540 and 570 may be straight or arcuate. The central or third banner 578 may be sized and shaped differently than the first and second banners.
The first and second banner widths will typically be the same width W. The separation distance d between the banner stands will preferably be within 10% of the width W, or within 20% of the width W.
The invention also includes modifying existing banner stands to provide a banner not extended from a retractable banner stand in between two banners of two retractable banner stands. In such a case, saddle members such as illustrated in FIGS. 6 , 7 , and 9 may be added to conventional banner stand housings to provide for receiving the central banner support structure 533 , comprising, for example, vertical poles and cross members.
The embodiments above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Additional embodiments are within the claims. In addition, although the display and banner magnets have been described with reference to particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein.
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Retractable banner stands each comprises a base including a housing containing an extendable and retractable banner, the housing having a slot through which the banner is extended and retracted. The base includes sockets for receiving vertical poles for attachment of accessories. Such accessories can include banner support structure for an additional banner to be positioned intermediate two of said retractable banner stands whereby a three banner interconnected display may be provided with each of the banners visually separated. Such a display is highly suitable for a backwall for a tradeshow display area. Further accessories include shelves, literature holders, lighting, and electronic display screens. The base may include a housing with a pair of floor engaging saddles, each saddle with a pair of feet portions extending forwardly and rearwardly from the housing on two ends of the housing, the feet having the sockets for receiving said vertical poles.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor (hereinafter, also referred to as a photoreceptor) of laminated type and single layer type having a photosensitive layer containing an organic material, which is used in electrophotographic devices such as printers, copying machines and facsimiles employing an electrophotographic system, a process for producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and an electrophotographic device mounted with the photoreceptor.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Electrophotographic photoreceptors are required to have a function of retaining surface charges in the dark, a function of receiving light and thereby generating electric charges, and a function of similarly receiving light and thereby transporting electric charges. Examples of such electrophotographic photoreceptors include so-called laminated type photoreceptors in which functionally separated layers such as a layer that contributes mainly to the generation of charges and a layer that contributes to the retention of surface charges in the dark and to the transport of charges upon light reception, are laminated; and so-called single layer type photoreceptors in which a single layer combines these functions.
In the formation of images according to an electrophotographic method using these electrophotographic photoreceptors, for example, Carlson's process is applied. The formation of an image by this system is carried out through electrostatic charging of a photoreceptor in the dark, formation of an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged photoreceptor under the effect of exposure in accordance with the characters or drawings in the manuscript, development of the formed electrostatic latent image using toner, and transfer and fixation of the formed toner image onto a support such as paper. After the transfer of the toner image, the photoreceptor is subjected to the removal of residual toner, charge elimination and the like, and then is provided for reuse.
Some of the electrophotographic photoreceptors described above make use of an inorganic photoconductive material such as selenium, a selenium alloy, zinc oxide or cadmium sulfide. In recent years, organic photoreceptors in which an organic photoconductive material that is advantageous in terms of thermal stability, film-forming properties and the like as compared with the inorganic photoconductive materials, is dispersed in a resin binder, have been brought to practical application and now constitute the mainstream. Examples of such an organic photoconductive material include poly-N-vinylcarbazole, 9,10-anthracenediol polyester, pyrazoline, hydrazone, stilbene, butadiene, benzidine, phthalocyanine, and bisazo compounds.
Among the organic materials that are used in these organic photoreceptors, the organic photoconductive materials which are in charge of the function of charge generation and the function of charge transport, are in many cases low molecular weight materials with less ability to form layers, and thus it has been difficult to form a photosensitive layer having durability. However, it has been made possible to produce an organic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer with high durability and practical film strength, by subjecting such a low molecular weight material to primary dispersion or dissolution in a high molecular weight compound with greater ability to form layers (resin binder), and then forming a photosensitive layer.
Recently, the functionally separated laminated type photoreceptors described above, in which a charge generation layer containing a charge generating material and a charge transport layer containing a charge transporting material are laminated as photosensitive layers, are constituting the mainstream because, based on the rich variety of organic materials, a wide selection of materials appropriate for the various functions of the photosensitive layers allows a large degree of freedom in design.
Among others, negatively charged type photoreceptors in which a charge generation layer containing a photoconductive organic pigment is formed on an electroconductive substrate and a charge transport layer containing a charge transporting material is laminated on the charge generation layer, are now available as a variety of commercial products. Usually, this charge generation layer is formed into a film by vapor deposition of a photoconductive organic pigment, or is formed into a film by immersion coating from a coating liquid in which a photoconductive organic pigment is dispersed in a resin binder, and the charge transport layer is formed by immersion coating from a coating liquid in which a low molecular weight organic compound having a charge transport function is dispersed or dissolved in a resin binder.
Furthermore, positively charged type photoreceptors which use a single layer of photosensitive layer in which a charge generating material and a charge transporting material are all dispersed or dissolved in a resin binder, are also widely known.
When an electrophotographic photoreceptor to an electrophotographic device of Carlson's process system, the following matters frequently constitute problems to be solved.
(1) To improve adhesiveness between the photosensitive layer and the electroconductive substrate.
(2) To increase concealability against defects of the substrate surface or surface unevenness.
(3) To suppress the generation of defects such as black dots or white dots on a printed image, that are caused by unnecessary carrier injection from the electroconductive substrate.
Thus, in order to solve the problems of (1) to (3), it is known to insert an undercoat layer between the substrate and the charge generation layer of a laminated type photoreceptor or the photosensitive layer of a single layer type photoreceptor. As this undercoat layer, a layer of a resin such as a polymeric compound, or an anodic coating is conventionally used.
When the undercoat layer is formed from a resin such as a polymeric compound, it is known that the usage of a thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, polyester or polyamide, or of a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin, a urethane resin, a melamine resin or a phenolic resin, as the constituent material is under investigation, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 52-100240 (Patent Document 1), JP-A No. 58-106549 (Patent Document 2), JP-A No. 54-26738 (Patent Document 3), JP-A No. 52-25638 (Patent Document 4), JP-A No. 53-89435 (Patent Document 5), and the like.
There is known an undercoat layer which is prepared by further dispersing metal oxide fine particles, and which therefore does not cause a significant decrease in sensitivity even if prepared into a thick film, while maintaining concealability against defects of the substrate surface. Furthermore, an undercoat layer which is prepared by dispersing organic compound-treated metal oxide fine particles and thereby exhibits effectiveness in electrical properties, is also already known, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Application (JP-B) No. 2-60177 (Patent Document 6), Japanese Patent No. 3139381 (Patent Document 7), and the like.
In addition, investigations have been hitherto conducted on various polymeric compound resins for their use in an undercoat layer which generally focuses on the countermeasures against memory generation that occurs in a low temperature and low humidity environment in which the undercoat layer attains high resistance, and the countermeasures against the occurrence of black dots or the occurrence of fogging defects in printed images in a high temperature and high humidity environment in which the undercoat layer attains low resistance. For example, JP-A No. 2002-6524 (Patent Document 8) discloses a mixture in which melamines and guanamines are applied as crosslinking agents to a polyester resin.
It is also reported in JP-A No. 2007-178660 (Patent Document 9) that when a resin containing a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine as constituent monomers at a defined composition ratio is applied, image characteristics that are satisfactory for all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments, can be obtained.
Furthermore, there have been suggested attempts to solve the problem of light-induced fatigue by an improvement of the undercoat layer (intermediate layer). For example, JP-A No. 8-262776 (Patent Document 10) discloses an electrophotographic photoreceptor which contains an organometallic compound, a coupling agent and the like in the undercoat layer, and contains inorganic fine particles in the surface layer. JP-A No. 2001-209201 (Patent Document 11) also discloses an electrophotographic photoreceptor which uses an azo pigment and a phthalocyanine-based pigment as charge generating materials, and contains titanium oxide and a metal oxide in the undercoat layer. In these patent documents, descriptions on the effect on light-induced fatigue due to repeated use or on pre-exposure fatigue can be found. Furthermore, JP-A NO. 5-88396 (Patent Document 12) discloses a photoreceptor which includes an undercoat layer containing hydrophobic silica fine particles for the purpose of obtaining satisfactory images.
However, in the photoreceptors which use the above-described materials such as those described in Patent Documents 1 to 12 for the undercoat layer, the resistance of the undercoat layer varies with the changes in temperature and humidity. For that reason, when such photoreceptors are mounted in recent electrophotographic devices where high quality of images is demanded, there is a tendency that it is not easy to simultaneously attain the electric potential characteristics that are stable in all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments, and the image quality in a satisfactory manner.
Furthermore, along with the development of color printers and a rise in the distribution rate thereof in recent years, an increase in the printing speed or a reduction in size or component-count of the device is in progress, so that measures to cope with various use environments are also in demand. Color printers have a tendency that the transfer current increases as a result of transfer with toner color overlap or employment of a transfer belt. Therefore, in the case of performing printing on papers of various sizes, there occurs a difference in the fatigue due to transfer between the areas with paper and the areas without paper, and this causes a failure in which differences in the image density is promoted. That is to say, if printing has been performed more frequently on small-sized paper, in contrast with the part of photoreceptor where paper is present (paper passing area), the part of photoreceptor where paper does not pass (non-paper passing area) is continuously subjected to direct influence of transfer, so that the fatigue due to transfer increases. As a result, when printing is performed on large-sized paper next time, the difference in the fatigue due to transfer between the paper passing area and the non-paper passing area brings on a problem that a potential difference occurs in the developed area, causing a difference in density. This tendency becomes more conspicuous when there is an increase in the transfer current. Furthermore, there are an increasing number of situations in which, when the cover of a printer is opened due to problems such as a paper jam or cartridge exchange, the photoreceptor is left in exposure to light. As a result, there is a density difference even between the light-exposed area and the non-light-exposed area, and thus the problem with the emergence of light-induced fatigue is becoming serious. Under such circumstances, in contrast with monochromatic printers, the demand for reliability in photoreceptors, such as transfer restorability or restorability from intense light-induced fatigue, is markedly increasing particularly in color printers. However, conventional photoreceptors have not been able to meet these demands simultaneously and sufficiently.
Furthermore, in Patent Document 8, there is no description on the investigation on possible application of copolymer resins for which the constituent monomers of the resins or the composition ratios of the monomers are not sufficiently defined. Therefore, although effects are shown in connection with the electric potential characteristics or image quality in high temperature and high humidity environments, the invention cannot be expected to have effects on the potential characteristics that are stable in all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments.
In regard to Patent Document 9, it is the actual situation that sufficient investigations have not been conducted on the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue and restorability from fatigue due to transfer.
Patent Documents 10 and 11 have descriptions that effects on light-induced fatigue due to repeated use, or effects on pre-exposure fatigue can be expected. However, reports on the investigation focusing on the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue and restorability from fatigue due to transfer, and the possibility of achieving a good balance therebetween, are hardly found. That is, photoreceptors that use the undercoat layers that have been hitherto investigated can be put to practical use in monochromatic printers, which do not seem to have problem with the restorability from fatigue due to transfer or with the restorability from light-induced fatigue; however, there is a problem that it is difficult for the photoreceptors to be adapted to color printers where these properties are demanded at a high level. This problem would become more significant, since even color printers also have a tendency that the transfer current increases as the printing speed increases. Particularly, the problem will become more noticeable when the printing speed is 16 ppm (A4, vertical) or greater.
In addition, Patent Document 12 discloses a photoreceptor which includes an undercoat layer containing hydrophobic silica fine particles. Furthermore, a description on a polyester amide resin as the resin for the undercoat layer, is found in paragraph of Patent Document 12. However, in the Patent Document 12, sufficient investigations have not been conducted on the storability from intense light-induced fatigue and the restorability from fatigue due to transfer. Particularly, there is no clear description on whether the effects of the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue and the restorability from fatigue due to transfer can be obtained with all kinds of polyester amide resins.
Thus, the present invention was made in view of the problems described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor which includes an undercoat layer capable of attaining electric potential characteristics that are stable in all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments, and of suppressing the occurrence of printing defects. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor which includes an undercoat layer that is capable of simultaneously attaining the transfer restorability and the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue even in a wide variety of usages and operation environments, and which is consequently capable of printing satisfactory images in which image defects or density differences do not easily occur. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing the photoreceptor, and an electrophotographic device mounted with the photoreceptor. That is, the present invention is intended to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor from which sufficient effects can be expected as built-in performances in high speed color printers, a process for producing the photoreceptor, and a color printer mounted with the photoreceptor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors of the present invention conducted a thorough investigation in order to solve the problems described above, and as a result, they found that the problems can be solved by using metal oxide fine particles that have been surface-treated with an organic compound in combination with a resin for which the essential constituent monomers and composition ratio of a copolymer resin synthesized using a particular raw material group or raw materials are defined. Thus, the inventors completed the present invention. Particularly, the inventors found that the above-described problems can be solved by using, among various polyester amide resins, a copolymer resin including particular monomers as essential constituent units, thus completing the present invention.
That is, the present invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor, comprising: an electroconductive substrate; an undercoat layer provided on the electroconductive substrate and comprised of: metal oxide fine particles including particles of at least one metal oxide and at least one organic compound provided on the particles of the at least one metal oxide as a surface treatment; and a copolymer resin synthesized by copolymerization of essential constituent monomers comprised of a dicarboxylic acid, a diol, a triol and a diamine; and a photosensitive layer laminated on the undercoat layer.
Furthermore, the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention is suitably such that when the copolymerization ratio of the dicarboxylic acid is designated as a (mol %), the copolymerization ratio of the diol is designated as b (mol %), the copolymerization ratio of the triol is designated as c (mol %)< and the copolymerization ratio of the diamine is designated as d (mol %), a, b, c and d satisfy expression (1) as follows:
−10 <a −( b+c+d )<10 (1).
The electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention is suitably such that the dicarboxylic acid includes at least one of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and when the copolymerization ratio of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid is designated as a1 (mol %), and the copolymerization ratio of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid as a2 (mol %), a in the above expression (1) is: a=a1+a2.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is suitable that a1 ranges from 23 to 39 mol %, a2 ranges from 11 to 27 mol %, b ranges from 21 to 37 mol %, c ranges from 6 to 22 mol %, and d ranges from 0.01 to 15 mol %.
It is suitable that in the undercoat layer, the aromatic dicarboxylic acid is selected to be isophthalic acid, or the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid is selected to be adipic acid. Furthermore, it is also suitable that the aromatic dicarboxylic acid is selected to be isophthalic acid, and the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid is selected to be adipic acid.
According to the present invention, it is suitable that the diol is selected to be neopentyl glycol.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is suitable that the triol is selected to be trimethylolpropane.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is suitable that the diamine is selected to be benzoguanamine.
According to the present invention, it is suitable that a copolymer resin synthesized using isophthalic acid and/or adipic acid as the dicarboxylic acid, neopentyl glycol as the diol, trimethylolpropane as the triol, and benzoguanamine as the diamine, is used as the undercoat layer.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is suitable that the particles of at least one metal oxide are selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide and copper oxide. Furthermore, it is suitable that the at least one organic compound is selected from the group consisting of a siloxane compound, an alkoxysilane compound and a silane coupling agent.
According to the present invention, it is suitable that the undercoat layer contains a melamine resin.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is suitable that the photosensitive layer comprises at least one binder selected from the group consisting of a polycarbonate resin, a polyester resin, a polyamide resin, a polyurethane resin, a vinyl chloride resin, a vinyl acetate resin, a phenoxy resin, a polyvinyl acetal resin, a polyvinyl butyral resin, a polystyrene resin, a polysulfone resin, a diallyl phthalate resin, and a methacrylic acid ester resin.
The process for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention is a process for producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor described above, and the process is characterized by including preparing a coating liquid for said undercoat layer comprised of metal oxide fine particles including particles of at least one metal oxide and at least one organic compound provided on the particles of the at least one metal oxide as a surface treatment, and a copolymer resin synthesized by copolymerization of essential constituent monomers comprised of a dicarboxylic acid, a diol, a triol and a diamine; and applying the coating liquid on said electroconductive substrate to form said undercoat layer.
The electrophotographic device of the present invention comprises the above-described electrophotographic photoreceptor mounted therein.
The tandem color electrophotographic device of the present invention comprises the above-described electrophotographic photoreceptor mounted therein.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic photoreceptor which has electric potential characteristics that are stable in all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments, and includes an undercoat layer that does not easily generate printing defects. Furthermore, there is provided an electrophotographic photoreceptor which includes an undercoat layer capable of simultaneously attaining the transfer restorability and the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue even in a wide variety of usages and operation environments, and which is consequently capable of printing satisfactory images in which image defects or density differences do not easily occur. In addition, a process for producing the photoreceptor, and an electrophotographic photoreceptor mounted with the photoreceptor can be provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a negatively charged, functionally separated laminated type electrophotographic photoreceptor related to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrophotographic device according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a graph showing an IR spectrum of a resin;
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a 1 H-NMR spectrum of a resin; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a simulator used in an evaluation of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to attached drawings. This invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments that will be described below.
Electrophotographic photoreceptors include both negatively charged laminated type photoreceptors and positively charged single layer type photoreceptors, but in this embodiment, a schematic cross-sectional view of a negatively charged laminated type electrophotographic photoreceptor is presented in FIG. 1 as an example. As depicted in the diagram, when the electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 of the present invention is a negatively charged laminated type photoreceptor, the electrophotographic photoreceptor has an undercoat layer 2 , and a photosensitive layer 3 composed of a charge generation layer 4 having a charge generation function, and a charge transport layer 5 having a charge transport function, sequentially laminated on an electroconductive substrate 1 . Furthermore, both types of the photoreceptors 7 may further have a surface protective layer 6 provided on the photosensitive layer 3 .
The electroconductive substrate 1 has a role as an electrode, and at the same time, serves as a support for the various layers constituting the photoreceptor 7 . The shape may be any of a cylindrical shape, a plate shape, a film shape and the like, and the material may be any of metals such as aluminum, stainless steel and nickel, and products prepared by electroconductively treating the surfaces of glass, resins and the like.
The undercoat layer 2 is formed from a layer containing a copolymer resin as a main component, and is installed in order to control the injection of charges from the electroconductive substrate 1 to the photosensitive layer 3 , or for the purposes of covering defects on the surface of the electroconductive substrate 1 , enhancing the adhesiveness between the photosensitive layer 3 and the undercoat, and the like. The details of the undercoat layer 2 will be described later.
The charge generation layer 4 is formed by a method of applying a coating liquid in which particles of a charge generating material are dispersed in a resin binder as described above, or the like, and generates charges by receiving light. Furthermore, high charge generation efficiency of the charge generation layer as well as the injectability of generated charges to the charge transport layer 5 are important, and it is desirable that the charge generation layer has less electric field dependency, and injection is satisfactorily achieved even in low electric fields. Examples of the charge generating material include phthalocyanine compounds such as X type metal-free phthalocyanine, τ type metal-free phthalocyanine, α type titanyl phthalocyanine, β type titanyl phthalocyanine, Y type titanyl phthalocyanine, γ type titanyl phthalocyanine, amorphous type titanyl phthalocyanine, and ε type copper phthalocyanine; various azo pigments, anthanthrone pigments, thiapyrylium pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments, squarylium pigments, and quinacridone pigments, and these are used singly or in appropriate combinations. Thus, a suitable material can be selected in accordance with the light wavelength region of the exposure light source that is used in the formation of images.
Since it is desirable for the charge generation layer 4 to have a charge generation function, the film thickness is determined by the coefficient of light absorption of the charge generating material, and is generally 1 μm or less, and suitably 0.5 μm or less. The charge generation layer 4 can also use a charge generating material as a main component and have a charge transporting material or the like added thereto. For the resin binder, polymers and copolymers of a polycarbonate resin, a polyester resin, a polyamide resin, a polyurethane resin, a vinyl chloride resin, a vinyl acetate resin, a phenoxy resin, a polyvinyl acetal resin, a polyvinyl butyral resin, a polystyrene resin, a polysulfone resin, a diallyl phthalate resin and a methacrylic acid ester resin can be used in appropriate combination.
The charge transport layer 5 is mainly composed of a charge transporting material and a resin binder, and examples of the charge transporting material that is used include various hydrazone compounds, styryl compounds, diamine compounds, butadiene compounds, and indole compounds, while these materials are used singly or as mixtures of appropriate combination. Examples of the resin binder include polycarbonate resins such as bisphenol A type, bisphenol Z type, and bisphenol A type biphenyl copolymers; polystyrene resins, and polyphenylene resins, and these resins are used singly, or as mixtures of appropriate combination. The amount of use of such a compound is 2 to 50 parts by mass, suitably 3 to 30 parts by mass, of the charge transporting material relative to 100 parts by mass of the resin binder. The thickness of the charge transport layer is preferably in the range of 3 to 50 μm, and more suitably 15 to 40 μm, in order to maintain a practically effective surface potential.
In the undercoat layer 2 , charge generation layer 4 , and charge transport layer 5 , various additives are used according to necessity for the purposes of an enhancement of sensitivity, a decrease in residual potential, an enhancement of resistance to environment or stability against harmful light, an enhancement of high durability including friction resistance, and the like. Examples of the additives that can be used include compounds such as succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, dibromosuccinic anhydride, pyromellitic anhydride, pyromellitic acid, trimellitic acid, trimellitic anhydride, phthalimide, 4-nitrophthalimide, tetracyanoethylene, tetracyanoquinodimethane, chloranil, bromanil, o-nitrobenzoic acid, and trinitrofluorenone. Furthermore, an oxidation inhibitor, a photostabilizer and the like can also be added. Examples of the compounds used for such purposes include, but are not limited to, chromal derivatives such as tocopherol, as well as ether compounds, ester compounds, polyarylalkane compounds, hydroquinone derivatives, diether compounds, benzophenone derivatives, benzotriazole derivatives, thioether compounds, phenylenediamine derivatives, phosphonic acid esters, phosphorous acid esters, phenol compounds, hindered phenol compounds, linear amine compounds, cyclic amine compounds, and hindered amine compounds.
Furthermore, a leveling agent such as a silicone oil or a fluorine-based oil can also be incorporated into the photosensitive layer 3 , for the purpose of enhancing the leveling property of the film formed or imparting further lubricity.
The photosensitive layer 3 may be further provided on the surface with a surface protective layer 6 as necessary, for the purpose of further enhancing environment resistance or mechanical strength. The surface protective layer 6 is desirably constituted of a material which is excellent in durability to mechanical stresses and environment resistance, so that the layer has a function of transmitting the light to which the charge generation layer 4 responds, at a loss as small as possible.
The surface protective layer 6 is formed from a layer which contains a resin binder as a main component, or from an inorganic thin film of amorphous carbon or the like. Furthermore, for the purposes of an enhancement of electroconductivity, lowering of the friction coefficient, impartation of lubricity and the like, the resin binder may contain a metal oxide such as silicon oxide (silica), titanium oxide, zinc oxide, calcium oxide, aluminum oxide (alumina), or zirconium oxide; a metal sulfide such as barium sulfate or calcium sulfate; a metal nitride such as silicon nitride or aluminum nitride; fine particles of a metal oxide; or particles of a fluorine-based resin such as a tetrafluoroethylene resin, or a fluorine-based comb-like graft polymer resin. A charge transporting material that is used in the photosensitive layer 3 or an electron accepting material may be incorporated into the surface protective layer 6 for the purpose of imparting charge transportability, or a leveling agent such as a silicone oil or a fluorine-based oil may also be incorporated into the surface protective layer for the purpose of enhancing the leveling property of the film thus formed or imparting lubricity. The thickness of the surface protective layer 6 itself is dependent on the blend composition of the surface protective layer 6 , but can be arbitrarily determined within the scope that adverse effects such as an increase in the residual potential during a repeated continuous use of the photoreceptor are not exhibited.
The electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 of the present invention may yield expected effects when applied to various machine processes. Specifically, sufficient effects are obtained with the electrophotographic photoreceptor in the electrification processes of contact charging systems using a roller or a brush, and non-contact charging systems using a corotron, a scorotron or the like; and in the development processes of contact development systems and non-contact development systems which use non-magnetic one-component, magnetic one-component, and two-component development systems, and the like.
As an example, FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an electrophotographic device according to the present invention. The electrophotographic device 60 of the present invention is mounted with the electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 of the present invention, which includes an electroconductive substrate 1 , and an undercoat layer 2 and a photosensitive layer 3 coated on the peripheral surfaces of the electroconductive substrate. Furthermore, this electrophotographic device 60 is constituted of a roller charging member 21 that is disposed around the outer periphery of the photoreceptor 7 ; a high voltage power supply 22 which supplies an applied voltage to the roller charging member 21 ; an image exposure member 23 ; a developing machine 24 equipped with a developing roller 241 ; a paper supply member 25 equipped with a paper supply roller 251 and a paper supply guide 252 ; a transfer charger (direct charging type) 26 ; a cleaning device 27 equipped with a cleaning blade 271 ; and a charge eliminating member 28 . In addition, the electrophotographic device 60 of the present invention is such that there are no limitations on the configuration other than the electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 of the present invention, and the electrophotographic device can have the configuration of an already known electrophotographic device, particularly of a tandem color electrophotographic device.
According to the present invention, it is required that the undercoat layer 2 contain metal oxide fine particles that are surface treated with an organic compound, and a copolymer resin synthesized using a dicarboxylic acid, a diol, a triol and a diamine as constituent monomers.
According to the present invention, it is preferable that when the copolymerization ratio of the dicarboxylic acid is designated as a (mol %), the copolymerization ratio of the diol as b (mol %), the copolymerization ratio of the triol as c (mol %), and the copolymerization ratio of the diamine as d (mol %), a, b, c and d satisfy the following expression (1):
−10 <a −( b+c+d )<10 (1).
Furthermore, a+b+c+d is preferably in the range of 61.01 mol % to 100 mol %, and more suitably 90 mol % to 100 mol %, relative to the total amount of the constituent monomers.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is more preferable that the dicarboxylic acid include any one or both of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid. Here, when the copolymerization ratio of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid is designated as a1 (mol %) and the copolymerization ratio of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid as a2 (mol %), a in the above expression (1) is in the relation: a=a1+a2. Also, when the dicarboxylic acid includes an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, a1+a2+b+c+d is preferably in the range of 61.01 mol % to 100 mol %, and more suitably 90 mol % to 100 mol %, relative to the total amount of the constituent monomers.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is even more preferable that a1, a2, b, c and d satisfy the range of 23 to 39, the range of 11 to 27, the range of 21 to 37, the range of 6 to 22, and the range of 0.01 to 15, respectively. When the values are in these ranges, the solubility of the copolymer resin in a solvent is improved so that more choices are allowed for the solvent to be used, or obvious superiority in dispersion stability can be seen. It is particularly preferable that a1, a2, b, c and d satisfy the range of 27 to 34, the range of 15 to 23, the range of 25 to 33, the range of 10 to 18, and the range of 4 to 11, respectively. When the values are in these ranges, the uniformity in film thickness or the external appearance of the coating film is further improved.
Examples of the resin that may be used in the undercoat layer 2 include an acrylic resin, a vinyl acetate resin, a polyvinyl formal resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, an epoxy resin, a melamine resin, a polybutyral resin, a polyvinyl acetal resin, and a vinylphenol resin, and these resins can be used singly, or as mixtures of appropriate combination. Among them, combinations with a melamine resin are more preferred.
According to the present invention, there are no particular limitations on the dicarboxylic acid, but as explained above, it is preferable that the dicarboxylic acid include an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid. An example of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid may be isophthalic acid, and an example of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid may be adipic acid.
According to the present invention, there are no particular limitations on the diol, but an example thereof may be neopentyl glycol.
According to the present invention, there are no particular limitations on the triol, but an example thereof may be trimethylolpropane.
According to the present invention, there are no particular limitations on the diamine, but an example thereof may be benzoguanamine.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, examples of the metal oxide fine particles that can be used include fine particles of titanium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide and copper oxide, and these may be surface treated with an organic compound such as a siloxane compound, an alkoxysilane compound or a silane coupling agent.
The process for producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 of the present invention includes a step of preparing a coating liquid for undercoat layer containing metal oxide fine particles that have been surface treated with an organic compound, and a copolymer resin synthesized using a dicarboxylic acid, a diol, a triol and a diamine as essential constituent monomers; and a step of applying the coating liquid on an electroconductive substrate 1 to form an undercoat layer 2 . For example, a negatively charged type photoreceptor 7 can be produced by forming an undercoat layer 2 , which is formed by immersion coating with the above-described coating liquid, on an electroconductive substrate 1 ; forming thereon a charge generation layer 4 by immersion coating with a coating liquid in which a charge generating material such as described above is dispersed in a resin binder; and laminating a charge transport layer 5 that is formed by immersion coating with a coating liquid in which a charge transporting material such as described above is dispersed or dissolved in a resin binder.
Furthermore, the coating liquids according to the production process of the present invention can be applied by various coating methods such as an immersion coating method and a spray coating method, and can be applied without being limited to any particular coating method.
EXAMPLES
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of Examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the following Examples.
Example 1
Preparation of Copolymer Resin
31 mol % of isophthalic acid, 19 mol % of adipic acid, 29 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 14 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 7 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed to obtain a total amount of 150 g in a 300-mL four-necked flask. The temperature was raised to 130° C. while nitrogen was blown into the reaction system. After the reaction system was maintained for one hour, the temperature was raised to 200° C., and the reaction of polymerization was further carried out to obtain a resin. The IR spectrum of the resin thus obtained is presented in FIG. 3 . Also, the 1 H-NMR spectrum of the resin thus obtained is presented in FIG. 4 .
Undercoat Layer:
100 parts by mass of a total resin liquid which was prepared by mixing the resin thus obtained and a melamine resin (Uvan 2021 resin liquid, manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.) at a mixing ratio of 4:1, was dissolved in a solvent composed of 2000 parts by mass of methyl ethyl ketone. 400 parts by mass of an alkoxysilane-treated product of microparticulate titanium oxide (JMT150) manufactured by Tayca Corporation, which are metal oxide fine particles, was added to the solution obtained above, and thus a slurry was produced. This slurry was subjected to a dispersion treatment for 20 passes, using a disk type bead mill charged with zirconia beads having a bead diameter of 0.3 mm at a volume packing ratio of 70 v/v % based on the vessel volume, at a treatment liquid flow rate of 400 mL/min and a disk peripheral speed of 3 m/s, and thus a coating liquid for undercoat layer was obtained.
An undercoat layer 2 was formed on a cylindrical Al base (electroconductive substrate) 1 by immersion coating using the coating liquid for undercoat layer thus prepared. The undercoat layer 2 obtained by drying the coating liquid under the conditions of a drying temperature of 135° C. and a drying time of 10 minutes, had a thickness after drying of 3 μm.
Charge Generation Layer:
Subsequently, 1 part by mass of a vinyl chloride-based copolymer resin (MR110, manufactured by Zeon Corporation, Japan) as a resin was dissolved in 98 parts by mass of dichloromethane, and 2 parts by mass of a type titanyl phthalocyanine (described in JP-A No. 61-217050 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,5592) as a charge generating material was added to the solution. Thus, slurry was prepared. 5 L of this slurry was subjected to a dispersion treatment for 10 passes, using a disk type bead mill charged with zirconia beads having a bead diameter of 0.4 mm at a volume packing ratio of 85 v/v % based on the vessel volume, at a treatment liquid flow rate of 300 mL/min and a disk peripheral speed of 3 m/s, and thus a coating liquid for charge generation layer was prepared.
A charge generation layer 4 was formed on the electroconductive substrate 1 on which the undercoat layer 2 had been applied, using the coating liquid for charge generation layer thus obtained. The charge generation layer 4 obtained by drying the coating liquid under the conditions of a drying temperature of 80° C. and a drying time of 30 minutes, had a thickness after drying of 0.1 to 0.5 μm.
Charge Transport Layer:
Subsequently, a coating liquid for charge transport layer was prepared by dissolving 5 parts by mass of a compound represented by the following structural formula (1) and 5 parts by mass of a compound represented by the following structural formula (2) as charge transporting agents, and 10 parts by mass of a bisphenol Z type polycarbonate resin (TS2050, manufactured by Teijin Kasei, Inc.) as a binding resin, in 70 parts by mass of dichloromethane. This coating liquid was applied on the charge generation layer 4 by immersion coating and was dried at a temperature of 90° C. for 60 minutes. Thus, a charge transport layer 5 having a thickness of 25 μm was formed. As such, an electrophotographic photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 2
28 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20.5 mol % of adipic acid, 32 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 15.5 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 4 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 3
32 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20 mol % of adipic acid, 27.9 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 19.1 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 1 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 4
23 mol % of isophthalic acid, 24.6 mol % of adipic acid, 36 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 14 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 2.4 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 5
34 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20.6 mol % of adipic acid, 26 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 15.7 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 3.7 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 6
25 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20.5 mol % of adipic acid, 36 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 15 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 3.5 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 7
30 mol % of isophthalic acid, 25.5 mol % of adipic acid, 30 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 10.5 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 4 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Example 8
26.5 mol % of isophthalic acid, 17 mol % of adipic acid, 35 mol % of neopentyl glycol, 17.5 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 4 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor 7 was produced.
Comparative Example 1
26 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20 mol % of adipic acid, 51.3 mol % of trimethylolpropane, and 2.7 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor was produced.
Comparative Example 2
26 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20 mol % of adipic acid, 51.3 mol % of neopentyl glycol, and 2.7 mol % of benzoguanamine were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor was produced.
Comparative Example 3
28 mol % of isophthalic acid, 20.5 mol % of adipic acid, 36 mol % of neopentyl glycol, and 15.5 mol % of trimethylolpropane were mixed, and the mixture was polymerized under heating to obtain a resin. The resin thus obtained was used in the same manner as in Example 1 to prepare a coating liquid for undercoat layer, and thus a photoreceptor was produced.
Examples 9 to 16
Photoreceptors 7 were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 8, respectively, except that the charge transporting agents described in Example 1 were replaced with 10 parts by mass of a compound represented by the following structural formula (3).
Comparative Examples 4 to 6
Photoreceptors were produced in the same manner as in Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively, except that the charge transporting agents described in Example 1 were replaced with 10 parts by mass of a compound represented by the following structural formula (3).
Examples 17 to 24
Photoreceptors 7 were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 8, respectively, except that the resin in the coating liquid for charge generation layer described in Example 1 was replaced with a polyvinyl butyral resin (S-LEC B BX-1, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.).
Comparative Examples 7 to 9
Photoreceptors were produced in the same manner as in Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively, except that the resin in the coating liquid for charge generation layer described in Example 1 was replaced with a polyvinyl butyral resin (S-LEC B BX-1, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.).
Examples 25 to 32
Photoreceptors 7 were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 8, respectively, except that the charge transporting agents described in Example 1 were replaced with 10 parts by mass of the compound represented by the structural formula (3), and the resin in the coating liquid for charge generation layer described in Example 1 was replaced with a polyvinyl butyral resin (S-LEC B BX-1, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.).
Comparative Examples 10 to 12
Photoreceptors were produced in the same manner as in Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively, except that the charge transporting agents described in Example 1 were replaced with 10 parts by mass of the compound represented by the structural formula (3), and the resin in the coating liquid for charge generation layer described in Example 1 was replaced with a polyvinyl butyral resin (S-LEC B BX-1, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.).
Each of the photoreceptors obtained in Examples 1 to 32 and Comparative Examples 1 to 12 was installed in a commercially available tandem color printer (C5800, 26 ppm A4 vertical, manufactured by Oki Data Corporation), and 3 sheets of white solid images and 3 sheets of black solid images were printed in the following environments: LL environment: 10° C., 15% RH; NN environment: 25° C., 50% RH; and HH environment: 35° C., 85% RH. Subsequently, the electric potential after exposure and the image quality were evaluated.
The electric potential evaluation was carried out by determining the good or bad based on the amount of variation in potential after exposure under various environments (difference between the electric potential after exposure in the LL environment and the electric potential after exposure in the HH environment). In the evaluation of image data, the good or bad was determined based on the background fogging in the white areas of an image, and the presence or absence of black dots, according to the following criteria: : Very good; ◯: Good; Δ: Black dots are present; and x: Background fogging and black dots are present. The results are presented in the following Tables 1 to 4.
In the evaluation of the restorability from fatigue due to transfer, the restorability from fatigue due to transfer was evaluated in printed images produced by a commercially available tandem color printer (C5800n, 26 ppm A4 vertical, manufactured by Oki Data Corporation), using a process simulator (CYNTHIA 91) manufactured by Gen-Tech, Inc. as a transfer fatigue unit. In regard to the simulator, the arrangement of the electrophotographic device shown in FIG. 5 was employed, and an image exposure member 23 (exposure light source, optical interference filter+halogen lamp) was irradiated under the conditions of 780-nm monochromatic light at 0.4 μJ/cm 2 , with the settings of a peripheral speed of the photoreceptor 7 of 60 rpm, a charging voltage of −5 kV, a grid voltage of 650 V, and a transfer voltage of +5 kV. Thus, the photoreceptor was subjected to repeated fatigue for 5 minutes by changing the on-off of exposure for every 5 rotations of the drum (300 rotations in total). Subsequently, the fatigued photoreceptor 7 was mounted on the printer, and the density differences between the fatigued area and non-fatigued area of images that were printed immediately after the fatigue, after one hour of dark adaptation, and after 3 hours of dark adaptation, respectively, were measured with an image density analyzer (RD918, manufactured by Macbeth, Inc.). Thus, the restorability from fatigue due to transfer from the time point immediately after fatigue was determined by the following criteria: : Restorability from fatigue due to transfer is very good; ◯: Restorability from fatigue due to transfer is good; Δ: Restorability from fatigue due to transfer is slightly problematic; and x: Restorability from fatigue due to transfer is problematic. The results are presented in the following Tables 3 and 4.
In the evaluation of the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue, the restorability from fatigue was evaluated with printed images produced by a commercially available tandem color printer (C5800n, 26 ppm A4 vertical, manufactured by Oki Data Corporation), by leaving the printed images in exposure to light using a fluorescent lamp as an intense light-induced fatigue unit. The intense light-induced fatigue test was carried out by covering the photoreceptor 7 with a carbon paper (240 mm in length×150 mm in width) in which a window having a size of 20 mm×50 mm was cut out at the center, and leaving the photoreceptor in exposure to light for 30 minutes, with the window facing upward, under a commercially available white fluorescent lamp (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) which was positioned so as to obtain a light amount of 1000 Lx. Subsequently, the photoreceptor was mounted on the printer, and half-tone images were printed immediately after exposure and after one hour of dark adaptation. The density differences between the light-fatigued area and the non-light-fatigued area of the respective images were measured with an image density analyzer (RD918, manufactured by Macbeth, Inc.). Thus, the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue was determined by the following criteria: : Restorability from intense light-induced fatigue is very good; ◯: Restorability from intense light-induced fatigue is good; Δ: Restorability from intense light-induced fatigue is slightly problematic; and x: Restorability from intense light-induced fatigue is problematic. The results are presented in the following Tables 3 and 4.
TABLE 1
Amount of
variation in
Aromatic
Aliphatic
potential
dicarboxylic
dicarboxylic
Copolymerization
after LL-HH
acid
acid
Diol
Triol
Diamine
ratio
exposure,
a1
a2
b
c
d
a − (b + c + d)
ΔV
Example 1
31
19
29
14
7
0.0
16
Example 2
28
20.5
32
15.5
4
−3.0
17
Example 3
32
20
27.9
19.1
1
4.0
19
Example 4
23
24.6
36
14
2.4
−4.8
20
Example 5
34
20.6
26
15.7
3.7
9.2
27
Example 6
25
20.5
36
15
3.5
−9.0
26
Example 7
30
25.5
30
10.5
4
11.0
36
Example 8
26.5
17
35
17.5
4
−13.0
39
Comparative
26
20
0
51.3
2.7
−8.0
56
Example 1
Comparative
26
20
51.3
0
2.7
−8.0
58
Example 2
Comparative
28
20.5
36
15.5
0
−3.0
63
Example 3
Example 9
31
19
29
14
7
0.0
11
Example 10
28
20.5
32
15.5
4
−3.0
13
Example 11
32
20
27.9
19.1
1
4.0
15
Example 12
23
24.6
36
14
2.4
−4.8
14
Example 13
34
20.6
26
15.7
3.7
9.2
26
Example 14
25
20.5
36
15
3.5
−9.0
25
Example 15
30
25.5
30
10.5
4
11.0
35
Example 16
26.5
17
35
17.5
4
−13.0
38
Comparative
26
20
0
51.3
2.7
−8.0
54
Example 4
Comparative
26
20
51.3
0
2.7
−8.0
55
Example 5
Comparative
28
20.5
36
15.5
0
−3.0
61
Example 6
TABLE 2
Amount of
variation in
potential
Aromatic
Aliphatic
after LL-
dicarboxylic
dicarboxylic
HH
acid
acid
Diol
Triol
Diamine
exposure,
a1
a2
B
C
D
a − (b + c + d)
ΔV
Example 17
31
19
29
14
7
0.0
16
Example 18
28
20.5
32
15.5
4
−3.0
16
Example 19
32
20
27.9
19.1
1
4.0
19
Example 20
23
24.6
36
14
2.4
−4.8
18
Example 21
34
20.6
26
15.7
3.7
9.2
28
Example 22
25
20.5
36
15
3.5
−9.0
27
Example 23
30
25.5
30
10.5
4
11.0
37
Example 24
26.5
17
35
17.5
4
−13.0
38
Comparative
26
20
0
51.3
2.7
−8.0
58
Example 7
Comparative
26
20
51.3
0
2.7
−8.0
60
Example 8
Comparative
28
20.5
36
15.5
0
−3.0
66
Example 9
Example 25
31
19
29
14
7
0.0
12
Example 26
28
20.5
32
15.5
4
−3.0
12
Example 27
32
20
27.9
19.1
1
4.0
15
Example 28
23
24.6
36
14
2.4
−4.8
14
Example 29
34
20.6
26
15.7
3.7
9.2
25
Example 30
25
20.5
36
15
3.5
−9.0
23
Example 31
30
25.5
30
10.5
4
11.0
33
Example 32
26.5
17
35
17.5
4
−13.0
33
Comparative
26
20
0
51.3
2.7
−8.0
56
Example 10
Comparative
26
20
51.3
0
2.7
−8.0
57
Example 11
Comparative
28
20.5
36
15.5
0
−3.0
65
Example 12
TABLE 3
Results for image characteristics evaluation
Restorability
35° C.
25° C.
10° C.
Restorability
from intense
85% RH
50% RH
15% RH
from fatigue
light-induced
(HH)
(NN)
(LL)
due to transfer
fatigue
Example 1
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 2
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 3
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 4
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 5
◯
⊚
◯
◯
◯
Example 6
◯
⊚
◯
◯
◯
Example 7
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
Δ
Example 8
◯
◯
Δ
◯
Δ
Comparative
X
Δ
Δ
X
Δ
Example 1
Comparative
X
Δ
Δ
Δ
X
Example 2
Comparative
X
X
X
X
X
Example 3
Example 9
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 10
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 11
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 12
◯
⊚
◯
⊚
◯
Example 13
◯
⊚
◯
◯
⊚
Example 14
◯
◯
◯
◯
◯
Example 15
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
◯
Example 16
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
Δ
Comparative
X
Δ
Δ
Δ
X
Example 4
Comparative
X
X
Δ
X
Δ
Example 5
Comparative
X
X
X
X
X
Example 6
TABLE 4
Results for image characteristics evaluation
Restorability
35° C.
25° C.
10° C.
Restorability
from intense
85% RH
50% RH
15% RH
from fatigue
light-induced
(HH)
(NN)
(LL)
due to transfer
fatigue
Example 17
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 18
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 19
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 20
⊚
⊚
⊚
◯
⊚
Example 21
◯
⊚
◯
◯
◯
Example 22
◯
⊚
◯
◯
◯
Example 23
◯
◯
Δ
◯
Δ
Example 24
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
Δ
Comparative
X
X
Δ
X
X
Example 7
Comparative
X
Δ
Δ
Δ
X
Example 8
Comparative
X
X
X
X
X
Example 9
Example 25
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 26
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 27
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
⊚
Example 28
◯
⊚
◯
⊚
⊚
Example 29
◯
⊚
◯
◯
◯
Example 30
◯
◯
◯
◯
◯
Example 31
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
Δ
Example 32
◯
◯
Δ
Δ
◯
Comparative
X
X
Δ
X
X
Example 10
Comparative
X
X
Δ
X
Δ
Example 11
Comparative
X
X
X
X
X
Example 12
According to Tables 1 to 4, it can be seen that when dicarboxylic acids including isophthalic acid, adipic acid and the like, diols including neopentyl glycol and the like, trimethylols including trimethylolpropane and the like, and diamines including benzoguanamine are used as constituent monomers, the electric potential characteristics and the image characteristics are simultaneously attained under various environments, and also the restorability from fatigue due to transfer and the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue are also simultaneously attained. It is even more desirable to use the constituent monomers described above and to have the composition ratio in the range of values given by the expression (1), and it can be seen that in that case, the amount of variation in electric potential after exposure under various environments is 30 V or less, and the image characteristics (fogging, black dots) become satisfactory to a level of ◯ or higher in all environments.
Furthermore, according to Comparative Examples 1 to 12, when any of the diols including neopentyl glycol and the like, the triols including trimethylolpropane and the like, and the diamines including benzoguanamine and the like, is not included in the constituent monomers, the amount of variation in electric potential after exposure under various environments is 50 V or greater for all of the combinations of charge generation layer and charge transport layer, and failures such as fogging and black dots occur in the image characteristics under various environments. Furthermore, it can be seen that the restorability from fatigue due to transfer and the restorability from intense light-induced fatigue are poor.
Thus, it is understood from Examples 1 to 32 that the effect is augmented by using the undercoat layer 2 of the present invention, while the effect is not dependent on the combination of the charge generation layer 4 and the charge transport layer 5 .
|
An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate; an undercoat layer provided on the electroconductive substrate and composed of: metal oxide fine particles including particles of at least one metal oxide and at least one organic compound provided on the particles of the at least one metal oxide as a surface treatment; and a copolymer resin synthesized by copolymerization of essential constituent monomers composed of a dicarboxylic acid, a diol, a triol and a diamine; and a photosensitive layer laminated on the undercoat layer. The undercoat layer permits (a) attaining stable electric potential characteristics in all environments ranging from low temperature and low humidity environments to high temperature and high humidity environments, (b) suppressing the occurrence of printing defects and density differences, and (c) simultaneously attaining transfer restorability and restorability from intense light-induced fatigue even in a wide variety of usages and operation environments.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to computer-based data transmission networks, and particularly to a method by which a provider-operated data shipping service may transmit large data blocks for customers at high speeds between geographically remote locations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The transmission of large data files (typically those in the megabyte and greater size range) or large quantities of smaller data blocks between two remote locations has traditionally been accomplished in one of three ways: (1) physically transporting the data on a tangible media such a magnetic tape, floppy or floptical disks, or optical discs (referred to as a "sneaker net"), (2) electronic transmission via modem and public telecommunications lines, or (3) transmission in the electronic domain via a dedicated transmission pathway consisting of one or more hard wire, fiber optic, microwave, or satellite linkages.
The need to send huge data files between remote locations has continued to expand in many industries, such as photographic and pre-press operations, magazine and catalog printing, medical imaging, CAD/CAM fabrication and manufacturing, financial and accounting services, and many scientific and technical research operations.
Physical transportation of data is restricted by the size of large data files and the capacity of transportable media. Floppy and floptical disk media is currently a preferred avenue due to the relatively small cost of the media per megabyte of storage capacity. Conventional high-density floppy disks having approximately 1.44 megabytes of formatted uncompressed capacity have been replaced by various high-capacity options such as the 100 megabyte Iomega® ZIP™ or Syquest® drives, and the recently introduced 120 megabyte LS-120™ floppy disk from 3M Company that is backwards compatible with the prevailing 1.44 megabyte formats. Even greater capacity may be obtained using magneto-optical disks such as the 230 megabyte DynaMO® format from Fujitsu, WORM and rewritable optical discs such as the industry-standard 650 megabyte CD-ROMs, and various removable hard drives.
However, even with increasing storage capacity and lowered equipment prices, physical transportation of data has many inherent drawbacks. Besides the cost of media, there are additional monetary costs for the actual physical transportation, including packaging, postal, messenger, or courier charges, and the time and expense involved with having personnel download, address, deliver, receive, and subsequently load the data. If the data is processed at the remote location and returned, the costs are doubled.
Utilizing overnight or same-day couriers, a round-trip shipment between two geographically remote locations (i.e., beyond the boundary of a single metropolitan region) will still require one or two days in transit.
Finally, there are the inherent risks of data loss or corruption due to defective media, mishandling, environmental conditions, and routing errors. Attempting to prevent such problems requires protective packaging, redundant shipments, and other safeguards that are expensive, time consuming, and yet unreliable. Even with safeguards in place, lost media or corrupted data can result in days of lost time in transit, as well as consuming valuable personnel time and creating uncertainty regarding the status of a given project or operation.
A variety of electronic data transmission systems exist for transmitting data files between two spatially-distinct locations. Local-area networks (LANs) are generally regarded as optimal for connecting a plurality of personal computers together within a single facility or campus using a file server or mainframe system as the backbone, and some LANs use dedicated transmission pathways to extend beyond a defined facility's or campus' geographical boundaries. Wide-area networks (WANs) are generally utilized for connections between more distant locations, and may be used to interconnect separate LANs. In the case of both LANs and WANs, there is usually a network connection between local computers using low speed hard wired or infrared pathways, and dedicated high speed connections between distant locations or with shared peripherals and systems maintenance devices.
While dedicated LANs or WANs will serve the needs for data transmission within a homogeneous autonomous enterprise--such as a single company having several plants or a university with more than one campus--they have proven unsuitable for conveying data between heterogeneous enterprises such as service providers and their customers.
Data transmission via conventional multiplexed telecommunications pathways is too slow to be useful for large data files even when compressed. Data errors, verification schemes, and encryption protocols all complicate such systems. Shared public networks are similarly too slow and unwieldy for sustained use in most industries requiring rapid shipping of large and complex data files, particularly where security and data integrity are primary concerns.
Private WANs are one feasible solution, but are frequently too expensive given the moderate transmission volumes that many companies require. In addition, one company may require frequent transmission connections to a plurality of unrelated senders or recipients at remote sites each having a different LAN structure and protocol, as well as infrequent or "one time" nonrecurring transmission connections to many other unrelated sites.
The use of commercial WANs can sometimes overcome these problems for companies having high volume or recurring transmission needs with unrelated sites, but these can be quite complex and expensive, requiring on-premises equipment, leased transmission pathways, technical support, maintenance, and custom-developed software applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method of this invention permits electronically conveying large blocks of data between geographically-remote locations by uploading the sender's data to the local hub site of a service provider's network, earmarking that data with an electronic invoice, transmitting that data via the service provider's high speed network to a secondary hub site that is local to the recipient's geographic location, and downloading the data from the second hub site to the recipient's network.
The data is earmarked so that the service provider can track the data files and charge the sender or recipient at a standardized rate determined by any one or more of several factors, such as the size of the data block or additional value-added services performed on the data such as proofing, archiving, encryption, or compression. Duplicate archival versions of the transmitted data may be maintained at two geographically-distinct locations--such as the service provider's primary and secondary network hub sites--to prevent the need for recreation or retransmission in the event of data loss or corruption by either the sender, recipient, or service provider.
The service provider's network may extend between the plurality of geographically-remote hub sites in a daisy-chain, closed loop, or other hybrid configurations (compared with wheel-and-spoke configurations used for conventional overnight package delivery services). The total number of network connections may be reduced, and yet a minimum number of alternative connections maintained to ensure data delivery in the event of a network connection failure. Accounting and tracking functions may be performed at the individual hub sites, or the electronic invoices may be transmitted to and processed at a separate data management center.
The network interfaces virtually transparently with the senders' and recipients' networks--using dedicated linking modules and object-oriented programs compatible with existing graphical user interfaces (GUIs)--while not directly interacting with those client networks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a hybrid configuration for the network of this invention utilized by the service provider for conveying documents between senders and recipients using the method of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the basic operational steps for conveying documents between senders and recipients using the method of this invention;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing alternate operation steps for processing and conveying documents between senders and recipients using the method of this invention;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic depiction of a representative example of a conventional graphical user interface (GUI) as seen from a hypothetical sender's viewpoint on that sender's computer system;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic depiction of the GUI of FIG. 4 wherein a program icon has been selected by the user and an additional screen icon created;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic depiction of the GUI of FIG. 5 wherein a document icon has been selected and is being dragged by the user;
FIG. 7 diagrammatic depiction of the GUI of FIG. 6 wherein the document icon is being dropped in the screen icon; and
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic depiction of the GUI of FIG. 7 wherein a dialog box has been opened and the user has input information and selected options, and the software program has provided responsive information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a network 10 is shown composed of a plurality of network hubs 12 spaced apart geographically in a plurality of spatially remote locations, such as distinct cities, metropolitan regions, states, countries, or the like. Each network hub 12 is connected to at least one other network hub 12 via a high speed digital, analog, or hybrid electronic transmission pathway 14, referred to herein as a network connection 14. The various network connections 14 are designated a, b, c, d, e, and, with connection a extending between the primary and secondary network hubs 12, connection b extending between the primary and tertiary network hubs 12, connection c extending between the tertiary and secondary network hubs 12, and connections d, e, and f tying in a plurality of additional network hubs 12.
Connected to each network hub is a plurality of senders or recipients 16 who are each located generally more geographically proximate to a corresponding one of the network hub 12 locations, and each sender or recipient 16 has a computer system linked via a dedicated electronic transmission pathway 18 and network access device 20 to that corresponding network hub 12.
Senders and recipients 16 may constitute separate or related businesses, individuals, institutions, or other entities. In FIG. 1, senders or recipients 16 which are like or related entities are shown using common geometric designs, including triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, and octagons. A sender or recipient 16 designated by the triangle connected to the primary network hub 12 would therefore be related in some subjective manner to a sender or recipient 16 designated by the triangle connected to the secondary and additional network hubs 12. Each such sender or recipient 16 might be a regional office of one corporation, a parent and subsidiary, branches of a financial institution, governmental offices, university campuses, and so forth.
A variety of distinct operational configurations may therefore be readily appreciated. For example, senders and recipients 16 designated by a hexagonal shape are connected together along a closed loop formed by network connections 14 labeled a, b, and c between the primary, secondary, and tertiary network hubs. No such sender or recipient 16 is connected to one of the additional network hubs 12 outside that closed loop. Senders and recipients 16 designated with a triangle are connected together by network hubs 12 and network connections 14 only along pathway b--d--f whereas senders and recipients 16 designated with an octagon are connected together by network hubs 12 and network connections 14 only along pathway a--e--f, with closed loops only being formed by including intermediate network hubs 12 to which no like or related sender or recipient 16 is connected. Related senders and recipients 16 may be connected to network hubs 12 separated by one of more intermediate network hubs 12 having no related senders or recipients 16, such as in the case of the senders or recipients 16 designated by a pentagon, or they may be connected at every network hub 12 such as the senders or recipients 16 designated by a square. In addition, referring to the common senders and recipients 16 designated by a square connected to the tertiary network hub 12, a plurality of separate sender or recipient 16 locations or facilities may be interconnected via a local area network 22 having one or more connections to a network hub 12, in this case the tertiary network hub 12 as noted.
Senders 16 are therefore capable of conveying documents in the electronic domain to any potential recipient operatively connected to the network 12, via either a direct connection to a network hub 12, or an indirect connection to a network hub 12 through a related sender or recipient 16.
In this manner, a shortest physical path between any two senders and recipients 16 will be formed, and as the number of network hubs 12 and network connections increases, the number of alternate pathways between each potential pair of senders and recipients 16 also increases. These alternate pathways may be physically longer than the shortest path connections, which may therefore be more expensive to construct and maintain on an incremental cost level, however this physical variance will be negligible for purposes of electronic transmission of documents. While direct network connections 14 between every network hub 12 could be established, it may be readily appreciated that the number of actual network connections 14 can be minimized so that each network hub 12 is connected to each other network hub 12 by a shortest path and one alternate path, thereby ensuring that transmissions to or from a given network hub 12 will not be interrupted due to failures in one of the corresponding network connections 14 to that network hub 12.
It is also understood that the various alternate paths established between two network hubs 12 permit electronic domain duplicates of a document to be transmitted simultaneously (or nearly simultaneously) to separate network hubs 12 and conveyed to distinct recipients 16, or conveyed at completely different times to distinct network hubs 12 and recipients 16, depending selectively upon the relative urgency of the transmission and the volume of document "traffic" on the affected network connections 14 within the network 10. A single document may therefore be divided into separate and distinct subdocuments and transmitted via two different paths and recombined at the network hub 12 from which the document will be transported directly to the recipient 16, for example a first subdocument transmitted from the primary to the secondary network hubs 12, and a separate subdocument transmitted from the primary to the tertiary to the secondary network hubs 12, and reassembled into the document at the secondary network hub 12.
Therefore, for purposes of this description, the term "document" may functionally include a single data file, a batch of separate data files, or a plurality of data blocks that are appended to one another to form a composite data file.
The data shipping network 10 of this invention is preferably operated by a "service provider" responsible in whole or in part for activities such as the development, installation, support, and maintenance of the components of the network 10, network hubs 12, network connections 14, and network access devices 20. The plurality of senders or recipients 16 may thus each be considered as "clients" or "customers" of the service provider.
The operative components of the network 10 located at each network hub 12 will include at least one central processing unit or processor array carried on a mainframe or file server architecture, an access control module connected to the central processing unit, one or more wide area network (WAN) routers for managing data flow between distributed nodes on the network and the various network connections 14, channel and data service units, power supply, user interfaces (such as personal computers or terminals), and a variety of peripheral devices including floppy, floptical, magneto-optical, and optical disc input/output, optical, RAID, or other mass storage devices, high resolution printers or plotters, scanners or other digitizing devices such as CCD video cameras, modems, and dedicated RISC processors for performing encryption, compression, color proofing, integrity verification, indexing, file comparison, or data string searching.
The network access module will normally include both hardware and software components designed to limit unauthorized access to the network 10 and control communications with the service provider or along the network connections 14, as well as monitor transmission parameters and detect characteristic attributes associated with each document being conveyed over the network 10 and each sender or recipient 16 connection with the network 10. The network access module will be operatively linked with a transaction control module and an information database, which together process and retain data regarding the status and tracking of documents conveyed, compute charges for the transmissions and other value added services provided, and perform processing functions dictated by the service provider. A portion of the access control module, transaction control module, and information database may be generated or retained on (or loaded onto) the computer system operated by the sender or recipient 16 as one or more software routines or hardware interfaces.
Various aspects of the software and hardware configurations will be evident from a description of the preferred method of operation discussed in detail below, however those of ordinary skill in the art of designing, operating, and maintaining wide area networks, database management systems, and transaction-based network communication systems may develop a widely divergent range of embodiments which function suitably and meet specific performance requirements depending upon the intended applications for the network 10, design and budgetary constraints, intra-industry standards and protocols, user preferences, regulatory requirements, and the availability and future development of hardware and software technology.
For example, the network connections 14 may include fiber optic, microwave, satellite, or other high bandwidth communications pathways capable of relatively high speed data transmission. The electronic transmission pathways connecting the individual sender or recipient 16 with the corresponding network hub 12 will depend on the volume of transmissions being processed, the available time for transporting the documents to the network hub 12, and the transmission rate of that pathway 18. The pathway 18 may vary from site to site, and could include a variety of known formats including a dedicated T1 or T3 connection, ISDN, fiber optic line, microwave telecommunications linkage, switched wire line, Internet, or even a modem and public telephone line. In some cases, the electronic transmission pathways connecting the individual sender or recipient 16 with the corresponding network hub 12 may operate at a substantially slower transmission rate than the network connections 14 between the network hubs 12, however the relatively short physical distance between the sender or recipient 16 and the corresponding network hub 12 permits the sender or recipient to invest in a relatively high speed transmission pathway 18 format which might not otherwise be financially or logistically practical if the sender 16 were establishing direct connections to one or more geographically remote recipients 16.
Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the basic operational steps involved with conveying a document from a sender 16 to a recipient 16 using the network 10 are described. It is understood that various of these operational steps may be performed in different or nonsequential orders, may be broken into subroutines and performed by different components of the network 10, may include steps performed manually by operators or individuals as well as those automatically performed according to predetermined program instructions, and may include additional or optional steps. As such, the various steps of the method of this invention as described and claimed are believed to be representative of the overall process, and not a sequential formulation for achieving the desired result of conveying the document between the sender 16 and intended recipient 16.
The document is initially created by or for the sender 16 on a computer system or network located at the sender's 16 facility, or is loaded onto that system using any convention I/O means for reading or digitizing data. The document is then transported to the primary network hub 12, either via the electronic transmission pathways connecting the sender 16 with the corresponding network hub 12, or by physical transportation of tangible media containing the document.
An electronic invoice is created and linked operationally to the document. The electronic invoice may originate with software provided by the service provider for operation on the sender's 16 computer system, or may be generated by interaction with the network interface device 20 or network hub 12. The electronic invoice may be appended to the document as a part of the data file, as a separate by linked data file, or through the use of a common reference. The electronic invoice will include at least two data elements, one being a unique identification indicia for the document, and the other being at least one characteristic attribute associated with the document or its transmission that is (or is subsequently) related to a rate for conveying the document from the sender 16 to the recipient 16.
The identification indicia and characteristic attribute may be distinct data element, or they may be combined into a single data elements which the network access module, transaction module, information database, and document tracking system is capable of distinguishing and decoding for later processing. The identification indicia may also include information regarding the sender 16 or recipient 16 identity, routing or transmission instructions, value added service requests, confirmation or retransmission instructions, batch processing instructions, partitioning or data block structure information, network access authorization information, and security or data verification criteria. The characteristic attribute may be or relate generally to the digital file size of the document in megabytes, the requested network priority or transmission rate, the time of day transported to the primary network hub 12 or transmitted to the secondary network hub 12, the digital bit depth or analog content of the document, value added services to be provided in relation to the document, the nature or status of the intended recipient 16, or any other suitable criteria wholly or partially determinative of the fee which the sender 16 or recipient 16 is charged for conveying or processing the document.
A duplicate of the document is created at the primary network hub 12 and stored in an archival storage system for future reference, security, verification, or retransmission purposes.
A first processing operation may also be performed on the document (or a portion thereof) at the primary network hub, including encryption, compression, screening or error detection, or any variety of value-added services such as color proofing or color separation of graphic images, creation of tangible or electronic domain comps, video and audio sequencing, copyright royalty calculations for electronic publishing, and so forth. Any number of such processing operations may be performed depending upon the cost and time constraints imposed.
The document is then routed for electronic transmission via the appropriate network connections 14. A preformatted route may be assigned for specific sender-recipient 16 transmissions, or the network 10 may calculate the most efficient route for a given document based upon its size, complexity, processing requirements, network traffic, and the operational status of each network hub 12 and network connection 14. The document is then transmitted as routed from the primary network hub to the secondary network hub.
Any second processing steps that may be required are then performed at the secondary network hub 12, such as decompression or decryption of the data. In addition, value-added services which might otherwise have been performed as "first" processing operations may be conducted, such as color proofing or color separations of graphic images. These value-added services may be performed at the secondary network hub 12 either because the operations should be performed subsequent to transmission to ensure data integrity, or due to more available or efficient processing capabilities compared with those of the primary network hub 12.
The document is then transported from the secondary network hub 12 to the recipient 16 using the same means described above in relation to transporting the document from the sender 16 to the primary processing hub 12.
The electronic invoice is processed to calculate a fee to be charged for the transmission or value-added services, with that fee calculated at least in part based upon one or more characteristic attributes associated with the document, its transmission, or the sender or recipient 16 (which are equally considered characteristic attributes of that document as well.) A fee may be charged to either the sender or recipient 16 or both, either prior to or after the successful transmission or receipt of the document. The sender or recipient may maintain accounts with the service provider against which fees are debited, or the service provider may be authorized to conduct an electronic fund transfer to obtain that fee on a periodic or document-by-document basis. The service provider may compile several fees for transmissions into a single charge, and receive payment or bill the sender or recipient 16 in any conventional manner. It may thus be appreciated that the steps of processing the electronic invoice and charging a fee for the transmission or value-added services may be conducted in whole or in part before, after, or during the transmission of the document, at one or both of the primary or secondary network hubs 12, at a remote data management facility operated by the service provider, or on the sender's or recipient's 16 own computer system utilizing a software program and database information provided by the service provider.
Referring to FIG. 3, several variations or options in the steps described above are shown, for example associating the electronic invoice with the document prior to the sender's transporting it to the primary network hub 12, dividing the document into subdocuments for parallel transmission over the same or separate network connections 14, transmitting different subdocuments to the secondary network hub 12 over distinct pathways involving separate network connections 14, recombining or reconstituting the subdocuments into the original document at the secondary network hub 12, verifying the integrity of the document for corruption relative to a predetermined qualitative or quantitative standard or threshold, and retransmitting the document if the verification process yields an unsatisfactory or unacceptable result or other criteria warrant retransmission.
Referring particularly to FIGS. 4-8, the operational steps for conveying a document from a sender 16 to an intended recipient 16 are described in greater detail from the visual perspective of a given sender 16 using a computer system having a graphic user interface (GUI) shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 4-8. This GUI is intended as a representative example only, and contains elements and depictions in common with or similar to other commercially-available GUIs, including Windows 95™ marketed by MicroSoft Corporation, and Mac-OS marketed by Apple Computer, Inc. Those skilled in the art of designing and coding software programs and GUIs will readily appreciate the representative nature of these depictions as they pertain to the two specific GUIs identified above, as well as other known GUIs and broader object-oriented programming systems (OOPS).
Referring to FIG. 4, the boundaries of a monitor screen 24 or virtual "desktop" are shown on which are displayed various graphical elements relating to software or hardware components of the sender's 16 computer system, including a hard drive 26 containing the operating system for the computer and bearing a particular volume name, a functional icon 28 such as a "trash can" which performs a specific operation when actuated (retaining and deleting a deposited file in the case of the trash can 28), a plurality of program icons 30 each relating to a software program resident on or available to the operating system, and a plurality of document icons 32 relating to digital data files contained in the system memory or stored on the hard disk.
In FIG. 5, the sender 16 has used a pointing device 34 such as a mouse- or touchpad-driven cursor to "highlight" and select a desired program icon 30 (in this case the software program corresponding to and responsible for establishing a communications connection with the service provider's network 10) and actuated the pointing device or other command so as to launch the program within the operating system. As a result of that program being launched, a separate display icon 36 is created at a predetermined location on the desktop 24, which may then be selectively moved or repositioned to any desired location on the desktop, hidden, reduced, or otherwise reconfigured. In other types of GUIs, a menu bar or menu column may be created in place of (or in addition to) the display icon 36.
FIG. 6 shows the sender 16 similarly using the pointing device 34 to select and highlight a document icon 32 corresponding to a document to be conveyed via the network to an intended recipient 16, and dragging that document icon 32 across the desktop 24.
In FIG. 7, the sender has dropped that document icon 32 into the display icon 34 corresponding to the service provider's program (and therefore the connection 18 to the network 10), and that icon is therefore shown as momentarily highlighted.
As a result of this action, a dialog box 3 8 is generated on the desktop 24 a shown in FIG. 8. That dialog box 38 contains data entry fields 40 into which information regarding the document, sender or recipient 16, routing, or other criteria may be entered by the sender 16. The dialog box also contains selection fields 42 from which the sender may select one or more intended recipients based upon previously input information, or may enter pertinent information as needed or required. The dialog box 38 provides buttons 44 which may be selected or actuated in order to choose various options regarding the document information or content, its transmission, or the value-added services to be provided by the service provider. Actuation of those buttons 44 indicates selection of an option, and causes the software program to generate the appropriate commands or append the appropriate information to the document or the electronic invoice. Certain information generated by the software program (or transmitted from the service provider back to the sender's 16 computer system) may also be displayed within the dialog box 38, or retained in a separate log file. That displayed information may include the unique identification information for the document, such as a serial or tracking number, the document size in megabytes or other units, the expected transmission time required or estimated transmission time scheduled, confirmation of receipt, and so forth.
These various fields and the information provided or displayed will of course be designed for each particular embodiment or application of the network 10 depending upon the type of transmission and value-added services being provided, the nature of the service provider and the senders and recipients 16, the types of documents involved, and the capabilities of the sender's or recipient's software, hardware, and communications equipment, as well as being capable of further customization by the user within predefined parameters permitted by the software.
In this manner, an operative connection may be established with the service provider via the network access device 20 and communication pathway 18 by launching the service provider's program, and that program will then remain resident and available to the sender 16 in the "background" of the GUI throughout the day until later "quit," thus providing the sender 16 with the capability of quickly and easily transmitting documents a high transmission rates to any intended recipient 16 which is linked to the service provider's network 10, even at the most geographically-remote location and regardless of disparities between the sender's and recipient's 16 computer systems or local network protocols.
While the operation of the network 10 has been described from the perspective of a sender 16, it will operate in a similarly seamless and "invisible" manner to the recipient 16. The recipient 16 may be expecting delivery of a document, and will open the corresponding program screen or dialog box generated by the software program resident on the recipient's computer system, and determine whether that document has been received. Conversely, receipt of the document at the recipient's 16 computer system may produce a signal to the recipient 16, such as an e-mail message, an audible tone, the appearance of a visible icon or marker on the desktop or menu bar, or a flashing or blinking icon or symbol.
It may be readily appreciated that the software and network 10 may also be configured to permit a potential recipient 16 to issue a request to a particular network hub 12 or a sender's computer system, or a network-wide search request for a document satisfying given search criteria. Once identified, the location of that document could be provided to the potential recipient 16, who would then issue a request to the corresponding computer system or storage device on which the document resides, or the document could be automatically retrieved and transmitted to the recipient 16. Security and access protocols could restrict a recipient's access to searching only certain computer systems or network hubs 12, or permit the potential recipient 16 to only search for particular document types for which that person or computer system possesses authorization. Again, the level of technical complexity and the scope of available design alternatives will permit those of ordinary skill to develop embodiments of the network 10 to perform virtually any array of tasks that may be required, and meet the needs of an unlimited variety of users and industries.
While the preferred embodiments of the above method 10 have been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings Figures, it is understood that various changes and adaptations may be made in the method 10 without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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The method for electronically conveying large blocks of data between geographically-remote locations by uploading the sender's data to the local hub site of a service provider's network, earmarking that data with an electronic invoice, transmitting that data via the service provider's high speed network to a secondary hub site that is local to the recipient's geographic location, and downloading the data from the second hub site to the recipient's network. Duplicate archival versions of the transmitted data may be maintained at two geographically-distinct locations, such as the service provider's primary and secondary network hub sites. The total number of network connections may be reduced with a minimum number of alternative connections maintained to ensure data delivery in the event of a network connection failure. Value-added services may be performed on the data either prior or subsequent to its transmission between the primary and secondary hub sites.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for welding two polymer parts via fusion using a heater mat, as well as a method for welding two polymer parts via fusion using a heater mat.
Thus, the invention relates to the field of setting up a fluid distribution system and that of the replacement of a section or several sections of a pipeline or a conduit of such a system, which are made from a thermofusible material.
BACKGROUND
Distribution systems, in particular as concerns the distribution of city gas or natural gas, are currently already and will increasingly be constructed in large part of conduits formed from tubes or pipes made of polyethylene or polyamide, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. Several techniques exist for assembling such pipes. One, for example, consists in heating the end fittings of two pipes arranged opposite one another until the thermofusible material is sufficiently fluid so that, when the two end fittings are closed together under slight pressure, they melt inside one another and form a substantially gas-tight joint having a mechanical strength that is compatible with the use of the conduits being formed.
According to another technique, a heater mat is used, which is made from a resistive wire coated with an insulating varnish. The heater mat in a rectangular shape or in the form of a sheath is then given a final shape in order to be electrically powered by an automaton that is voltage or current intensity-adjustable and resistant to short circuits.
The technique of welding by means of a heater wire or a heater mat appears to be rather promising, and this is the case as concerns both the assembly process and the good performance over time of the joint thus made.
The welding of two polymer parts via fusion obtained by means of a heater mat is based on a moderate and local heating of the area of a conduit that is to be fused, which is made of a thermofusible material, e.g., polyethylene, using an electrical heating element forming a heating resistor. This welding is carried out without any addition of hardfacing material. Supplying the conductors of the heater mat with appropriate electrical power is advantageously, but not exclusively, performed by an automaton, e.g., a welding automaton commonly used for electrofusion welding.
Putting a heater mat or a heater wire into place, when this invention is not used, occurs essentially in four steps, namely:
injection molding of an impression or preform made of polyethylene or another thermofusible polymer of small thickness, generally of the order of 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm, the impression being intended to receive a resistive wire; insertion and holding of the resistive wire inside the impression via winding; placement of the connectors at each end of the coiled wire; and over-molding of the connector body onto the heater implant formed at the end of the previous step.
Producing the implant in this form is the most delicate and most costly phase, taking into account various factors capable of interfering with the process. Such factors, for example, are a break in the wire during winding, an imperfect connection of the connectors to the wire and the presence of a relatively significant residual stress differential between the impression and the connector body.
Furthermore, experience has shown that the production of the implant suffers from numerous problems in the preparation of the tubes being welded, these problems being linked primarily to the imperfect scraping of the surfaces being assembled.
This is why the thermofusion technique using a heater mat eliminates the conventional coiling of the connectors and, at the interface, results in temperature characteristics superior to those of the winding systems. In addition, fusion using a heater mat can be applied in those cases where polymer parts of various and complex geometries are to be welded together, which would not necessarily be possible with the winding system.
However, as promising and advantageous as fusion welding obtained using a heater mat might appear to be, the fact remains that it has not been possible to resolve certain difficulties inherent in the condition of the parts being welded. These difficulties are primarily due to imperfect preparation (scraping, cleaning, degreasing, . . . ) of the parts being welded, but also to a relatively advanced state of degradation (oxidation, carbonization), or else to defects of a geometric nature or significant roughness.
Other problems result from a sometimes insufficient flexibility of the mat for a given geometry of the parts, from a sometimes difficult fastening of the mat onto the part being welded and from difficulties in holding the mat in the specified position until the parts being welded have fused.
Yet another problem is that, in certain cases, it would desirable to be able to vary the supply of fusion energy from one location to another on the parts being welded. Theoretically, it would perhaps be possible to use several heater mats, each with its own power supply controlled according to the local requirements of each of the mats. However, such an approach seems very complicated to carry out at a worksite, i.e., outside of the laboratory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to make it possible to remedy the above-stated disadvantages.
The purpose of the invention is first achieved by a device for welding two polymer parts via fusion using a heater mat knitted from a resistive wire coated with an insulating varnish, the heater mat being given a final shape in order to be electrically powered by an automaton that is voltage or current intensity-adjustable and resistant to short circuits.
According to the invention, the heater mat is made from a resistive wire having a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm, and has approximately parallelepiped meshes, the dimensions of which range from 1.5×3 mm 2 to 2.5×4.5 mm 2 .
Owing to the arrangements of the invention, it is possible to use a heater mat which is electrically powerful enough to generate energy levels on the order of 10-100 J/mm 2 , for common thermofusible materials, and which is at the same time sufficiently flexible from the mechanical and geometric standpoints to accommodate the various geometries of the parts being welded and, as will be explained more fully later, to vary the supply of heat energy from one location to the other of the parts being welded, and to do so with a single heater mat and a single electrical power supply.
In addition, according to another characteristic of the invention, the fastening of a heater mat onto a part being welded by studs made of a thermofusible material enables suitable temporary positioning for both worksite handling and factory production. In the factory, more specifically, this fastening possibility eliminates the need to use specific means for holding the heater mat in place, and therefore results in the elimination of the associated precision robotization for positioning the heater mat. Another advantage of this fastening mode is that it brings a high degree of flexibility to the positioning of the mat, e.g., by fastening all of the meshes or only a certain portion of the meshes, as well as adaptation of the studs to the material of the parts being welded, when the parts are of the same type or when it involves a heterogeneous assembly wherein the mat is fastened onto the most fluid material.
The purpose of the invention is also achieved with a method for welding two polymer parts via fusion using a heater mat knitted from a resistive wire coated with an insulating varnish, the heater mat being given a final shape in order to be electrically powered by an automaton which is voltage or current intensity-adjustable and resistant to short circuits, the mat being made from a resistive wire having a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm, and having approximately parallelepiped meshes, the dimensions of which range from 1.5×3 mm 2 to 2.5×4.5 mm 2 . The process includes at least the following steps:
giving a heater mat a shape as close as possible to that of at least one of the surfaces to be fused of the parts being welded, fastening the heater mat onto this surface, assembling the two parts being welded, and carrying out the welding operation.
According to one embodiment of this method, the heater mat can be fastened onto one of the parts being welded with studs made of a thermofusible material.
As already suggested in part above, the invention is based on the implementation of a heater mat at the interface of two or more polymer parts being welded, for the purpose of ensuring the welding of these parts via electrofusion. These parts can be made of the same material, e.g., polyethylene, but they can also be made of different materials, e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene.
To facilitate reading of the description of the invention, reference will be made solely to a two-part assembly. However, it is self-evident that this invention also applies to an assembly of three or more parts, e.g., when tapping of a conduit via two other conduits must be carried out and when these two tapping conduits cannot be assembled ahead of time.
For the specific purposes of the invention, the heater mat, which might be made of different materials, is made by knitting a resistive wire coated with an insulating varnish, the melting point of which must be lower than the degradation temperature of the polymer parts being welded. The coating of the wire introduces a self-regulating function for the heating time of the parts being welded, in the sense that, when a predetermined temperature for the welded joint being made is reached, a temperature which ensures interpenetration of the chains of molecules of the contacting surfaces of the parts being assembled, the insulating varnish of the knitted wire melts and results in a short circuit that shuts down the heating by the heater mat.
In addition, the heater mat can be modeled in different shapes, for example, according one plan, in the shape of a cylinder or a flange ring, and thereby can be easily adapted to complex assembly geometries and, where appropriate, in order to concentrate the energy supplied to areas or particular points of the parts, e.g., an angle, a cavity or a machining allowance.
The heater mat can be shaped with different geometries so as to customize it to the type of part being welded. Based on the manner in which it is desired to manage the energy supplied to the welding interface, the knit mesh of the heater mat can assume various dimensions. Furthermore, for a given mesh size, the heater mat can advantageously consist of one or more layers. This advantage can also be used to carry out differentiated heating of various temperature zones of the parts being welded.
To fasten the heater mat and to hold it in place, the mat can be fastened with welding studs made of a melted polymer. According to one variant, and in particular so as to improve the contact between the parts being welded, the heater mat can be advantageously integrated into one of the parts being welded prior to the welding cycle. This integration can be carried out by pre-heating the mat via suitable exterior charging.
Thus, the invention makes it possible at the same time to ensure an improved level of energy per unit area, improved homogeneity of this energy at the welding interface as well as improved control over the temperature with respect to time, and consequently to improve the quality of the weld, even in the presence of residual materials at an improperly prepared interface (imperfect scraping or lack of cleaning, . . . ) or even an interface degraded by oxidation, pyrolysis, or carbonization.
The operation of the invention is based on the controlled, localized heating of at least one interface of two polymer parts, e.g., polyethylene, for a given period of time, so as to cause the welding thereof, at the end of the heating-cooling cycle imposed by an automaton of the welding machine type.
In the case of polyethylene parts, welding results from molecular interpenetration at the interface of the products that have been placed in contact with each other, under the effects of temperature and time imposed by the heater mat.
In comparison with the conventional filament or winding technique, and even in comparison with the technique of a heater mat formed by a crisscross arrangement of a conductor wire, this invention, via improved management and improved distribution of the energy supplied to the material, makes it possible to promote the interdiffusion of the macromolecules within each of the microcells which are delimited approximately by each of the meshes of the beater mat, and to thereby locally increase the interpenetration potential of the materials being welded by activating a more significant proportion of diffusing molecules. Thus, the method of the invention is particularly advantageous in the presence of imperfect surface conditions, which are caused, for example, by craters, significant roughness, waves, etc., or by partially degraded or even polluted materials.
In this case, the interdiffusion barrier consisting of the degraded molecules can be overcome by the deeper surrounding healthy material, without having significantly to increase the welding time, as would be necessary in the case of conventional welding with a filament winding. Furthermore, heating of the interface is ensured by a given resistivity mat which heats up via the Joule effect when the mat is electrically powered by a machine or suitable automaton. The heating and cooling cycles imposed on the assembly by the automaton can be advantageously carried out using electrical parameters such that they make it possible to use all of the welding automatons available on the market.
The optimal welding parameters can be determined by successive approaches, by a mechanical strength test, e.g., via a peeling-type test. For optimal welding quality, even in the presence of initially degraded materials, the energy delivered to the interface must advantageously range between approximately 10 J/mm 2 and approximately 100 J/mm 2 , particularly for polyethylene.
In the example of a method of welding with applied voltage, the heating time for the mat will thus be adapted with respect to its resistance, so as to remain within this energy window.
Below the low energy value per unit area, the quality of the weld is not optimal, which is a consequence of incomplete interdiffusion or interpenetration of the molecules at the interface. Above the high energy value, the quality of the weld tends to decrease when the degradation kinetics of the material surpasses the macromolecular interdiffusion kinetics.
The arrangement of a heater wire or a heater mat in the vicinity of the welding plane makes it possible to supply electrical energy per unit area that is stronger and more homogeneous in comparison with the conventional technique, e.g., via a filament winding in the form of a coil or mat. The stronger and better distributed electrical energy per unit area makes it possible to improve the interdiffusion of the molecules at the interface and thereby to improve the weld quality, even in the case of imperfect surfaces (due to significant roughness, waves, craters, etc.) and/or materials partially degraded by oxidation, carbonization, etc.
For informational purposes, according to laboratory-conducted tests with a close-meshed knit and a wide-meshed knit having the following dimensions:
CM Knit WM Knit (close-meshed) (wide-meshed) Diameter of the wire, 2r 0.22 mm 0.28 mm Small side of the “cell,” a 1.5 mm 3 mm Large side of the “cell,” b 2.5 mm 4.5 mm Surface area of the “cell,” ab 3.75 mm 2 13.5 mm 2
and for polyethylene conduits having a mass density in the solid state of 960 kg/m 3 , a fusion enthalpy of 180-200 J/g and a fusion range between 120 and 140° C., the following energy range required for fusion of the parts being welded, i.e., the energy per unit area to be supplied in order to obtain good laboratory welding conditions (unaged material and aged material) was determined to be between 10 J/mm 2 and 100 J/mm 2 .
The energy required to fuse 1 mm 3 of material is on the order of 190 (J/g)×10 −6 (g/mm 3 ) i.e., approximately 0.2 J/mm 3 .
In the case of laboratory tests, it is considered that the melted thickness on either side of the interface remains less than 1 mm under optimal welding conditions, i.e., a total melted depth of 2 mm (total thickness of the assembly of the two test pieces equal to approximately 4 mm).
Hence, there is a melt volume per cell of the order of 2ab (mm 3 ) to which it is necessary to supply a minimum of 0.2 (J/mm 3 )2ab (mm 3 ) or 0.4ab (J).
More generally speaking:
E min >(fusion enthalpy)(density)( ab )(melt depth) (condition 1),
a condition linking the minimum energy to be supplied to initiate fusion of the material at the interface to a given depth, the energy required to fuse the material of a given mass density and the surface of the “heater cell.”
From the energy relation E=(U 2 t)/R (where U is the voltage applied during the time period t and R is the total resistance of the knit), and from the resistance relation
R =(ρ1)/ S (where ρ, 1, and S are the resistivity, length, and cross section of the wire, respectively),
it is concluded that E=(U 2 t)S/(ρ1),
hence, the energy per unit area:
E S ( U 2 t )[π r 2 ]/(ρ1) AB
(hence, AB is the total heated surface area).
Reduced to the size of the cell, the energy per unit area becomes:
E S =( U 2 t )[π r 2 ]/(ρ[2 a+ 2 b ])([ a+ 2 r][b+ 2 r ]),
hence:
10 J/mm 2 <( U 2 t )[π r 2 ]/(ρ[2 a+ 2 b ])([ a+ 2 r][b+ 2 r ])<100 J/m 2 (condition 2),
a condition linking the size of the “heater cell” to the parameters of the wire as well as to the operating conditions.
The invention also relates to the following characteristics considered separately or in any technically possible combination:
the resistive wire of the heater mat is coated with a varnish having a fusion point lower than the degradation temperature of the polymer parts being welded; the heater mat is an elongated object; the heater mat is a sheath; the heater mat is a strip; the heater mat has an irregular mesh pitch; localized super-concentration of the welding energy is obtained as needed by folding the mat over on itself;
localized super-concentration of the welding energy is obtained by giving the heater mat an irregular mesh pitch.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of a heater mat of a device of the invention and its application to two conduits to be welded. This description is made with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a portion of a heater mat of a device of the invention,
FIG. 2 shows the mat of FIG. 1 in folded-over position,
FIG. 3 shows a variant of the heater mat of FIG. 1 , and
FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a welding cycle with measurement of the temperature at the interface and the force imposed during welding.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows a portion of a knitted heater mat 1 used for the device of the invention. The mat 1 is obtained by knitting a resistive wire having a 2r diameter, which is coated with an insulating varnish, and has approximately parallelepiped meshes M with dimensions a and b, where a is the dimension of the small side of a cell or mesh M, b is the dimension of the large side of the mesh M, and the product ab is the surface area of a mesh, which corresponds approximately to a heater cell of the heater mat 1 . According to the invention, the small side of a mesh M has dimensions ranging from 1.5-2.5 mm and the large side b has dimensions ranging from 3-4.5 mm.
The heater mat 1 is made either in the form of a flat body, or in the form of a sheath. In addition, knitting is carried out so as to give the finished heater mat a certain degree of dimensional flexibility in the lengthwise direction of the mat and a slight degree of flexibility in the widthwise direction.
FIG. 2 shows a heater mat 1 made in the form of a sheath and therefore capable of being threaded over a cylindrical part to be welded, or flattened and used as a strip-like heater mat. In the latter case, the heater mat will thus have two layers of superimposed meshes. In order not to overload FIG. 2 , the mat 1 is shown as a single strip, i.e., only the layer oriented towards the reader of the drawings is seen.
FIG. 2 more specifically shows a heater mat 1 in the form of a sheath, flattened and folded over once in order to increase locally the number of layers of meshes and thereby to obtain a localized super-concentration of the welding energy.
As a matter of fact, as shown in FIG. 2 , the heater mat 1 is folded over once and the two portions 1 A, 1 B of the mat thus obtained are arranged so as to be partially staggered in relation to each other and in regard to the number of layers of meshes and the energy capacity to be supplied, so as to obtain a first single mat portion 11 , a double mat portion 12 and a second single mat portion 13 . Depending on the manner in which the two portions 1 A, 1 B of the mat 1 are staggered, the double mat portion 12 is relatively wide and relatively long.
FIG. 3 shows a portion of a heater mat 1 of a device of the invention, which differs from that of FIG. 1 in that it has an uneven distribution of the meshes on the surface in question. This uneven distribution of the meshes is obtained manually when the heater mat is positioned on the surface to be melted, by concentrating the meshes over an area requiring a super-concentration of energy, and by spacing out the meshes in the other areas as much as possible.
Because of the knitting style, the meshes of the heater mat 1 are more movable in relation to one another, in one direction than the other. In FIGS. 1-3 , the meshes M are more movable in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Thus, when it is a matter of arranging an area requiring a super-concentration of energy, the mat 1 is compressed in the vertical direction and thereby 1 reduces the large side b 1 (which corresponds to the side b of FIG. 1 ) to a small side b 2 .
For illustrative purposes, FIG. 4 shows a diagram which, for a welding cycle, represents the mechanical stress imposed on two parts being welded (curve A) and the temperature measured at the interface of the assembly (curve B). The welding cycle includes a heating phase lasting approximately 20 sec followed by a relatively rapid cooldown for approximately 10 see and a slower cooldown for approximately 80 sec. This heating cycle is staggered in relation to the cycle for applying the stress imposed on the assembly. As shown in FIG. 4 , the heating period begins only approximately 60 sec after the start of a cycles this cycle start-up is marked by a preloading of the assembly, by applying the stress, which increases to the maximum over a period of approximately 10 sec, followed by a certain pause for 50 sec, the period during which the heating period begins. This heating is accompanied by an additional pause and then a restart of the stress applied to the assembly, until the end of the heating period. During cooling of the welded parts, the stress imposed on the assembly decreases rapidly in order to be then maintained at a low level (of the order of 100 N).
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The invention relates to a device and a method for welding two polymer parts via fusion using a heater mat knitted from a resistive wire coated with an insulating varnish, the heater mat being given a final shape. The heater mat is resistive wire having a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm, and has approximately parallelepiped meshes, the dimensions of which range from 1.5×3 mm 2 to 2.5×4.5 mm 2 .
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FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to message management systems.
BACKGROUND
Conventional message management systems provide capabilities for the collection, organization, monitoring, storage, and retrieval of incoming and outgoing email messages. Some message management systems also enable administrators to set criteria for storing email messages, and/or attachments associated therewith, by copying and/or moving them to secondary storage locations, and may include centralized storage and retrieval capabilities that can automatically move email messages and/or attachments between main and secondary storage. Some email message management systems can also capture and index incoming and outgoing emails, and allow users and administrators to search emails.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional system 100 in which a message management system 105 enables email archive searching. The message management system 105 includes an email archiver 134 and an email archive searcher 120 . The email archiver 134 retrieves incoming and outgoing emails from an email server 132 and archives the email messages in an email archive 130 . Email archive 130 refers to a store of emails, which may be stored on any type of storage, and need not be limited to a long-term form of storage (e.g., tape). For example, the email archive may be stored on magnetic tapes, compact discs, hard disks and/or any other form of storage.
System 100 also comprises a global address catalog (GAC) 110 containing a list of messaging identities in an organization. The GAC 110 may be used by the message management system 105 to present a list of display names for the messaging identities in the organization, and a user may select one or more of the display names whose associated emails (in the email archive 130 ) the user wishes to search for. The email archive searcher 120 may resolve the display names into one or more associated email addresses using information contained in the GAC 110 , and execute a search of the email archive 130 for emails received at and/or sent from the associated email addresses. The email archive searcher 120 may output search results 140 of the email messages (in the email archive 130 ) that have been received at and/or sent from the email addresses associated with the selected display names.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art system on which an email archive searcher is implemented;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system on which an email archive searcher and a super global address catalog (GAC) is implemented in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process for performing an initial build of a super GAC in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for updating a super GAC in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for performing an email archive search query process in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process for performing a GAC search query process in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Email management systems can operate in conjunction with an email system and manage the archiving of an organization's incoming and outgoing email messages. As used herein, an email management system may be referred to as an extension system for an email system, since the email management system can extend the capabilities of the email system.
Email management systems can allow a user to search an email archive for messages sent and/or received by a specified messaging identity in the organization. A list of messaging identities in an organization (e.g., people, distribution lists, aliases, etc) with associated display names, email addresses, and other identity information may be contained in a global address catalog (GAC) provided by the email system. As such, a GAC can serve as an index into a plurality of stored email messages by providing an association between messaging identities and information (e.g., display name, email address) that may be used to determine which emails belong to a given messaging identity.
An example of an email management system is the EmailXtender® email management system product offered by EMC Legato, a division of EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass., but the aspects of the invention described herein are not limited to use with this or any other particular type of email management system, and can be used with any email management system.
Examples of GACs are the global address list (GAL) used by the Microsoft Outlook® and Microsoft Exchange Server® email system offered by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., and the global address book (GAB) used by the Lotus Notes® and Lotus Domino® email system offered by International Business Machine Corporation of Armonk, N.Y. In the description that follows, GAC is used to refer to any global list of messaging identities and is not be limited to the list of identities used by any particular email system.
As noted previously, an email message management system may allow a user to select a messaging identity in a GAC and search an email archive for emails received or sent by the selected identity. For example, if the user wishes to retrieve emails associated with a specific person, the email message management system may search the email archive for email messages received at or sent from the email address of the specific person.
During such a process, the email message management system may retrieve information about messaging identities stored in the GAC. Retrieving information from the GAC may be accomplished via an application program interface (API) provided by the email system. Therefore, although an email message management system may construct and maintain its own email archive, the email message management system may refer to the GAC for numerous purposes. For instance, the email message management system may use the GAC to construct a list of messaging identities in the organization, and to resolve a messaging identity into associated email addresses. Once a list of email addresses associated with a selected messaging identity is deduced, the message management system may search the email archive for emails received at or sent from at least one of the email addresses associated with the selected messaging identity.
Messaging identities in the GAC may be associated with any number of valid email addresses. Furthermore, the GAC may also contain legacy email addresses, corresponding to former email addresses that may have been associated with a person (or group) at a prior point in time. In such an instance, the former email addresses may be retained and stored in the GAC as legacy email addresses, with some information being included to correlate the legacy email addresses to the current non-legacy addresses. For example, a person (e.g., “John Smith”) who works for a company that is restructured to (e.g., via an acquisition or merger) may have a current email address “JSmith@Company.com” associated with the newly organized company and a legacy email address “JSmith@Acquired.com” associated with the person prior to the organization restructuring.
In conventional systems, the GAC is a dynamic listing of messaging entities which evolves over time. For example, if an employee leaves an organization, an administrator may choose to reuse the employee's email addresses by eliminating their associated entry from the GAC. For example, if John Smith, referenced above, were to leave the company and a Jane Smith were to become employed thereafter, the administrator may chose to reuse the “JSmith@Company.com” email address. Furthermore, an administrator may edit a display name and/or email address in the GAC to reflect a name change of an employee (e.g. resulting from a marriage). In other cases, an administrator may create a new entry in the GAC for a new user, with associated email addresses, and any other associated information.
Applicants have appreciated that changes to the GAC may result in difficulties searching an email archive using information contained in the GAC. For example, when an administrator edits and/or removes an identity's data, or the entire identity's entry, from the GAC, an email message management system may not be able to determine email addresses associated with that identity. For example, when an identity's entry is deleted from the GAC, the GAC will no longer contain the identity's email addresses, and therefore, the email message management system will be unable to determine the identity's email addresses so as to search the email archive. Also, when an identity's email addresses in the GAC are modified over time, previous addresses may not necessarily be stored in the GAC, and therefore, the email message management system may be unable to determine all the identity's associated email addresses. In such an instance, a search of the email archive based on the identity's retrieved email addresses may not return all the identity's associated emails, since some emails may be associated with former email addresses not contained in the GAC.
In one embodiment, a global messaging identities catalog is created and maintained distinct from the GAC 110 , and is referred to as a super GAC or an extender catalog (which may be associated with an extension system for an email system), wherein the super GAC may have different information from that contained in the GAC 110 . The nature of the differences between the information in the GAC and the super GAC can take any form, as the aspect of the invention related to the use of a super GAC is not limited in this respect. In one embodiment, the super GAC can preserve at least some information deleted from the GAC. In another embodiment, information from other sources (examples of which can include human resource records, payroll records, the email archive, etc. as discussed below) can be added to the super GAC.
In another embodiment, the validity of an email address for a particular user is bound with an effective temporal period. For example, in the case of John Smith, referenced above, the email address “JSmith@Company.com” may be associated with John Smith for an effective temporal period, and beyond that period, that email address may be associated with another person in the organization. The effective temporal period may be specified by a begin time alone, an end time alone, both a begin and end time, or any other technique, as the invention is not limited in this respect. As used herein, the term time refers to any temporal indicator of any granularity (e.g., year, month, day, hour, minute, etc.).
In a further embodiment, a capability is provided to enable a GAC (or super GAC) to be searched based not only on a specified display name, but on other attributes. Examples of such other attributes include email address, domain account name, and other messaging identity attributes, but this aspect of the invention is not limited to these examples. As used herein, a domain account name refers to a name that in combination with a password enables access to an associated account on a networked domain of resources (e.g., computers, file shares, printers, etc.).
The capability of searching a GAC (or super GAC) based not only on a display name, but on other attributes, provides flexibility in searching a GAC (or super GAC) for particular identities, since the GAC (or super GAC) may be searched for identities that possess any known attribute.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention that employs to a super GAC 215 that can be used by a message management system 205 to search an email archive 230 . This is one example of a system that can use a super GAC, but embodiments of the invention relating to a super GAC are not limited to this or any other particular system implementation.
The message management system 205 comprises an email archiver 234 that retrieves incoming and outgoing emails from email server 232 of an email system and archives the email messages in an email archive 230 using any archiving method. For example, the email archive 230 may contain stored messages in a plurality of folders with different retention periods, where the retention period is the length of time from initial storage before emails in that folder are deleted. The email archive 230 may have associated metadata which may facilitate searching of the archive. One example of metadata associated with an email archive is a full-text index, containing an index of all terms in the messages contained in the email archive.
An email archive searcher 220 executes a search (e.g., in response to a search request from a user) of the email archive 230 for emails received at and/or sent from specified email addresses, and may output search results 240 .
System 200 also includes a GAC 210 and can also include extended information sources 260 . The GAC 210 can take any form, as the invention is not limited to use with systems having GACs of any particular configuration. The GAC 210 may be created and maintained by an email application program (not shown). For example, the GAC may contain a list of messaging identities in an organization, where each messaging identity entry may have an associated display name, email addresses, domain account names, messaging identity attributes, and/or other information. The messaging identity entries in the GAC 210 may relate to people, distribution lists, aliases, or any other identities, as the invention is not limited in this respect.
In some embodiments, the super GAC 215 can be populated with information from extended information sources other than a single GAC 210 . As an example, there may be repositories (e.g., databases) of information in an organization such as human resource records, payroll, etc., and in one embodiment, information from these sources can be added to the super GAC 215 , as discussed below. In the illustrative implementation of FIG. 2 an updater 250 is provided to update the super GAC 215 with information from external sources, but the super GAC 215 may be populated in any way, as the invention is not limited in this respect. In one embodiment, the current email archive 230 can also be used as an extended information source to extract information which can be used to populate the super GAC 215 . In another embodiment, information from two or more GACs from different systems can be used to populate a single super GAC 215 . This can be advantageous when an organization is using multiple different email systems maintaining separate GACs. In such cases, it may be desirable to create a single super GAC containing the information from the separate GACs, thereby consolidating information for messaging identities in the organization.
It should be understood that the examples provided above concerning the way in which the super GAC 215 can be populated with information from sources other than from the GAC 210 are merely illustrative, and that the embodiments directed to the use of a super GAC is not limited to one populated in the ways described above.
The super GAC updater 250 may process information from the GAC 210 , and optionally also one or more extended information sources 260 , to create and/or update the super GAC 215 . In one embodiment, the super GAC 215 may contain a list of messaging identities in the organization, including identities that may differ from those in the GAC 210 . For example, the super GAC 215 may include current messaging identity entries contained in the GAC 210 , messaging identity entries that were deleted from the GAC 210 (e.g., as a result of people departing the organization), and/or messaging identity entries whose associated data (e.g., display names, email addresses, and/or other information) has been modified in the GAC 210 (e.g., due to name changes, organization restructuring, or any other reason).
In instances when information is deleted from or modified in the GAC 210 , the super GAC 210 may include the prior information and time bound information describing an effective temporal period for which the information is accurate. This is advantageous when responding to queries, since information may be associated with a particular identity only during a certain time period. For example, an email address may be associated with a particular messaging identity during a certain time period, and beyond that period, that email address could be associated with another messaging identity.
In one embodiment, where information in the super GAC 215 is time bounded, time information can be provided in numerous ways, and the invention is not limited to any particular way of providing time information. For example, time information can manually be entered into the super GAC 215 . In other embodiments, time information may be determined using one or more extended information sources 260 , or any other suitable approach. Furthermore, any given method of providing time information may be used on its own, or may used in combination with one or more other methods for providing time information.
The super GAC 215 may also include additional information further restricting the association of email addresses with people in the organization. In one embodiment, such additional information may include begin and/or end times, or any other information. As previously noted, as used herein, the term time refers to any temporal indicator of any granularity (e.g., year, month, day, hour, minute, etc.).
Begin and end times for an email address of a person may specify a time period during which the email address was associated with the person. For example, an end time associated with an email address for a person may be desirable when the person departs the organization and their email address is reused by another person.
Numerous implementation are possible with regards to begin times and end times in the super GAC 215 , as the embodiments that employ this feature are not limited to any particular implementation. In one embodiment, each messaging identity entry in the super GAC 215 may have a global begin and end time applying to all email addresses associated with the identity, and/or each email address belonging to the identity may possess individual begin and end times. Individual begin and end times for each email address may be useful when a person has not departed the organization, but one or more of their former email addresses may no longer be associated with the person. In contrast, global begin and times may be useful when a person has departed the organization, and therefore all of their former email addresses are no longer associated with the person.
In one embodiment, the email archive searcher 220 may use information in the super GAC 215 to resolve a messaging identity into associated email addresses, and utilize the associated email addresses to search the email archive 230 for emails that have been sent or received by the messaging identity. The email archive searcher 220 may output the results of the email archive search as search results 240 .
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a super GAC initial build process 300 , which may be performed by the super GAC updater 250 , or by any other component(s), as the invention is not limited in this respect. FIG. 3 shows merely one example, as a super GAC initial build can be performed in other ways. Acts performed in process 300 may be automated, manual or combinations thereof.
Process 300 begins in act 310 where messaging identities in the GAC 210 corresponding to people are extracted and stored in the super GAC 215 . In act 315 , the messaging identities in the GAC 210 corresponding to non-people (e.g., distribution lists and aliases) are exploded so as to determine the email addresses included in them. In act 320 , the distribution lists and aliases are associated with the extracted people (determined in act 310 ) based on the email addresses determined in act 315 . In act 325 , a record of the distribution lists and aliases associated with each person is entered into the appropriate people entries in the super GAC 215 . In this way, people entries extracted from the GAC 210 have corresponding super GAC 215 entries, and each of these people entries in the super GAC 215 may have an associated display name, email addresses, aliases, distribution lists to which the person belongs, and other information.
In act 330 , a determination is made as to whether an email archive has been in existence prior to the initial super GAC build process 300 . For example, an email archive 230 that has been in use for months or years may qualify as a preexisting archive system, and in such cases numerous changes may have been performed on the entries in the GAC 210 prior to the execution of process 300 . In such instances, the email archive 230 may contain emails associated with deleted and/or modified email addresses, and information correlating these email addresses to appropriate people in the organization may not be contained in the current GAC 210 .
When the email archive system is not a preexisting system, process 300 proceeds to act 335 , where begin times for each of the entries in the super GAC 215 may be set to the current time. As previously mentioned, a begin time may be assigned to the association of an email address with a messaging identity, and therefore, email addresses associated with messaging identities in the super GAC 215 may have corresponding begin times for each email address.
In contrast, when it is determined (in act 330 ) that the email archive system is a pre-existing system, process 300 proceeds to determine begin and/or end times for entries in the super GAC 215 . This can be done in any of numerous ways, as the invention is not limited in this respect. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the process proceeds to act 340 , where extended information sources 260 are consulted to determine begin and/or end times for entries in the super GAC 215 . For example, a human resource database and/or payroll data sources may be used to determine begin times for identity entries in the super GAC 215 , based on start and termination times for employees. For example, the extended information sources 260 may contain times indicating when a person joined or left the organization, information relating to times of name changes, or other relevant information about people in the organization. In one embodiment, the current email archive 230 may optionally be used as an extended information source 260 , so as to assist in determining begin and end times. For example, the current email archive can be searched to extract email messages sent or received by a given person associated with a given email address and display name. Upon extraction of the email messages, the time of the oldest email message can be used as the begin time for the association of the email address with the given person. Furthermore, when it has been determined that the person is no longer part of the organization (e.g., using human resource and/or payroll data sources), the time of the most recent email associated with the person can be used as the end time.
In act 345 , begin times are recorded in the super GAC 215 . Also, when it is determined (e.g., from the extended information sources 260 ) that a person is no longer part of the organization as of a past time, the end time for that person may be entered into the super GAC 215 .
Process 300 results in the initial build of a super GAC 215 which may contain a list of entries for messaging identities in the organization, where each entry may include an associated display name, email addresses, aliases, distribution lists, domain account names, messaging identity attributes, begin and end times, termination indicators, and any other information associated with each person, as the invention is not limited in this respect.
It should also be appreciated that the use of supplemental databases is one example of extended information sources that may be used to construct the super GAC 215 . The invention in not limited to the use of any particular databases as extended information sources, nor to the use of any extended information sources at all, as some embodiments do not employ extended information sources in building the super GAC.
In another embodiment, multiple GACs 210 may be used to build the super GAC 215 in process 300 , resulting in a merge of the multiple GACs 210 into a super GAC 215 that can be used to manage multiple different email systems. Such a procedure may be desirable when an organization is using multiple different email systems maintaining separate GACs. In such a case, it is desirable to create a super GAC 215 containing the information from the separate GACs, thereby consolidating information for messaging identities in the organization. In one embodiment, GACs from email systems of different vendors may be combined using process 300 to create a super GAC 215 that contains information from the GACs of the different email systems.
Once a super GAC 215 has been initially built, the super GAC 215 may be updated to reflect, in any suitable manner, changes in the GAC 210 that have occurred after the initial build of the super GAC 215 . In one embodiment, an administrator may chose a super GAC 215 update time interval which determines how often the super GAC 215 is automatically updated. For example, the super GAC 215 update process may be performed at regular intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). The super GAC 215 update process can be initiated automatically and/or manually. For example, the super GAC 215 update process may be initiated at any time at the request of the administrator. The super GAC 215 update process may be performed by a super GAC updater 250 , or by any other component, as the invention is not limited to any particular implementation.
In accordance with one embodiment, a super GAC 215 may be updated to store historical data associated with modifications in a GAC 210 .
FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart for a super GAC 215 update process 400 for updating the entries in a super GAC 215 based on current entries in the GAC 210 . Process 400 may be performed by the super GAC updater 250 in system 200 , or by any other component, or combination of components, as the invention is not limited in this respect. Process 400 is just one example of a super GAC 215 update process, which can be performed in other ways.
In act 410 , messaging identity entries in the GAC 210 corresponding to people are extracted. In act 415 , the messaging identity entries in the GAC 210 corresponding to distribution lists and aliases are exploded so as to reveal associated email addresses. In act 420 , the distribution lists and aliases present in the GAC 210 are associated with the extracted people determined in act 410 , based on the email addresses associated with the distribution lists and alias (determined in act 415 ).
In act 425 , the extracted information determined in acts 410 , 415 and 420 is compared with entries present in the current super GAC 215 . In particular, the comparison may include a determination of whether information in the GAC 210 has been deleted, added, and/or edited, as compared to information contained in the current super GAC 215 .
In act 430 , a determination is made as to whether any entries have been deleted from the GAC 210 based on a comparison with the current super GAC 215 . When it is determined that GAC entries have been deleted, process 400 proceeds to act 435 , where end times of the one or more deleted entries are entered in the super GAC 215 . These end times denote times beyond which email addresses associated with a person may no longer be associated with that person. The end time for an email address associated with a given person may be determined in any suitable way, as the invention is not limited in this respect. In one embodiment, the end time of an email address associated with a given person may be determined by searching the email archive 230 for the most recent email, associated with the display name of the given person, that was received at and/or sent from the associated email address. Upon determining the most recent email, the end time may be set to the send or receive time of the most recent email. Furthermore, when it is determined that only one of several individual email addresses associated with a person has been deleted, an end time may be updated for that email address only, as the others remain valid.
When it is determined that there are no deleted GAC 210 entries (in act 430 ) or when act 435 is completed, process 400 proceeds to act 440 , where it is determined whether new entries have been added to the GAC 210 as compared with entries present in the super GAC 215 .
When it is determined that new entries have been added to the GAC 210 , process 400 proceeds to act 445 , where the new entries added to the GAC 210 are entered in the super GAC 215 , and the begin times for the new entries may be set to an appropriate time. In one embodiment, the begin times may be set to the current time. In another embodiment, when begin time information is present in extended information sources 260 , this information may be used to determine the begin times for the new entries that were added to the GAC 210 .
When it is determined that no new entries have been added to the GAC 210 or act 445 is completed, process 400 proceeds to act 450 , where it is determined whether there are any edited GAC entries in the GAC 210 .
When it is determined that there are one or more edited entries in the GAC 210 , process 400 proceeds to act 455 , where new entries may be added the super GAC 215 corresponding to edited entries in the GAC 210 , and associated begin times for the new edited entries may be set in the super GAC 215 . In one embodiment, entries in the super GAC 215 corresponding to the edited GAC entries may have their associated end times set to a time determined from the extended information sources 260 , but the invention is not limited to use with extended information sources 260 . For example, the begin time for an email address associated with a given person may be determined by searching the email archive 230 for the most recent emails associated with the display name of the given person that were received at or sent from the associated email address.
Process 400 then proceeds to act 460 , where the entries in the super GAC 215 corresponding to the pre-edited GAC entries may have their associated end times set to a time determined in any suitable manner. In one embodiment, entries in the super GAC 215 corresponding to the pre-edited GAC entries may have their associated end times set to a time determined from the extended information sources 260 , but the invention is not limited to use with extended information sources 260 . For example, the end time for an associated email address associated with a given person may be determined by searching the email archive 230 for the most recent emails associated with the display name of the given person that were received at or sent from the associated email address. Using such a technique, all edits to the GAC 210 may be recorded and historical information may be retained in the super GAC 215 .
When it is determined in act 450 that there are no edited GAC entries or act 460 is completed, process 400 terminates.
It should be appreciated that in the updating process 400 described above, an end time is only specified for information that may no longer be valid, and any information without a corresponding end time may be considered to still be valid.
Actions which may lead to deletion, addition, and/or editing of GAC 210 entries are numerous, and the embodiments of the invention described herein are not limited in this respect. For example, a person's entire entry may be deleted from a GAC 210 upon departing an organization. Also, a domain may be removed from an organization, and as a result, entries for people with domain account names associated with that domain may be removed from the GAC 210 . In addition, transferring a person from one division to another may result in information in the GAC 210 associated with that person being modified. For example, an email address, domain account name, and/or other messaging identity attributes (e.g., organization name, office building, department) may be modified due to a division transfer.
In another embodiment, multiple GACs 210 may be used to update the super GAC 215 in process 400 . The multiple GACs may include GACs from email systems from different vendors.
In accordance with one embodiment, the super GAC 215 may be utilized to facilitate the search of the email archive 230 for emails satisfying a search query (e.g., to find email messages corresponding to specific people in the organization).
FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart for a process 500 for performing an email archive search query. Process 500 may be executed in its entirety or in part by the email archive searcher 220 , and/or by any other component, as the invention is not limited in this respect.
In act 510 , information in the super GAC 215 may be displayed, and as a result, a user may select one or more pieces of information for which they would like to search in the email archive 230 . The displayed information can take any form, as the invention is not limited in this respect. For example, the displayed information may be the messaging identities contained in the super GAC 215 . Alternatively, a user may search the super GAC 215 for a specific display name, email address, domain account name, other messaging identity attributes, or any other attribute, and select which messaging identities' emails they would like to retrieve from the email archive 230 .
In act 515 , process 500 receives a selection of the messaging identities whose associated email messages should be searched for in the email archive 230 . In act 520 , the process 500 proceeds to resolve the selected messaging identities based on information contained in the super GAC 215 . Associated email addresses for the selected messaging identities may be bound with begin times, end times, and/or any other information which may specify the association of an email address with a messaging identity for a specific temporal interval. For example, the above-mentioned user John Smith may have had an associated email address “JSmith@Company.com” for a first temporal period, but that same email address may be associated with the above-mentioned user Jane Smith for a second temporal period, where the first and the second temporal periods do not overlap. For that example, a query for emails associated with Jane Smith will return emails associated with the “JSmith@Company.com” email address sent and/or received during the second temporal period, and a query for emails associated with John Smith will return emails associated with the “JSmith@Company.com” email address sent and/or received during the first temporal period.
Upon resolution of the selected messaging identities into associated email addresses, in act 525 , the email archive 230 is searched for email messages received at or sent from the associated email addresses, restricted by the begin and end times associated with the email addresses, where appropriate. Upon determination of which emails in the email archive 230 have been received at or sent from the associated email addresses for the selected identities (between corresponding begin and end times), process 500 proceeds to act 530 wherein the email archive search results are outputted. For example, the search results may be presented to a user, showing the email message title, sent address, received address, time, size, and any other information as the invention is not limited in this respect. Furthermore, upon selection of one or more of the search results, the associated complete email message may be presented.
As mentioned above, in accordance with another embodiment, a super GAC 215 (or a GAC 210 ) may be searched based on search criteria other than messaging identity display names.
FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a process 600 for searching a super GAC 210 based on search criteria, so as to select one or more messaging identities corresponding to the search criteria. The process 600 does not search the email archive 230 , but rather searches the super GAC 215 so as to present one or more messaging identities that satisfy search criteria (e.g., provided by a user). In another embodiment, process 600 can be combined with a process such as illustrated in FIG. 5 to return emails from the email archive 230 .
In act 610 , process 600 may display search options, allowing a user to select whether they would like to search the super GAC 215 for messaging identities based on email address information, display name information, domain account name information, other messaging identity attribute information, and/or any other information contained in the super GAC 215 .
In act 620 , process 600 receives the search information provided by in response to act 610 and proceeds to perform a search of the super GAC 215 based on the provided search criteria.
In act 630 , it is determined whether the search of the super GAC 215 should be conducted based on email address information. When a user has selected the email address search option, and provided suitable email addresses for which to search, process 600 proceeds to act 635 where the super GAC 215 is searched for email addresses that correspond to those provided by the user. Search results may be presented immediately and/or recorded for subsequent presentation.
Process 600 proceeds to act 640 after completing act 635 , or after it is determined that an email address search was not selected (act 630 ). In act 640 , a determination is made as to whether a display name search was selected by the user, and if so, process 600 proceeds to act 645 where the super GAC 215 is searched for messaging identities corresponding to the selected display names. Search results may be presented immediately and/or recorded for subsequent presentation.
Upon completion of act 645 , or after it is determined (in act 640 ) that a display name search was not selected, process 600 proceeds to act 650 , where it is determined whether a domain account name search was selected. When a domain account name search was selected, process 600 proceeds to act 655 , where the super GAC 215 is searched for messaging identities possessing one or more domain account names selected by the user. Search results may be presented immediately and/or recorded for subsequent presentation.
Upon completion of act 655 , or after it is determined (in act 650 ) that a domain account name search was not selected, the process 600 proceeds to act 660 , where it is determined whether a specific messaging identity attribute search was selected. When a messaging identity attribute search was selected, process 600 proceeds to act 655 , where the super GAC 215 is searched for messaging identities possessing a messaging identity attribute specified by the user in the search criteria. Search results may be presented immediately and/or recorded for subsequent presentation.
Upon completion of act 655 , or after determining in act 660 that a domain account name search was not selected, process 600 proceeds to act 670 , where the search results of the super GAC are presented.
In one embodiment, the output of the super GAC search results may comprise a list of one or more messaging identities that satisfy the search criteria. One or more messaging identities may then be selected (e.g., by a user) and the selected identities may be used in conjunction with any other processes which use one or more selected messaging identities in the super GAC 215 . For example, process 600 may be used so as to display super GAC identities in act 510 of process 500 .
As should be appreciated from the foregoing, there are numerous aspects of the present invention described herein that can be used independently of one another, including the aspects that relate to building and updating a distinct global messaging identities catalog different from a GAC, preserving information that has been deleted or edited in the GAC, binding the validity of an email address for a particular user with an effective temporal interval, searching an email archive for emails associated with email addresses bound by an effective temporal interval, enabling a user to search a GAC based on a specified display name, email address, domain account name, other messaging identity attributes, and/or based on any other attribute.
It should also be appreciated that a processor programmed to perform a given act may also perform other acts in addition to the given act. For example, a processor programmed to perform a given act (e.g., creating a super GAC) may also run an email system and/or an extension system for the email system.
However, it should also be appreciated that in some embodiments, all of the above-described features can be used together, or any combination or subset of the features described above can be employed together in a particular implementation, as the aspects of the present invention are not limited in this respect.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any of numerous ways. For example, the embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers. It should be appreciated that any component or collection of components that perform the functions described above can be generically considered as one or more controllers that control the above-discussed functions. The one or more controllers can be implemented in numerous ways, such as with dedicated hardware, or with general purpose hardware (e.g., one or more processors) that is programmed using microcode or software to perform the functions recited above.
It should be appreciated that the various methods outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and/or conventional programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code. In this respect, it should be appreciated that one embodiment of the invention is directed to a computer-readable medium or multiple computer-readable media (e.g., a computer memory, one or more floppy disks, compact disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, etc.) encoded with one or more programs that, when executed, on one or more computers or other processors, perform methods that implement the various embodiments of the invention discussed above. The computer-readable medium or media can be transportable, such that the program or programs stored thereon can be loaded onto one or more different computers or other processors to implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above.
It should be understood that the term “program” is used herein in a generic sense to refer to any type of computer code or set of instructions that can be employed to program a computer or other processor to implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above. Additionally, it should be appreciated that according to one aspect of this embodiment, one or more computer programs that, when executed, perform methods of the present invention need not reside on a single computer or processor, but may be distributed in a modular fashion amongst a number of different computers or processors to implement various aspects of the present invention.
Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing, and the aspects of the present invention described herein are not limited in their application to the details and arrangements of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. The aspects of the invention are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Various aspects of the present invention may be implemented in connection with any type of network, cluster or configuration. No limitations are placed on the network implementation.
Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalent thereof as well as additional items.
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A method and apparatus for creating a catalog for use with at least one computer system that manages a plurality of email messages. The catalog provides an index into the plurality of email messages, and comprises a plurality of identifiers that each identifies an entity. The catalog also correlates at least some of the plurality of identifiers to corresponding email addresses. The method for creating a catalog comprises creating the catalog to include information defining a temporal interval during which at least one email address corresponds to a first entity.
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This invention claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to provisional application No. 61/267,320 filed Dec. 7, 2009, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nuclear isolation is a common laboratory procedure which greatly facilitates the analysis of nucleotides, gene-protein interactions and other components and phenomena of cell nuclei. The principle of the method as developed in the mid-twentieth century consists of mechanical disruption of the cell membranes followed by separating the nuclei from cytoplasmic organelles and structures by sequential differential centrifugation in gradients of sucrose or other suitable media [Maggio et al., J. Cell Biol. 18 (1963) 267-291, Hymer & Kuff, J. Histochem. Cytochem, 12 (1964) 359-363]. Subsequently Blobel and Potter [Blobel & Potter, Science, 154 (1966) 1662-1665] modified the protocol of Maggio et al. [Maggio et al. 1963] with changes in the sucrose gradient density and utilization of a single 30 min centrifugation. These two protocols have been recognized and widely used as the standards for nuclear isolation. In the ensuing years, a number of variations have been employed to fit specific needs of particular tissues or nuclear components [Blobel & Potter (1966); Wray, Methods Enzymol. 40 (1975) 75-89; Bose & Allison, J. Histochem. Cytochem. 33 (1985) 65-68; Gorski et al., Cell 47 (1986) 767-776; Ho and Guenther, J. Pharmacol. Toxicol. Methods 38 (1997) 163-168; Tapalaga et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem. 50 (2002) 1599-1609, and; Prusov & Zatsepina, Biochemistry (Mosc) 67 (2002) 423-431] e.g., to preserve or remove the nuclear membranes, or adjust for the more difficult collection and disruption of cells from culture dishes or dense fibrous tissue. All the procedures introduced before the invention described herein produce samples containing nuclear outer membranes and damaged isolated nuclei. Although the method of Ho and Guenther [Ho and Guenther, (1997)] does not use high centrifugal force, it utilizes multiple homogenization steps with a rotary pestle, a 25,000×g centrifugal force step, requires the use of an ultracentrifuge rather than a table top centrifuge, takes 30 min longer total time than the methods of this invention and the isolated nuclei of Ho and Guenther are contaminated with cytoplasmic outer nuclear membrane.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The methods described herein remove the nuclear outer membranes cleanly and produce isolated nuclei with their nuclear inner membranes intact. The removal of the outer nuclear membrane is a very desirable outcome, as the attached ribosomes otherwise would be a source of cytoplasmic RNA contamination [Blobel, and Potter, Science, 154 (1966) 1662-1665]. The methods of this invention are rapid, affordable, convenient and produce consistent reproducible results using a conventional table top centrifuge or microcentrifuge rather than an ultracentrifuge or a supercentrifuge for isolating nuclei from cells, particularly hepatocytes. Furthermore the methods comprise using buffers that are substantially devoid of protease inhibitors, such as e.g., aprotinin, leupetin, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (“EDTA”), and phenylmethyl sulfonylfluoride (“PMSF”), and using shorter centrifugation times and centrifugal forces than previously known methods for isolating nuclei.
This invention relates to a method(s) for isolation of nuclei from a cell sample, e.g., a sample comprising cells grown or maintained in cell culture, or cells from a tissue sample, e.g., a biopsy, e.g., a needle biopsy sample. The methods comprise (a) providing a sample of cells; (b) mechanically disrupting the cells in a buffer, e.g., mildly hypertonic buffer at an appropriate pH, e.g., about pH 7.4 to 7.6, to generate a disrupted cell sample; (c) centrifuging the disrupted cell sample at about 500-1000×g for about 5-15 minutes to pellet insoluble materials thereby forming a first supernatant and a first crude nuclei pellet; (d) separating the first supernatant from the first crude nuclei pellet; (e) resuspending the pellet is an appropriate buffer, e.g., a highly hypertonic buffer, at an appropriate pH, e.g., about pH 7.4-7.6; (f) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (e) at about 12,000-30,000×g for about 10-60 minutes to generate a second nuclei pellet and a second supernatant; and then (g) separating the second supernatant and isolated pellet of (f), wherein the isolated nuclei pellet contains purified nuclei. In one aspect of this invention the second nuclei pellet is frozen at about −60 to −80° C., which may be resuspended in an appropriate buffer, e.g., a hypertonic buffer. The nuclei pellet may also be resuspended in such buffer prior to freezing or the pellet may be frozen and then thawed under appropriate conditions suitable for maintaining the integrity of the isolated nuclei and then resuspended.
In a particular aspect, this invention relates to a method for isolation of nuclei comprising: (a) providing a sample of cells; (b) mechanically disrupting the cellular membrane of the cells in ice-cold buffer comprising mildly hypertonic medium pH 7.4-7.6 to generate a disrupted cell sample; (c) centrifuging the disrupted cell sample at about 600×g for 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a first supernatant and a first crude nuclei pellet; (d) separating the first supernatant from the first pellet; (e) resuspending the first crude nuclei pellet in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6; (f) washing the first crude nuclei pellet by centrifuging the resuspended pellet at about 600×g for about 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a second supernatant and a second crude nuclei pellet; (g) separating the second supernatant from the second crude nuclei pellet; (h) resuspending the second crude nuclei pellet is ice-cold highly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6; (i) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (g) at about 16,000×g at 4° C. for 30 minutes in a microcentrifuge to generate a nuclei pellet and a third supernatant; (j) separating the third supernatant and nuclei pellet of (i); (k) resuspending the nuclei pellet of (i) in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6; (l) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (k) at 600×g for 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a supernatant and a washed nuclei pellet; (m) separating the supernatant and washed nuclei pellet of (l) and resuspending the washed nuclei pellet of (i) in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH7.4-7.6. In one aspect of this invention the washed nuclei pellet is frozen at about −60 to −80° C. The washed nuclei pellet may be resuspended in an appropriate buffer, e.g., a hypertonic buffer, prior to freezing or the pellet may be frozen and then thawed under appropriate conditions suitable for maintaining the integrity of the isolated nuclei.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 . Western blotting with Lamin B1 and Cytochrome C (A) and Actin(B). (A) Lanes are: 1, Cell Suspension; 2, Cytoplasmic Portion; 3, Nuclei isolated with moderate centrifugal force (MCF, 16,000×g); 4, Nuclei isolated with high centrifugal force (HCF, 70,000×g). Upper panel: without collagenase [collagenase (−)]. Lower panel: with collagenase [collagenase (+)]. (B) Lanes are: 5, Crude Nuclei; 6, Nuclei isolated with moderate centrifugal force; 7, Nuclei isolated with high centrifugal force.
FIG. 2 . Photomicrographs of semi-thin epon sections of pellets collected at representative steps in the preparation of samples of mouse hepatocyte nuclei by differential centrifugation. Cell suspensions of mouse liver were prepared without (A, C, E, and G) and with (B, D, F, and H) collagenase digestion. (A and B) cell suspensions; (C and D) crude nuclei; Isolated nuclei prepared with moderate (E and F) and high (G and H) centrifugal force. Empty arrows=erythrocytes, solid arrows=nucleoli, asterisks=pools of cellular debris. A and D-H, azur II/methylene blue stain; B and C, basic fuchsin/toluidine blue O stain. All are approximately the same magnification; bar=50 μm.
FIG. 3 . Transmission electron micrographs of the isolated nuclei. Nuclear preparation was without (A and C) or with (B and D) collagenase digestion, and with moderate (A and B) or high (C and D) centrifugal force. The nuclei in A have the smoothest borders and are more homogeneous, and there are fewer segments of broken nuclear membrane in A and B than in C and D. Magnification bars=1 μm.
FIG. 4 . Immunohistochemical localization in mouse liver of antibodies used in the Western blots. A and B, anti-cytochrome c; C and D, anti-actin; E, anti-lamin B1; and F, no primary antibody (negative control). Antigen retrieval was used on sections in A, C, E and F; not in B and D. DAB-H202 chromogen reactions (brown precipitate) and hematoxylin counterstain. Magnification bar=50 μm.
FIG. 5 depicts a schematic representation of an embodiment of the methods described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The methods of this invention are rapid and convenient methods for isolating nuclei and all the centrifugation steps of the invention can be executed in a single tube. The methods comprise centrifuging a sample of disrupted cells containing nuclei in a conventional table top centrifuge or microcentrifuge rather than in an ultracentrifuge or a supercentrifuge to generate a crude nuclei sample. The crude nuclei-containing sample is then further purified also using a conventional table top centrifuge or microcentrifuge rather than in an ultracentrifuge or a supercentrifuge. In addition, the methods comprise using buffers that are substantially devoid of protease inhibitors, such as, e.g., aprotinin, leupetin, EDTA, and PMSF. The centrifugation times and centrifugal forces and the amounts of starting materials that are used in the methods of this invention are far less than those needed in previously known methods for isolating functional cell nuclei of sufficient quality, e.g., substantially devoid of contaminating cytoplasmic RNA and mitochondrial DNA, and sufficient quantity that suitable for assays of nuclear activities. Such assays include, e.g., assays of nuclear membrane transport, e.g., transport of a transcription factor(s) without the need to employ complicated gel shift assays, accurate analysis of autosomal genotyping wherein the contamination of mitochondrial DNA must be strictly avoided and assays for identifying newly transcribed RNA in isolated nuclei.
The nuclei-containing disrupted cell sample may be prepared by any method known in the art for disrupting the outer cellular membrane while not disrupting the nuclear membrane. Preferably the method comprises mechanically disrupting cells. The cells may be disrupted by shearing the cells such that the outer membrane of the cells is disrupted but the nuclei are left substantially intact. For example, the cells may be forced through a cell strainer with 40 μm pore size (e.g., a 3D Falcon cell strainer, Fisher Scientific, Suwannee, Ga.) that is affixed to a syringe, e.g., a 3 ml Kendall Monoject syringe (Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Mansfield, Mass.). In one embodiment, disrupted cells are obtained from a tissue sample, e.g., the tissue sample is cut into pieces and a single cell suspension of cells from the tissue sample is obtained by any method known in the art and the cells disrupted by shearing as described above.
The disrupted cell sample is centrifuged in the cold, e.g., 4° C., at about 500-1000×g for about 5-15 minutes, preferably about 10 minutes, to pellet insoluble materials thereby forming a first supernatant and a first crude nuclei pellet. Preferably the disrupted cell sample is centrifuged at 500-700×g, more preferably, the disrupted cell sample is centrifuged at 600×g.
The crude nuclei pellet is resuspended in a mildly hypertonic buffer having a pH of about 7.2 to about 7.6, preferably about pH 7.4 to 7.6. A “mildly hypertonic buffer” comprises for example about 250 mM sucrose, For example the mildly hypertonic buffer may be a buffer comprising 250 mM sucrose, 1 mM to 5 mM MgCl 2 , preferably about 5 mM MgCl 2 , and about 10 mM Tris-HCL pH7.4-7.6, preferably about 10 mM Tris-HCL pH7.4-7.6, or may be a buffer comprising 250 mM sucrose and PBS (calcium-free or calcium and magnesium-free PBS) pH 7.4. The mildly hypertonic medium may consist essentially of 250 mM sucrose, 5 mM MgCl 2 , 10 mM Tris-HCL pH7.4 or may consist essentially of 250 mM sucrose in PBS (calcium and magnesium-free) pH7.4.
Optionally, the crude nuclei pellet may be washed by resuspending the pellet in the mildly hypertonic solution and repeating the centrifugation step applied to the disrupted cell sample.
The highly hypertonic buffer functions as a cushion and gives the best condition to cells for separating nuclei from the other cell components and protects their integrity and structures including nuclear inner membranes. A highly hypertonic buffer may be e.g., a Tris-HCl buffer or a phosphate buffered saline at pH 7.2 to 7.6, preferably about pH 7.4 and comprises about 1.8 to about 2.2M sucrose, preferably about 2.0-about 2.2 M sucrose. The buffer may further comprise about 0.1 mM to about 5 mM, preferably about 1 mM, MgCl 2 . In one aspect of this invention the highly hypertonic buffer comprises about 2.0M sucrose, in a Tris-HCl buffer, e.g., 1 mM MgCl 2 and 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, or comprises 2.0M sucrose in PBS (calcium-free or calcium and magnesium-free PBS), pH 7.4. Preferably the highly hypertonic buffer consists essentially of 2.0M sucrose, 1 mM MgCl 2 and 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 or consists essentially of 2.0M sucrose in calcium and magnesium-free PBS, pH 7.4.
Preferably the buffers useful in this invention are substantially devoid of protease inhibitors. For example, the buffers comprise less than 5 mM PMSF, less than about 10 mM EDTA, less than about 20 ug/ml aprotinin and/or less than about 20 ug/ml leupeptin. Preferably the buffers comprise less than about 1 mM PMSF, less than about 5 mM EDTA, less than about 10 ug/ml aprotinin and/or less than about 10 ug/ml leupeptin. More preferably the buffers comprise less than about 0.5 mM PMSF, less than about 2.5 mM EDTA, less than about 5 ug/ml aprotinin and/or less than about 5 ug/ml leupeptin. Most preferably the buffers do not contain protease inhibitors.
The resuspended crude nuclei pellet is centrifuged at 12,000-20,000×g, preferably at about 14,000-16,000×g and more preferably at about 16,000×g, for a time sufficient to generate a second nuclei pellet substantially free of contaminating cytoplasmic RNA and mitochondrial DNA. For example, the resuspended crude nuclei pellet may be centrifuged for at least 10 minutes, e.g., about 10 to about 60 minutes, preferably about 10 to about 30 minutes, in the cold, e.g., at about 4° C. The resuspended crude nuclei pellet is centrifuged in a convention table top centrifuge or microfuge. Such table top centrifuges or microfuges are commercially available from e.g., Beckman Instruments, Palo Alto, Calif.).
An advantage of the invention is that the cell samples may all be centrifuged in a single tube, a conical microcentrifuge tube, and in a conventional table top centrifuge or a microcentrifuge rather than an ultracentrifuge or supercentrifuge. Conventional table top centrifuges or microcentrifuges are typically designed to accommodate centrifuge tubes having a volume of 2.2 ml or less, typically 200 ul to 2 ml, commonly 1.5 ml. This aspect of the invention contributes to the ease and convenience of the disclosed methods. Furthermore, small samples can be used in the methods. For example, the disrupted cell sample may be in a volume of about 100 ul to about 2 ml, preferably about 500 ul to 1.5 ml.
Another advantage of this invention is that the method does not require layering the crude nuclei pellet resuspended in hypertonic buffer over another more highly hypertonic buffer to obtain the isolated nuclei substantially free of contaminating cytoplasmic RNA and mitochondrial DNA.
Still another advantage of this invention is that the recovery of intact nuclei substantially free of cytoplasmic RNA and mitochondrial DNA is more efficient than previously described methods and thus very small samples of cells are sufficient to provide nuclei of a quality and quantity that is suitable for assays of nuclear activities. Such assays include but are not limited to, e.g., assays of nuclear membrane transport, e.g., transport of a transcription factor(s) without the need to employ complicated gel shift assays, accurate analysis of autosomal genotyping wherein the contamination of mitochondrial DNA must be strictly avoided and assays for identifying newly transcribed RNA in isolated nuclei. The cell sample may be a sample of cells from cell culture or may be cells from a tissue sample and may be less than about 10 g, less than about 5 g or less than about 2.5 grams. Sufficient amounts of nuclei may be recovered from about 0.1 to about 10 g of cells or tissue. The tissue sample may be a biopsy, e.g., a needle biopsy sample.
Nuclei substantially free of cytoplasmic RNA means that greater than 99% of the cytoplasmic RNA of the original sample has been removed. Nuclei substantially free of mitochondrial DNA means that at least 99% of the mitochondrial DNA of the original sample has been removed.
The cells may be a mammalian, avian or amphibian cells. The mammalian cells may be, e.g., murine, porcine, bovine, equine or primate cells.
The cells may also be obtained from cell culture or a tissue sample. The tissue sample may be, e.g., a tissue sample from a normal or diseased tissue. The tissue may be, e.g., a liver, heart, spleen, muscle, or lung tissue.
Another embodiment of the method of this invention consists essentially of (a) providing a sample of cells; (b) mechanically disrupting the cells in a buffer, e.g., a mildly hypertonic buffer at about pH 7.4, to generate a disrupted cell sample; (c) centrifuging the disrupted cell sample at about 600×g for about 10 minutes to pellet insoluble materials thereby forming a first supernatant and a first crude nuclei pellet; (d) separating the first supernatant from the first crude nuclei pellet; (e) resuspending the pellet is a highly hypertonic buffer, at an appropriate about pH 7.4; (f) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (e) at about 16,000×g for about 30 minutes to generate a second nuclei pellet and a second supernatant; and then (g) separating the second supernatant and isolated pellet of (f), wherein the isolated nuclei pellet contains purified nuclei.
A further embodiment of the method of this invention for isolation of nuclei comprises:
(a) providing a sample of cells;
(b) mechanically disrupting the cellular membrane of the cells in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6 to generate a disrupted cell sample;
(c) centrifuging the disrupted cell sample at 600×g for 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a first supernatant and a first crude nuclei pellet;
(d) separating the first supernatant from the first pellet
(e) resuspending the first crude nuclei pellet in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6,
(f) washing the first crude nuclei pellet by centrifuging the resuspended pellet at 600×g for 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a second supernatant and a second crude nuclei pellet;
(g) separating the second supernatant from the second crude nuclei pellet;
(h) resuspending the second crude nuclei pellet is ice-cold highly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6;
(i) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (g) at 16,000×g at 4° C. for 30 minutes in a microcentrifuge to generate a nuclei pellet and a third supernatant;
(j) separating the third supernatant and nuclei pellet of (i);
(k) resuspending the nuclei pellet of (i) in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH 7.4-7.6;
(l) centrifuging the resuspended pellet of (k) at 600×g for 10 minutes at 4° C. in a microcentrifuge to generate a supernatant and a washed nuclei pellet.
(m) separating the supernatant and pellet of (l) and resuspending the nuclei pellet of (i) in ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer pH7.4-7.6.
1. In another embodiment, the method of this invention consists essentially of the foregoing steps (a) through (m). In still another aspect of this invention the method consists of the foregoing steps (a) through (m). Optionally the pellet of (m) is frozen at −60° C. to −80° C. rather than resuspended.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Step 1. Each sample from animal tissues was minced and about 0.5 g was mashed through a 3D Falcon cell strainer with 40 μm pore size (Fisher Scientific, Suwannee, Ga.) with the plunger from a 3 ml Kendall Monoject syringe (Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Mansfield, Mass.) into a plastic Petri dish (Fisher cat. no. 08-771-1) on ice with 4 ml of a ice-cold mildly hypertonic buffer, buffer A (250 mM sucrose, 5 mM MgCl 2 , 10 mM Tris-HCl at pH 7.4), per 0.5 g of the sample.
Step 2. The mass of disrupted cells was centrifuged at 600×g for 10 mM at 4° C. in conical microtubes of 1.5 ml (1 ml of the suspension/tube) in a table top microcentrifuge. The supernatant (cytoplasmic portion) was removed and stored at −70° C. for further analysis.
Step 3. The pellet was gently resuspended in 1.4 ml of ice-cold buffer A and centrifuged as in step 2. The supernatant was discarded.
Step 4. This second crude nuclei pellet was resuspended in 9 volumes of a ice-cold highly hypertonic buffer B (2.0 M sucrose, 1 mM MgCl 2 , 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4), well-mixed, and centrifuged in conical microcentrifuge tubes at 16,000×g at 4° C. for 30 min in a table-top centrifuge.
The crude nuclei separated into two layers. The upper layer, which was brownish and sticky, was deposited at the surface of the buffer while a white pellet of isolated nuclei was on the bottom of the tube. The tube was inverted and pushed gently against a paper towel, removing most of the upper layer by absorption onto the towel. Materials adhering to the tube walls were wiped off with cotton swabs.
Step 5. The pellet of isolated nuclei is washed in ice-cold buffer A once by resuspending the pellet and then centrifuging the resuspended pellet at 600×g in a microcentrifuge at 4° C. for 5 minutes. The washed pellet was then kept at −70° C. for further analysis.
Example 2
Mouse liver: mice were anesthetized by inhalation of ca. 2% isoflurane (Abbott Animal Health, Abbott Park, Ill.). The abdomen is cut open by midline incision and the Inferior vena cava and portal vein were exposed. To remove blood from the liver, heparin (10,000 USP units/ml, Baxter Healthservices; 150 ul in 200 ul of [calcium and magnesium-free] PBS) was manually injected through the Inferior vena cava with a 1 ml syringe and 25-gauge-one-inch (monoject 250) needle (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, N.J.) followed by cutting the portal vein. Subsequently, 15 ml of ice-cold PBS is injected through the same needle with a B-D 20 ml syringe (Becton Dickinson) at the speed of 3 ml/min. The liver was excised, cleaned of extraneous tissues, and weighed. The entire liver was processed according to the procedures mentioned above.
Human Liver: liver tissues obtained by needle biopsy or dissection were placed in ice-cold PBS and weighed. The samples were processed according to the procedures mentioned above.
Example 3
Animals: Specific pathogen-free C57BL/6 mice (9-12 weeks old) were obtained from Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, Me. They were housed under pathogen-free conditions in the Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center Animal Care Facility with a light/dark cycle of 12 h each and water and a commercial pelleted diet available ad libitum. This research was conducted under an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee-approved protocol.
Isolation Procedure
Four variations in nuclear isolation procedures were compared: Cell collection and disruption (steps 1 and 2) was accomplished with and without in vivo collagenase perfusion, and the isolated nuclear pellet (step 7) was obtained by moderate (16,000×g) vs. high (70,000×g) centrifugal force (MCF and HCF, respectively). These were performed independently for four runs.
Step 1. Mice were anesthetized by inhalation of ca. 2% Isoflurane (Abbott Animal Health, Abbott Park, Ill.). The abdomen was cut open by midline incision and the inferior vena cava and portal vein were exposed. To remove blood from the liver, heparin (10,000 USP units/ml) 150 ul in 200 ul of calcium and magnesium-free PBS) was manually injected through the inferior vena cava with a 1 ml syringe and 25-gauge-one-inch (monoject 250) needle (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, N.J.) followed by cutting the portal vein. Subsequently, 15 ml of ice-cold PBS was injected through the same needle with a B-D 20 ml syringe (Becton Dickinson) at the speed of 3 ml/min. The liver was excised, cleaned of extraneous tissues, and weighed.
Step 2. The entire liver was mashed gently through a 3D Falcon cell strainer with 40 μm pore size (Fisher Scientific, Suwannee, Ga.) with the plunger from a 3 ml Kendall Monoject syringe (Tyco Healthcare Group LP, Mansfiled, Mass.) into a plastic Petri dish (Fisher cat. no. 08-771-1) with 4 ml of ice-cold buffer A (250 mM sucrose, 5 mM MgCl2, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4) per 0.5 g of the liver forming a disrupted cell sample.
Step 3. The mass of disrupted cells was centrifuged at 600×g for 10 min at 4° C. in an IEC6P8R centrifuge (International Equipment Co, Needham, Mass.). The supernatant (cytoplasmic portion) was removed and kept at −70° C. for further analysis.
Step 4. The pellet was gently resuspended in 1.4 ml of ice-cold buffer A and centrifuged as in step 3. The supernatant was discarded.
Step 5. This crude nuclei pellet was resuspended in 9 volumes of ice-cold buffer B (2.0 M sucrose, 1 mM MgCl2, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4), well-mixed, distributed to microtubes of 1.5 ml, and centrifuged at 16,000×g at 4° C. for 30 min in an Eppendorf 5415C centrifuge (Brinkman Instruments, Westbury, N.Y.), or at 70,000×g at 4° C. for 80 min in a Beckman L8-70M ultracentrifuge (Beckman Instruments, Palo Alto, Calif.).
Step 6. The crude nuclei were separated into two layers. The upper layer, which was brownish and sticky, was deposited at the surface of the buffer while the white pellet of isolated nuclei was on the bottom of the tube. The tube was inverted and pushed gently against a paper towel, removing most of the upper layer by absorption onto the towel. Materials adhering to the tube walls were wiped off with cotton swabs.
Step 7. The pellet of isolated nuclei was resuspended in ice-cold buffer A and kept at −70° C. for further analysis.
Isolation with Collagenase
In step 1, collagenase IV (Sigma-Aldrich, Milwaukee, Wis.) was added to the 15 ml of PBS at 10 mg/ml at 37° C. The rest of the procedures were exactly the same as listed above.
Western Blotting
Crude nuclei and isolated nuclei were suspended in boiled lysis buffer (1% SDS, 10 mM Tris-HCL at pH 8.5, 5 mM MgCl2, and 1 mM orthvanadium) and boiled for 5 min. They were centrifuged at 16,000×g at 4° C. for 20 min in the Eppendorf centrifuge. The pellets were collected and the protein concentration was colorometrically measured with bovine serum albumin standard (Bio-Rad, Hercules, Calif.) and RC DC protein assay (Bio-Rad) by SpectraMax 190 (Molecular Devices, Downingtown, Pa.). The same amount of protein was loaded for each sample on 4-15% gradient gels (Bio-Rad) along with molecular markers (Bio-Rad) in running buffer (0.1% SDS in Tris/Glycine Buffer (Bio-rad)) under 90 constant volts at 4° C. The proteins in the gels were transferred onto PVDF membrane (Bio-Rad) in transfer buffer (20% EtOH in Tris/Glycine Buffer (Bio-rad)) under 40 constant volts for one hour at 4° C. The membranes were blocked overnight in blocking buffer (5% non-fat milk (Bio-Rad) in PBS) at 4° C. They were washed four times in washing buffer (0.05% TWEEN™-20 in PBS), and reacted with primary antibodies overnight at 4° C. as follows: anti-lamin B1 (Abcam, Cambridge, Mass.) was diluted at 1:1000; anti-cytochrome c (BD Pharmingen, San Jose, Calif.) was diluted at 2 ug/ml in PBS with 0.5% bovine serum albumin (“BSA”); and HRP-conjugated actin (C-2) (Santa-Cruz, Santa Cruz, Calif.) was diluted at 1:2000 in PBS with 2.5% non-fat milk. They were washed four times in washing buffer and stained with secondary antibodies diluted in washing buffer (1:1000 HRP conjugated goat-anti rabbit IgG for anti-lamin B1 and goat-anti mouse IgG for anti-cytochrome c from Santa-Cruz) for 1 hr. After washing four times, they were developed in ECL solution (Perkin-Elmer, Waltham, Mass.) for 1 min and the fluorescence was measured and photographed by Fluoro-Chem 8800 (Alpha Innotech Corporation, San Leandro, Calif.).
RNA Purification
Total RNA was purified from the isolated nuclei according to the manufacturer's instruction using RNA-Stat from Iso-Tex Diagnostics (Friendswood, Tex.), and quantified by SpectraMax 190 (Molecular Devices).
Morphology
At least two samples were obtained from different runs or portions of runs that were split for biochemical and morphologic analyses and run in parallel. In order to maintain the original stratification of the pellets, they were fixed in situ in the centrifuge tubes. A pilot study in which the pellets were fixed in formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin failed in this objective, as during removal from the centrifuge tubes, the larger pellets were often distorted and many of the small ones were lost. Thus, it was necessary to embed them in a harder substance. Except as noted, all of the following were performed at ambient temperature. Pellets were fixed for 6 to 8 hours in 4.0% glutaraldehyde (Electron Microscopy Sciences, Fort Washington, Pa.; EMS) in 0.1M Na2HPO4 and 0.001M CaCl2, pH 7.4, washed in the phosphate buffer, then in 0.1M sym-Collidine (2,4,6-trimethlypyridine; EMS), pH 7.4. They then were post-fixed for two hours in 1.0% OSO4 (EMS) in the sym-Collidine buffer, washed in the sym-Collidine buffer, and dehydrated via ethanol and propylene oxide (EMS). Embedding was a two stage process. The pellet was immersed in 0.3 ml of a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of epon (EMbed 812; EMS) and propylene oxide, and after the propylene oxide had evaporated overnight, the remaining epon was hardened at 60° C. for 48 hours. Each centrifuge tube then was cut open and the embedded pellet was divided into two or more pieces to fit into the tips of BEEM® capsules (EMS). The capsules were filled with additional epon, which then was hardened as before. The amount of cell suspension used in the parallel runs for morphologic samples was small enough to result in nuclear pellets being thin (0.5 mm) disks, which allowed for rapid and thorough penetration of fixatives, washes, dehydration solvents, and epon. The process facilitated both good preservation and orientation of the pellet for sectioning at 1.0 μm on a Reichert-Jung Ultracut E ultramicrotome (Leica Microsystems, Bannockburn, Ill.).
For light microscopy, sections were mounted on SUPERFROST®/plus glass slides (Fisher Scientific), stained either with azur II/methylene blue [Richardson et al. Stain Technol 35 (1960) 313-23 incorporated herein by reference] or basic fuchsin/toluidine blue [Ball and Redman, Eur J Cell Biol 33 (1984) 112-22, incorporated herein by reference], and coverslips were mounted with PRO-TEXX™ medium (American Scientific Products, McGraw Park, Ill.). For tissue localization of actin, cytochrome c and lamin B1, a portion of a mouse liver was fixed for 6 hr in sodium phosphate-buffered formalin, processed through graded solvents and embedded in paraffin. Sections were cut at 8 μm and mounted on SUPERFROST®/plus glass slides. Primary antibodies were the same as were used for the Western blots. Samples were subjected to Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with and without antigen retrieval in Reveal buffer in a pressure cooker, using Envision and dual link HRP in a Dako (Carpenteria, Calif.) autostainer, and counterstained with hematoxylin. The chromogen was 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB). Formaldehyde and DAB were purchased from Government Scientific Solutions, Alexandria, Va. Dyes were obtained as follows: azur II (lot # 880311), EMS; basic fuchsin (760154) and toluidine blue O (766486), Fisher Scientific; and methylene blue (1343P), Allied Chemical, Morristown, N.J. Sections were viewed on an Olympus BX41 microscope with planapochromatic optics (Olympus America, Center Valley, Pa.) and photographed with an Olympus Q-Colors digital camera attachment with software for an iMAC ZOCX computer (Apple, Cupertino, Calif.).
For transmission electron microscopy (TEM), sections were cut at ca. 70 nm, mounted on 200 mesh copper grids (EMS) and stained with uranyl acetate [Reynolds, J Cell Biol 17 (1963) 208-12, incorporated herein by reference] and lead citrate [Watson, J Biophys Biochem Cytol 4 (1958) 727-30, incorporated herein by reference]. These were viewed and photographed with a JEOL model JEM 100CX electron microscope. Prints were converted to digital images with an HP Scanjet 4890 scanner (Hewlett-Packard, Hershey, Pa.), and collated into panels and labeled using Adobe Photoshop CS3 software (Adobe Systems, San Jose, Calif.).
Analyses
The data acquired by SpectraMax190 were analyzed by SoftMaxPro (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif.). The data acquired by Fluoro-Chem 8800 were analyzed by ALPHAVIEW™ (Alpha Innotech Corporation) and ADOBE® PHOTOSHOP® (Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, Calif.).
Results
Biochemical Evaluation
As demonstrated in the upper panel of FIG. 1(A) , which is a part of this application, without collagenase treatment, virtually intact and pure nuclei were obtained; i.e., the cytochrome c staining indicated that there were no cytoplasmic and membranous contaminations in the isolated nuclei, while the lamin B1 bands were single and thicker in the isolated nuclei and absent in the cytoplasmic portion. In the lower panel of FIG. 1(A) with collagenase treatment, the isolated nuclei showed multiple bands and smears in lamin B1. As shown in FIG. 1(B) , without collagenase treatment, actin was barely detected in the isolated nuclei, whereas with collagenase treatment, definite bands were associated with the isolated nuclei. These bands were weaker than that in the crude nuclei, and were thicker with HCF than with MCF.
As shown in Table 1, the yield (number of nuclei) was 10-fold higher with collagenase than without collagenase. The purity was more than 95% except for the samples using both HCF and collagenase. Total RNA was higher with HCF than with MCF, and higher with collagenase than without collagenase.
TABLE 1
Analysis of Isolated Nuclei
Centrifugal
Nuclei
RNA
Force
Number/g
Purity (%)
(ug)
No
Moderate
22 × 10 6
98.3
9.0
No
High
18 × 10 6
96.0
11.2
With
Moderate
26 × 10 7
100
18.7
With
High
17 × 10 7
91.3
23.6
Nuclei were counted under microscope at 100× using trypan blue staining. Purity was calculated as the number of nuclei/total number of objects including nuclei and cells, virtually all of which were hepatocytes. The liver cells were well-separated from each other immediately after treatment with collagenase (data not shown). The RNA content of the pure nuclei is represented by the following lowest-to-highest hierarchy: No collagenase, MCF>No collagenase, HCF>collagenase, MCF>collagenase, HCF.Morphologic evaluation
Representative photomicrographs of semi-thin epon sections of the cell suspension, crude nuclei and isolated mouse liver nuclei are presented in FIG. 2 . Transmission electron micrographs of the isolated nuclei are shown in FIG. 3 , which is a part of this application. In general, the cell suspensions consisted of masses of almost all hepatocytes while the isolated nuclear pellets consisted of highly concentrated nuclei, regardless of the choice of centrifugal force or whether or not collagenase was used in separating the cells. In addition, the majority of nuclei had distinct membranes and multiple prominent nucleoli in the cell suspension and crude nuclear samples regardless of the use or omission of collagenase. The isolated nuclei prepared without collagenase also retained these characteristics ( FIGS. 2 E and G, and 3 A and C,), with the shape and membrane integrity being better with MCF than with HCF. Almost all of the isolated nuclei prepared by any of the four variations had no outer nuclear membrane but had retained the inner membrane. However, the isolated nuclei that had been prepared with collagenase in the initial step had fewer and smaller nucleoli and more segments of indistinct or torn membranes ( FIGS. 2 F and H and 3 B and D).
Morphologically, the condition of the isolated nuclei thus is represented by the following best-to-worst hierarchy: no collagenase, MCF>no collagenase, HCF>collagenase, MCF>collagenase, HCF.
The IHC results are portrayed in FIG. 4 . Cytochrome c localized exclusively to the cytoplasm both with (4A) and without (4B) antigen retrieval. With antigen retrieval (4C), actin antibodies localized heavily to the cytoplasm, presumably to smooth muscle actin, and overlapped the periphery of the nuclei of cells around blood vessels. The cytoplasm and nuclei of hepatocytes reacted weakly and not at all, respectively. Without prior antigen retrieval (4D), there were moderate to strong reactions to the actin antibodies throughout the cytoplasm and within the peripheral portions of the nuclei of all cells. Lamin B1 antibodies (4E) reacted exclusively in the nuclei of all cell types, often with a darker rim. No DAB reaction occurred when the primary antibodies were omitted (4F).
The results presented herein demonstrate that the methods of this invention comprising MCF without prior in vivo collagenase treatment produced nuclei that were surprisingly superior morphologically and of higher purity in terms of total RNA than the nuclei produced by other methods using collagenase or HCF. The crude nuclei obtained with methods comprising an in vivo collagenase perfusion step had larger and more numerous cell clusters than those derived without collagenase (data not shown). The larger amount of cells in the original cell suspension resulted in a higher yield of isolated nuclei. However, collagenase perfusion increased the RNA and actin contamination of the isolated nuclei and these were further increased by HCF. In addition, the use of collagenase resulted in lamin degradation.
The morphologic results correlated well with the biochemical data. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that the nuclei isolated with MCF were stripped of the outer nuclear membrane, had better structural integrity, including largely intact inner nuclear membrane, and less contamination from the other cell components, than those isolated with HCF. The latter had irregular surfaces and breaks in the inner nuclear membranes and more contamination with cytoplasmic debris.
Though actin is a predominantly cytoskeletal protein, it also functions as a carrier of proteins for gene expression, shuttling between cytoplasm and nuclei [Vartainen et al., Science 316 (2007) 1749-1752]. Without wishing to be bound by theory, this suggests that the actin detected by Western blots in the isolated nuclei obtained with collagenase perfusion is not necessarily due to cytoplasmic contamination. For example, it is possible that the collagenase degraded the surface of the nuclei, liberating this form of actin which then stuck to the nuclei during centrifugation. However, in this case it is likely that cytoplasmic actin also would have stuck to the nuclei. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the nuclear localization of actin by IHC occurred only in the liver sections not subjected to antigen retrieval. This indicates that the high, moist heat involved both in preparing the isolated nuclei for Western blotting and during antigen retrieval in the IHC of liver sections inhibited recognition of the nuclear actin. If this be so, then the actin bands appearing in the Western blots of nuclei isolated with collagenase perfusion were of cytoplasmic, not nuclear, origin.
The use of collagenase increased the RNA in the isolated nuclei, and this effect was exacerbated with HCF. The RNA content of isolated nuclei has been attributed to contamination with cytoplasmic RNA [Blobel and Potter, Science, 154 (1966) 1662-1665.]. The results presented herein support the option of collagenase use if yield is given priority, since it can be credited with a 10-fold increase in the number of nuclei.
REFERENCES
[1] R. Maggio, P. Siekevitz, G. E. Palade, Studies on isolated nuclei. I. Isolation and chemical characterization of a nuclear fraction from guinea pig liver, J. Cell Biol. 18 (1963) 267-291.
[2] W. C. Hymer, E. L. Kuff, Isolation of nuclei from mammalian tissues through the use of Triton X-100. J. Histochem. Cytochem, 12 (1964) 359-363.
[3] G. Blobel, V. R. Potter, Nuclei from rat liver: Isolation method that combines purity with high yield, Science, 154 (1966) 1662-1665.
[4] W. Wray, Parallel isolation procedures for metaphase chromosomes, mitotic apparatus, and nuclei, Methods Enzymol. 40 (1975) 75-89.
[5] K. Bose, D. C. Allison, An improved method of preparing nuclei for absorption cytophotometry, J. Histochem. Cytochem. 33 (1985) 65-68.
[6] K. Gorski, M. Carneiro, U. Schibler, Tissue-specific in vitro transcription from the mouse albumin promoter, Cell 47 (1986) 767-776.
[7] Y. F. Ho and T. M. Guenther, Isolation of liver nuclei that retain functional trans-membrane transport, J. Pharmacol. Toxicol. Methods 38 (1997) 163-168.
[8] D. Tapalaga, G. Tiegs, S. Angermuller, NFkappaB and caspase-3 activity in apoptotic hepatocytes of galactosamine-sensitized mice treated with TNF-alpha, J. Histochem. Cytochem. 50 (2002) 1599-1609.
[9] A. N. Prusov, O. V. Zatsepina, Isolation of the chromocenter fraction from mouse liver nuclei, Biochemistry (Mosc) 67 (2002) 423-431.
[10] K. C. Richardson, L. Jarett, and E. H. Finke, Embedding in epoxy resins for ultrathin sectioning in electron microscopy. Stain Technol 35 (1960) 313-23.
[11] W. D. Ball, and R. S. Redman, Two independently regulated secretory systems within the acini of the submandibular gland of the perinatal rat. Eur J Cell Biol 33 (1984) 112-22.
[12] E. S. Reynolds, The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 17 (1963) 208-12.
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This invention relates to methods of isolating cell nuclei from the other cell components in cell samples, e.g., cell samples from cell cultures or tissue samples. The method does not comprise ultracentrifugation or super-centrifugation rather the method comprises centrifuging cell samples in a table-top conventional centrifuge or microfuge. The method also comprises the use of buffers that are substantially devoid of protease inhibitor or enzyme treatments. The methods facilitate separation of nuclei from nuclear outer membranes leaving the cellular structures and inner membranes of nuclei intact. The method also provides for rapid and consistent results.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to insulation as utilized in building structures, primarily of a metal material, and in which it is desired to provide, either during initial construction, or subsequent to complete construction of the building, having mounted thereover a roof, usually of metal, as an addition, a vapor barrier for that insulation. The vapor barrier serves to preclude penetration of moisture into insulation material, from the interior of the building. The vapor barrier of the invention is applied externally of insulation within the building, to protect the insulation from moisture and/or humidity.
The invention is directed primarily to metal buildings utilizing metal roof structures having therebelow insulation material such as fiberglass, or others, which is supported in various known manners. Obviously the features of the invention are more broadly applicable than as specifically applied to special types or construction of metal buildings.
Numerous attempts have been made to devise a material structure, which can be referred to as a vapor barrier, and which is applied externally to insulation within a building, primarily of metal, to protect the insulation from moisture or humidity. Some known constructions have attempted to solve multiple problems existing in the art. It is essential, however, that the insulation be protected by a vapor barrier from moisture penetration, and which is preferably at the same time fire retardant, and must have a desired perm rating, which is a measure of how much moisture vapor can pass through the barrier to the insulation and which will be satisfactory in the industry. Industry heretofore has provided different facing types which on an industrial insulation essentially prevent diminishing, or complete destruction of the insulating value of insulating material due to the insulation becoming moist or wet.
A primary consideration of the present invention concerns the metal building insulation market. Metal buildings, subsequent to World War II, have been substantially increasing, many of them having little or no insulation. Current practice is to insulate the metal building just prior to the roof sheets being applied. Faced insulation of some constructions is usually rolled over the purlins, a type of supporting beam, and then the external flat roof sheets are placed over the insulation. These sheets trap or secure the insulation and it then becomes permenant part of the building.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention serves to solve problems which arise when trying to insulate a building where the roof sheets are already secured down and no insulation has been applied. It can also be used to insulate an existing building where some insulation may or may not be present. As is well known, the addition of new or added insulation is a very beneficial move in buildings, since it can cut down tremendously on fuel bills, while increasing the comfort of the atmosphere within the building for workers or tenants. It has been found, however, that if an attempt is made to add insulation from the underneath interior of a building, instead of above, the problem arises of means for suspending the added insulation. Numerous systems have been devised, hopefully to suspend or secure such new insulation by working from below the roof.
The present invention teaches a new and highly efficient method of creating a vapor barrier, and method of insulation of existing buildings which have been completed but contain less insulation than desired, or none at all, and the invention uses a vapor barrier sheeting which also importantly serves as suspension means and as a supportive structure for added or newly installed insulation.
The invention teaches a product which is a good vapor barrier material and which is of a structure whereby it can be used to support either new or additional insulation material, and certain features thereof ensure that a minimum or no openings or perforations exist which might involve areas for seepage loss of energy, or for introduction of moisture to installed insulation. As pointed out above, introduction of moisture into known insulation materials tends to either substantially decrease, or to completely remove the effective insulation values and/or destroy the material. Some existing types of constructions allow moisture to seep around edges, or if sagging of the material is permitted at the ends or other areas, openings can be created through which moisture can enter the insulation material. The present invention teaches a vapor barrier material as a product per se, or which is useable in older constructions, which is highly effective and includes edge sealing means where the material or product is applied in adjacent strips. Edge sealing means isolate the insulation material from moisture-laden air. Sagging or other deformations or deterioration of the material used may be inhibited by the present invention.
Numerous proposals have been made attempting to solve at least some of the problems arising through installation of insulating material, or in an attempt to increase the insulation in existing structures. For the most part, these prior attempts have not been entirely satisfactory.
Examples of previously known attempts to solve the problems can be found in the following issued U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S.Inventor Pat. No. Issue Date______________________________________Fischer et al 4,044,521 Aug. 30, 1977Alderman 4,047,345 Sept. 13, 1977Kessler 4,069,636 Jan. 24, 1978Greengrass 4,096,304 June 20, 1978Wells 4,117,641 Oct. 3, 1978Alderman 4,147,003 Apr. 3, 1979Kuhl et al 4,233,791 Nov. 18, 1980Interlante 4,251,972 Feb. 24, 1981Smith 4,282,276 Aug. 4, 1981Kusenda 4,290,250 Sept. 22, 1981Clemensen et al 4,303,713 Dec. 1, 1981______________________________________
As will appear from this application, the present invention for the most part solves existing or known problems or drawbacks of prior art constructions, and is applicable in both new and old constructions to give the desired end results; i.e. protection of the insulating material from moisture, heat and fire.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and when taken together with the following description, serve to explain the principles and the structure of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a roll of vapor barrier material in accordance with the invention, the material having a treated edge which is adhesively adjacently interconnectable in a sealing manner, and serve to prevent moisture penetration to the insulation from the interior of a building in which installed;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the area contained within the broken line rectangular box designated FIG. 2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is greatly enlarged, semi-schematic, sectional elevational view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevational view of the details contained within the broken line circle of FIG. 3, and designated FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of an existing installed modern sheet-metal structure, showing use therein of the vapor barrier of the invention, as applied to an existing structure and wherein the facing runs perpendicular to purlins of the building;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 5, and showing one form of a structure which overcomes problems resulting due to sag of material as installed, such as a parabolic-type sag configuration;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view, partially broken away and partially in section, showing details of construction of a non-heat transferring and moisture sealing hanger cap, useable in one form of the invention which has hanger spikes suspended on purlins for installation of the vapor barrier sheet material;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5, of another form of installation of self supporting facing according to the invention, wherein the facing runs in a direction parallel to the building purlins, and with another form of hanger and omitting the other material layers for clarity; and
FIG. 10 is a view of the hanger form shown in FIG. 10, this form replacing hanger spikes as hereinbefore shown, and useable in either disposition of the insulation layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention accordingly teaches a new vapor barrier form which is in roll form, and which can be applied to structures of metal; i.e. metal material buildings, and either to new structures and/or to increase insulation in previously built structures.
The vapor barrier material is in a rolled sheet form and has characteristics whereby adjacent sheet juncture points are so sealingly engaged, that the formation of gap or leakage areas, or deformations, are eliminated. In one form of the invention, edge strips of contact adhesive are used and, in assembly, the edges are overlapped so that the edges are adhesively adhered one to another.
The vapor barrier, referred to in some instances hereinafter as a facing, is applied externally to insulation material to protect the insulation from moisture or humidity.
Some of the above features are individually known in the art. The present invention is particularly deviced to incorporate, in both new and existing structures, a vapor barrier material, and a method of use which overcomes many drawbacks in the previous constructions, and the combined overall effect is highly satisfactory.
The invention achieves improved results by incorporating a support system into the facing material per se. The invention teaches a vapor barrier material or facing having improved basic physical qualities and a modification increasing supportive usage by inserting a supportive strip across the width of the facing, and which strip may be several inches wide, and made of material strong enough to act as a supporting member to hold the insulation above it. These strips are disposed on or integrated within the material at desired spacings and are connectable with mounting means, which can cosist of hangers adapted for support from and extending downward from purlins used in the building structure, or if desired other specifically different types of clips or bolt-type fasteners can be attached to the purlins and interconnected with the vapor barrier material to attach and support it. In some forms of installation prefabricated openings can be provided for mating with different types of supportive fasteners. Reference will hereinafter be made to some possible modifications useable with the invention. The various supportive strips, and methods of overall attachment will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now specifically to the drawings, it is pointed out that FIGS. 1-4 inclusive are directed to the product of the vapor barrier material or sheet per se, whereas the remaining drawings relate to the addition or installation of insulation and, of a vapor barrier, to the inside of new or existing buildings, and can be applied to buildings in use. The present invention is directed primarily, in this aspect, in adding a vapor barrier with insulation to either new or existing structures.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a roll 10 of vapor barrier material which is wound on a cardboard mandrel 12 in a known manner. The material itself can be removed from the mandrel as installation occurs or, if desired, separate strips or sections could be cut from the roll of material. The material shown in FIG. 1 includes two side edges 14, 16, and along edge 14, or both there is applied a contact adhesive strip 18. For protective purposes, a peel-off protective strip 20 is over the adhesive strip and, as will appear hereinafter, during installation it is necessary to peel off the cover strip to expose the adhesive strip.
Sections along the length of the sheet of material, are designated 22, and conjointly constitute the vapor barrier as an entity. This vapor barrier consists of a plurality of layers of material unitized by adhesive. This feature of the invention is expanded in the following description of FIGS. 1-4 inclusive. It will be noted that the plural layers, referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 include a bottom facing sheet 24. This facing sheet can be of different known materials such as vinyl, polyesters, polypropylenes, aluminum foil, and/or the like. This sheet constitutes the bottom or outer face which is exposed in the interior of a building within which used. Known in the art is the use of white vinyl to give a finished appearance. A metalized coating 26 is sometimes applied to the inner side of the sheet 24. This increases the moisture repellent properties of the material. Thin supporting strips 28 of a suitable material are positioned on the inner surface. These supporting strips 28 are placed in the lamination at spaced intervals along the length thereof, with the center line spacing being indicated by S in FIG. 1. The inclusion and function of these strips is extremely important to the invention, and serves to strengthen the material at spaced intervals. The strips extend laterally of the web or sheet. These supporting strips 28 also serve for coacting with possibly variable forms of mounting means.
Overlying the plastic supporting strips there is a synthetic fiber array 30. This array includes three layers of integrated synthetic material, and by reference to FIG. 2 it will be noted that the array consists of horizontal strips 32, and fiber strips 34, 36 arranged, for example, in a diagonal or square pattern, and which serve the purpose of strengthening the overall sheet constituting the vapor barrier. Mounted on top of the synthetic fiber array is a paper backing sheet 38 which can consist of Kraft paper or other similar materials of desired characteristics and strengths. The overall cross section of the multiple layers of material is clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.
The various components constituting the laminated vapor barrier sheet 22 are all assembled by means of adhesive material preferably of a fire retardant nature, and each of the component adds its singular effect to the whole array. Referring to FIG. 1, it is to be noted that the stiffening or strengthening inserts or supporting strips 28, preferably of thin plastic material, are positioned with center lines 40 spaced at predesignated intervals of the sheet.
The use or installation of the vapor barrier sheet in one form is shown in FIGS. 5-7 inclusive. Referring to FIG. 5, a representative building structure as shown and is a metal building which can consist of a plurality of spaced arches, generally with longitudinally purlins 44 in vertically spaced position which conjointly form side walls 46 of the building structure. At the upper ends of the side walls there are top purlins which extend longitudinally, as indicated at 48, and which form the upper and outer edge of the construction. The various purlins as aforementioned, and a plurality of roof support purlins 50, are all brought together to comprise an integrated framework structure for the building, and this construction is shown in FIG. 5. The lengthwise purlins 50 constitute means for supporting top insulating material 60 and other layers such as, for example, layer or batt 54 of insulating material.
This is clearly seen in FIG. 5, and can either be preconstructed or previously constructed building having the insulating material or layer 54 mounted therein. This drawing figure also serves to show a new building construction in which insulating layer 60 has been mounted and partially supported by the purlins. Additional insulating material, and the vapor barrier material can be added either to a new or pre-existing structure. A top insulating layer 60 can be laid over the top of the purlins as shown in FIG. 5.
Roofing sheets 62 are positioned above the layer 60 and fastened in place in a usual manner. These roofing sheets are of metal, and in certain locations pose the problem of transmittal of thermal energy. In this arrangement the top of the longitudinal roof purlins are spaced from the roofing sheets by means of the upper or top insulating layer 60. The heat accordingly cannot be transferred from the building interior through the purlin and roof sheets to the building exterior because of a lowermost layer 64 placed below and attached under the purlins. The precise structure of the barrier sheet 22 has been described in detail hereinabove. It is to be noted that contact is made between the bottom leg of the longitudinal roof purlins and the support strips 28 in the vapor barrier 22 through means of hangers or clips.
The sheet material constituting the vapor barrier as shown in FIG. 1 can be mounted between adjacent/parallel purlins or beams 44, and these contiguous or adjacent sheets 22 will then form an interior side wall, as well as ceiling structures as seen in FIG. 5 wherein the side walls have been erected, and the vapor barrier material is being applied to and connected with the undersides of the longitudinal roof purlins. One method of attachment of the vapor barrier sheet to the purlins is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 wherein hanger spikes 66 are fastened to the undersides of the bottom legs of the purlins. These spaced spikes 66 are adapted to penetrate into and through the vapor barrier sheet 22, and will penetrate at the location or position of an imbedded supporting strip of thin material indexing with circular punch-outs 29. These strips are pushed on to the lower ends of the spikes or other hangers which then penetrate through the various layers constituting the vapor barrier material and serve as supporting means therefor.
In order to ensure that the insulating material and vapor barrier material, in this form of the invention, will be maintained on the hanger spikes, fastening devices such as caps 68 are frictionally mounted on the exposed lower ends of hanger spikes 66, as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. The caps are comprised of non-heat conductive material such as, for example, urethane or polystyrene or the like. Preferably a preformed frictional fit mounted bore 70 is provided in the caps, and when placed on the hanger spikes will frictionally engage thereon and support the vapor barrier sheet. The inner face 72 of the caps is planar and has an adhesive coating 74 thereon. When assembled on a spike and pressed upwardly into engagement with the lower surface of the facing sheet 24, the adhesive material will sealingly or fasteningly engage the lowermost surface of the facing sheet and the assembly is thereupon completed and supported. The fastener may be of another type and configuration. For example, it may comprise a metal disc having a central opening which frictionally secures to the hanger spike 66.
The aforementioned assembly can be used in an existing structure which can include fiberglass or ther insulating material batts superimposed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and to which it is desired to add additional insulating material by means of the layer 64 and an underlying vapor barrier. The lowermost vapor barrier sheet can, in a new installation, provide support means in part for the upper insulating batt 54. The use of the hanger spikes and fasteners is only one method of affixing the various layers of material in place. In this structure attention is invited to FIGS. 5 and 7. In FIG. 7, for example, a juncture point or area 74a consists of the edges of adjacent sheets 22 with the adhesive edge of one and the dry edge of the other, each being overlapped as indicated at 76. When assembling adjacent sheets of material in this manner, the cover strip 20 is peeled off the adhesive strip and the sheets are interengaged.
The structure as completed, whether a new construction or an old one having additional fiberglass layers of insulating material, can be fabricated in the same manner. Preexisting buildings usually do not already have the batt 54 mounted therein. Subsequent insulation addition could include placement of the batt such as at 54, between purlins, and a bottom layer 64 added and supported by various hanger means from the under side of the metal roofing structure. The vapor barrier sheet can then be mountedly positioned by mounting on the hangers with the interposition of a further batt 64 of insulating material if desired. The vapor barrier sheet can serve as a mounting and supporting sheet for this lower layer. The batt of insulating material can be affixed on the hangers or spikes. This serves to space the vapor barrier sheet away from the purlins and prevents heat transfer. The vapor barrier sheet is applied over the external surface of the insulating material, with the supporting strips being lined up with the hangers on the purlins when assembling. Subsequently the retaining means such as fasteners 68, in this form of the invention, are pressed on to the spikes.
The foregoing description as applied to the form or structure shown in FIGS. 1-8 inclusive can be changed or the installation and structure varied while maintaining the principles of the invention.
Reference is here made to FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings. These figures disclose a modified installation in which purlins 80 are again mounted in the structure as in the preceding embodiment. The insulating material, not shown, and the facing layer 82 are run or installed in a direction parallel to the purlins. This type of installation serves to overcome a possible mismatch which could result in gaps between the material and the purlins due primarily to an improper and inexact spacing of the purlins. In such a case, it is conceivable that the support means or hangers such as the spikes would not serve to support the material. With the facing layer and insulating layers being run in directions parallel to the purlins, this possibility is overcome. It is noted from FIG. 9 that support strips 84 are again operatively attached to the facing and the sheet is of such width as to overlap the lower purlin lip 86. In lieu of the use of hanger spikes, a hanger as specifically shown in FIG. 10 can be used. This hanger, generally indicated 88, is preferably formed of a springy material such as metal in strip form and includes an upper hook at 90 which can include an end plate or segment 92 adapted for supportive placement on the surface of purlin lip 86 with the remainder of the hanger depending therefrom. The lower portion or segment of the hanger 10 consists of a threaded bolt-like portion 94 which is welded or otherwise secured to the lower end of the upper hanger part. During installation of the material, using the form of hanger disclosed in FIGS. 9 and 10, the threaded lower end or portion 94 is forced through the material consisting of batts or layers of insulating material and the facer or facing 82 at the position of support strips 84. A wing nut or the like 96 is threadedly engaged on the threaded bolt and with a selective use of a washer means 98 serves to support and interengage the materials.
It is to be noted that the specific hanger or suspension means can be varied as also can the direction of placement of the sheets with respect to the purlins and such constructions are to be considered as a part of the present invention.
It is thus seen that the underlying concept of the present invention lies not only in the construction of the vapor barrier sheet as a laminated multiple layer element but also teaches the use of the vapor barrier and portions of the construction for either a new building, or to add additional insulation to an old structure, and to effectively seal the insulation against moisture penetration.
While preferred structures have been shown and described in detail, obviously various dimensions can be altered and certain minor changes made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The foregoing description of components of the embodiment, and as shown in the drawings, serves as a teaching for one skilled in the art to utilize the concepts and structure of the invention. Obvious changes or modifications are considered to be within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, and as claimed hereinafter.
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A laminated vapor barrier for building insulation including a vapor impermeable bottom sheet and an uppermost backing sheet with an intermediate strengthening fiber array constituted by a plurality of layers of strips of crossedly disposed synthetic fibers, a plurality of spaced and laterally disposed thin supporting strips of a suitable material intermediate the fiber array layers and the bottom facing sheets, a preferably fire retardant adhesive interconnecting all layers into a cohesive self-supportive layered and laminated vapor barrier product, the product being adapted for operatively supporting layered insulating material to the interior underside of a metal building roof structure, or the like, having a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending purlins, interconnected with the building structure, a plurality of supporting hangers depending from the purlins, the vapor barrier material being interengaged with and mounted to the hangers by interengagement support between the supporting strips and supportive hangers, the vapor barrier, as installed, actively preventing moisture intrusion from a building interior from contacting and possibly penetrating the layered insulation material.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The humidifier device of the instant invention is a structural improvement over presently ascertained prior art and particularly with respect to applicant's prior invention of a humidifier device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,038 dated Mar. 4, 1969 wherein the absorbent moistening element is in the form of a cylindrical section exposable to the reservoir fluid at one of the ends of said moistening element. The moisture-producing capacity relative to the humidifier size is thus limited especially when applied to musical instrument cases containing wooden elements requiring maintenance of humidity to prevent warpage and cracking as in the violin family as well as in fretted instruments such as guitars, mandolins, lutes and other instruments having wooden components including reeds.
Humidifiers for musical instrument cases in the form of perforated metal containers filled with a water-absorbent material have been attempted as well as the use of humidifiers in the form of snake housings insertable within the sound boxes of instruments such as violins. A snake type humidifier is disclosed in the U.S. patent to Hollander under U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,700 and dated Oct. 29, 1968.
Advantages of applicant's present improved structure reside in increased moisture-producing capacity relative to humidifier size by utilization of ring-type absorbent and compartment elements, novel communicating channels and novel means of attachment to the instrument cases and other types of enclosures, and novel means and ease for refilling of the device.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to moisture supplying devices, but more particularly to a humidifier device.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a humidifier device for moisture production and which includes particular application to musical instruments to prevent possible cracking, warping and shrinking of stringed instruments including violins and other instruments subject to malfunction and caused by moisture loss.
Another object of the invention is to provide a humidifier device which produces maximum and controlled amount of moisture for size, and which is of such novel structure as to perform efficiently without leakage and in all positions at all times and places including regionally dry and seasonable climates.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved humidifier device which is of such novel structure and size as to be easily mounted in a musical instrument case while still offering ample clearance for the instrument.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved humidifier device having a ring-shaped absorbent element liquid-fed on three sides and which includes adjustment means for regulating the amount of moisture produced and emanating from said element to the surrounding area.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a humidor device which is adaptable for other applications such as moisture producing means in humidor space, food containers, and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide a humidifier device which is adaptable for use in an area requiring a suitable deodorant or other required vaporizing agent.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a humidifier device which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and set-up and operate.
These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be set forth in the specification and in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an enlarged top plan view of preferred form of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1 showing one set of ports fully uncovered for moisture-supplying operation, further showing removal of protective tape from the fastener strip of the device and illustrating the invention as secured to the interior of an instrument case, the case being shown fragmentarily and in section;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the device taken along the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the housing of the device per se with parts removed from the assembly;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the top cover of the housing and prior to being secured to the assembly;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the retaining plate for the absorbent element of the device shown per se and prior to being secured to the assembly;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 taken along the plane 7-7 thereof;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of top cover for the device, and
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 taken along the plane 9-9 thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown, the humidifier device generally indicated by numeral 10 is comprised of a circular, relatively shallow housing generally indicated by numeral 11 and may be of any suitable, transparent, rigid and inert material including the styrenes and acrylics. Housing 11 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, consists of a bottom wall 12 comprised of an annular outside skirt or flange 13 and an adjacent and inner concentric recessed or well portion 14. Flange 13 extends from the housing peripheral or outer wall 15, said wall 15 adjacent the lower edge having diametrically opposed sets of ports or apertures 16 for communication with the outer periphery 17 of humectant ring 18, the latter being comprised of a suitable liquid-absorbing material and being adapted to fit and be suitably received and retained within the housing 11.
Thus, ring 18, formed of any suitable and packed liquid-absorbent fibrous material including asbestos, is adapted to sit over the well or recessed portion 14 of housing bottom wall 12 and be engagingly held at its outer periphery by the inner face of housing outer wall 15, and at its inner periphery 19 by the outer face or periphery 20 of a circular-forming housing inner wall. As best seen in FIG. 4, said housing inner wall is formed from a plurality of spaced arcuate wall sections each indicated by numeral 21 and each having attaching horizontal base legs 21a for securement to the housing floor 12 at the recessed portion 14.
Spacing 22 defined between the arcuate wall portions and legs 21 and 21a respectively provide passageways for water 23 or other suitable liquids received in the housing reservoir portions 24 to enter the bottom wall and inner periphery 19 of ring 18 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), said bottom wall of ring 18 being disposed above housing well 14 as heretofore stated and being supported by legs 21a and a portion of housing bottom wall 12. The passageways for the top wall of ring 18 will be described next in connection with the retaining plate 25 for ring 18, but all of such passageways offer entry of reservoir water 23 to three sides of ring 18 for evaporation therefrom through the ports or apertures 16 of housing wall 15 to the surrounding air of the device 10.
Thus, passageways for reservoir water 23 to the top wall of ring 18 is afforded by the said retaining plate 25 as best seen in FIG. 6. Plate 25 is of circular configuration, is also formed of suitable clear plastic material and includes a hub portion 26, the latter being adapted to be received within the confines of housing inner wall portions 21. Plate 25 further includes a plurality of equally and radially spaced-apart rib portions 27 to afford rigidity thereto and an arcuate opening 28 between each pair of said rib portions to enable water or other fluid 23 to enter and be absorbed by ring 18 through the top wall thereof. Moreover, opening 26a through hub portion 26 provides passageway means for water 23 to enter the area between inner housing wall portions 21 and the recess 14 beneath the ring 18 (see FIG. 3).
Retaining plate 25 as shown is secured to the inner wall members 21 of housing 11 during the manufacture of the humidifier device 10 along the upper edges thereof (see FIG. 7) by means of an annular ring 29 integrally attached to the underside of plate 25 serving as an energy director for ultrasonically welding same to the inner wall members 21. Plate 25 thus is adapted to fix ring member 18 within the compartment formed by the described housing parts.
Closure for the housing assembly of the device 10 is afforded by a top cover 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) formed of suitable clear plastic material as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5 and includes a hollow neck portion 31 extending upwardly from the center of its top wall. Cover 30 is adapted to be hermetically sealed to the assembly of housing 11 as will appear hereinafter and further carries the attaching means of the device for securement to the musical case or other internal area used to house the same. Said attaching means as best seen in FIG. 2 may be conventional and as shown is secured to the top wall of cover neck portion 31. Thus, the fastener strip 32, common in the art, is secured to the top surface of the top wall of neck portion 31 by a suitable adhesive 33. And prior to using the humidifier device 10, a protective strip of tape 34 is secured to the top of strip 32. Fastener strip 32 is of the hook type and its mating strip 34a is of the loop type, the latter being secured by an adhesive 35 to the interior surface 36 of a musical instrument case or other surface. Magnetic or other detachable means of attachment of the device 10 may also be resorted to.
Top cover 30 includes in addition radially disposed and spaced reinforcing ribs 37 to maintain rigidity of said cover and a second neck portion 38 extending downwardly into one of the liquid reservoir portions 24 (see FIG. 3). Neck portion 38 is adapted to receive a closure cap 39 preferably of resilient polyethylene or similar plastic for hermetical and frictional sealing purposes following filling and refilling of reservoir portions 24 of housing 11 with water or other fluid 23.
Provision for controlling the amount of moisture to be imparted to the surrounding atmosphere of the humidifier device 10 is in the form of a control ring 40 of suitable, rigid and transparent plastic material and includes a pair of diametrically opposed and elongated openings or cut-outs 41 registrable with housing outer wall ports 16. Ring 40 is rotatably mounted against housing outer wall 15 and between housing bottom wall flange 13 and the protruding edge of top cover 30 as seen best in FIGS. 2 and 3. Mounting of control ring 40 is effectuated in manufacture after absorbent ring retaining plate has been secured over absorbent ring 18 within housing 11 and prior to hermetical sealing of top cover 30 to housing outer wall 15. Following said mounting, proper hermetical sealing of top cover 30 to housing 11 takes place. As shown, sealing is accomplished by use of an annular ring 42a integrally attached to the underside of cover peripheral flange portion 43, said ring 42a serving as an energy director for a peripheral ultrasonic welding. It is to be observed that control ring 40 as shown is provided with a pair of opposed cut-outs 41a to faciltate finger rotation of said ring for adjustability thereof.
As shown, the outer periphery of the cap 39 serving as a removable closure for mouth or neck portion 38 is provided with vertical grooves 39a for easy finger gripping, while the outer periphery of control ring 40 also includes a plurality of raised portions 42 also for easy finger gripping.
MODE OF OPERATION
With respect to the mode of operation of the humidifier device 11 as described, closure cap 39 is removed from mouth or neck 38 for introduction of water or other fluid 23. Said fluid will travel into the resservoir portions 24 and then enter openings 28 of retaining plate 25 and passageways 22 between the arcuate housing inner wall portions 21 and 21a. Thus absorbent ring 18 becomes exposed to reservoir fluid from the upper, inner and bottom sides (see FIG. 3). At such time water or other fluid will escape from ring 18 if housing ports 16 are exposed by the positioning of the control ring 40 until cap 39 is reintroduced into neck 38. Such reintroduction prevents water flow from ring 40 and allows water evaporation therefrom.
For attachment of the humidifier device 10 to the interior of the musical instrument case or other area requiring humidification, tape 34 of the attaching means is peeled from fastener 32 after suitably adhering a mating second fastener strip 34a to the surface 36 of the interior of a closed area requiring a humectant. Thereafter, the device is pressed with its fastener strip 32 against fastener 34a.
To refeed device 10 wih liquid or water 23 after the latter has been consumed by evaporation, it is pulled free from mating fastener 34a and cap or plug 39 is removed. After such refill, plug 39 is reintroduced and device 10 is reattached as heretofore described.
To render the device leak-proof for vacuum action, top cover 30 should heremetically seal housing 11 and for this reason a preferred type of sealing has been herein described. Thus when water or other fluid 23 starts to evaporate from ring 18 through ports 16, a vacuum is created in the interior of housing 11 thereby causing plug 39 to be forced inwardly of neck or mouth 38 for tighter frictional and sealing engagement.
Thus, the humidifier device 10 as described provides a sealed unit, means for greater wetting and absorption the humectant ring 18, resultant increase in capacity of evaporation for size of the device, reservoir liquid in contact with ring 18 practically in all positions of the device, and further provides a compact and durable unit.
MODIFIED FORM OF DEVICE
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, a modified form of top cover 44 is provided and includes a center hub 45 adapted to frictionally receive a suitable plug (not shown). Cover 44 includes a plurality of radially and equally spaced ribs 46 for rigidity and further includes a ring 47 similar to rings 29 and 42a of retaining plate 25 and top cover 30 respectively to serve as an energy director during manufacture of the device as has heretofore been described. In use, cover 44 is similar to cover 30 except that the closure plug is frictionally received in hub 45, the latter being the center refill portion of a humidifier device rather than as an offset portion as shown in the other drawing figures. Said closure plug is adapted to have on its top wall similar attaching means for the device as is shown in FIG. 2 in connection with cover neck portion 31.
Transparency of the device 10 with respect to the parts thereof as described permits visibility of the interior so that need for filling or recharge with fluid may easily be observed.
I wish it understood that minor changes and variations in materials, size, location, assembly and integration of parts may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.
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A humidifier device to prevent warping, cracking and shrinking of elements in stringed or other musical instruments subject to modification by reason of a lack of moisture in the instrument carrying case. The device comprises a small, sealed housing detachably securable to the interior of the instrument case and provides a refillable and leak-proof reservoir which feeds water or other evaporatable fluid to the top, bottom and inner peripheral side walls of an absorbent ring when the reservoir is filled to capacity; and when partially full and in any position of the carrying case water feed to the absorbent ring is maintained along at least one of the absorbent ring walls. A control ring is further provided which is rotatable about the housing to increase or decrease the evaporation rate of water from the housing ports communicating with the absorbent ring.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/560,771 filed on Jul. 27, 2012 and of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/720,973 filed on Mar. 10, 2010 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,366,877.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods of reducing the deposition of organic contaminants, such as pitch and stickies, in papermaking processes. The deposition of organic contaminants on process equipment, screens, and containment vessels in papermaking can significantly reduce process efficiency and paper quality. Deposits on machine wires, felts, foils, headbox surfaces, screens, and instruments can result in costly downtime for cleaning to avoid the problems associated with poor process control, reduced throughput, and substandard sheet properties. Such contaminants are generically referred to in the paper industry as either “pitch” or “stickies”. Pitch deposits generally originate from natural resins present in virgin pulp, including terpene hydrocarbons, rosin/fatty acids or salts thereof, such as pimaric acid, pinic acid and abietic acid, glyceryl esters of fatty acid, sterols, etc. Stickies and white pitch generally refer to the hydrophobic substances used in the manufacture of paper such as sizing agents, coating binders, and pressure sensitive or contact adhesives. Such substances can form deposits when reintroduced in recycled fiber systems. Other common organic contaminants that are chemically similar to stickies and found in recycle applications include wax, which originates primarily from wax-coated old corrugated containers, and polyisoprene. Pitch and stickies may also contain entrapped inorganic materials such as talc, calcium carbonate, or titanium dioxide.
Recycled fiber also refers to secondary fibers which are repulped to provide the papermaking furnish with raw material for the production of new papers. The secondary fibers may be either pre-consumer or post-consumer paper material that is suitable for use in the production of paper products. Sources of secondary fiber may include old newspaper (ONP), old corrugated containers (OCC), mixed office waste (MOW), computer printout (CPO), ledger, etc. These once-processed papers contain various types of adhesives (pressure sensitive, hot melts, etc.), inks, and coating binders.
Pitch and stickies are hydrophobic in nature and thus unstable as colloids in aqueous papermaking environments, thereby facilitating their deposition. The major problems arising from deposition are as follows: (1) reduced throughput due to plugging of forming fabrics and press felts, (2) sheet holes or paper breaks due to large deposits breaking loose from the equipment, and (3) reduced sheet quality due to large particle contaminants incorporated in the final sheet.
One approach used to address pitch and stickies deposition is through the use of detackifiers. Detackifiers passivate the exposed surfaces of pitch and sticky particles rendering them non-adhesive and unlikely to deposit. A number of chemical are known to be effective detackifiers. Effective organic detackifiers include polyvinyl alcohol, copolymer of vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylates, and waterborne globulins. In order for detackifiers to function well, it must satisfy two crucial functions: 1) it must selectively and sufficiently attach to the surface of the pitch or sticky surface, and 2) it must stabilize the resulting sticky/pitch-detackifier complex in water.
The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “Prior Art” with respect to this invention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 CFR §1.56(a) exists.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
At least one embodiment of the invention is directed towards a method of reducing the deposition of organic contaminants in papermaking processes. The method comprises adding to pulp or a papermaking system an effective amount of a composition comprising an anionic lipophilic branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer, wherein the composition selectively bonds with the organic contaminants to form a complex and the complex is stable in papermaking processes.
The anionic group may be one selected from the list consisting of phosphates, phosphonates, carboxylates, sulfonates, the like and any combination thereof. The glycerol-based polymer may be an anionic lipohydrophilic glycerol based polymer. The glycerol-based polymer may be branched, hyperbranched, dendritic, cyclic or any combination thereof. The branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may be cross-linked. The anionic branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may comprise a random arrangement of the monomeric units including R 1 indicated in the following formula:
wherein:
m, n, o, p, q and r are independently 0 to 700;
R and R′ are independently —(CH 2 ) x —, wherein each x is independently 0 or 1; and
each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, acyl, C 1 -C 50 alkyl and anionic groups.
Each R 1 may be independently selected from hydrogen, C 2 -C 18 alkyl, and —C(O)CH(OH)CH 3 . Each of m, n, o, p, q and r may be independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50. The glycerol-based polymer has a weight-average molecular weight of about 200 Da to about 500,000 Da.
The method may further comprise adding to the pulp or the papermaking system at least one component selected from the group consisting of fixatives, dispersants, and other detackifiers. The organic contaminants may be pitch, stickies or combination thereof. The composition may be added to a pulp slurry in a pulper, latency chest, reject refiner chest, disk filter or Decker feed or accept, whitewater system, pulp stock storage chest, blend chest, machine chest, headbox, saveall chest, or any combination thereof in the papermaking process.
The composition may be added to a surface in the papermaking process selected from a pipe wall, a chest wall, a machine wire, a press roll, a felt, a foil, an Uhle box, a dryer, or any combination thereof. The anionic branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may be added to a pulp slurry in the papermaking process. The effective amount of the anionic branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may be from about 5 ppm to about 300 ppm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an anionic glycerol based polymer used in the invention.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a variety of glycerol based structural units which can be used to form the glycerol based polymer.
FIG. 3 is a graph which demonstrates the effectiveness of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following definitions are provided to determine how terms used in this application, and in particular how the claims, are to be construed. The organization of the definitions is for convenience only and is not intended to limit any of the definitions to any particular category.
“Acyl” as used herein refers to a substituent having the general formula —C(O)R, wherein R is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl, any of which may be further substituted
“Alkyl” as used herein refers a linear, branched, or cyclic saturated hydrocarbon group, such as a methyl group, ethyl group, n-propyl group, isopropyl group, n-butyl group, isobutyl group, tert-butyl group, n-pentyl group, isopentyl group, n-hexyl group, isohexyl group, cyclopentyl group, cyclohexyl group, and the like. Alkyl groups may be optionally substituted.
“Branched” means a polymer having branch points that connect three or more chain segments. The degree of branching may be determined by 13 C NMR based on a known literature method described in Macromolecules, 1999, 32, 4240. As used herein, a branched polymer includes hyperbranched and dendritic polymers.
“Cyclic” means a polymer having cyclic or ring structures. The cyclic structure units can be formed by intramolecular cyclization or any other ways.
“Degree of branching” or DB means the mole fraction of monomer units at the base of a chain branching away from the main polymer chain relative to a perfectly branched dendrimer, determined by 13 C NMR based on a known literature method described in Macromolecules, 1999, 32, 4240. Cyclic units or branched alkyl chains derived from fatty alcohols or fatty acids are not included in the degree of branching. In a perfect dendrimer the DB is 1 (or 100%).
“Degree of cyclization” or DC means the mole fraction of cyclic structure units relative to the total monomer units in a polymer. The cyclic structure units can be formed by intramolecular cyclization of the polyols or any other ways to incorporate in the polyols. The cyclic structure units comprise basic structure units (V, VI and VII of FIG. 2 ) and the analogues thereof. The degree of cyclization may be determined by 13 C NMR.
“Glycerol-based polymers” refers to any polymers containing repeating glycerol monomer units such as polyglycerols, polyglycerol derivatives, and a polymer consisting of glycerol monomer units and at least another monomer units to other multiple monomers units regardless of the sequence of monomers unit arrangements, glycerol-based polymers include but are not limited to alkylated, branched, cyclic polyglycerol esters, as well as those polymers disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/484,526, 12/720,973, and 12/582,827.
“Hyperbranched” means a polymer, which is highly branched with three-dimensional tree-like structures or dendritic architecture.
“Lipohydrophilic glycerol-based polymers” means glycerol-based polymers having lipophilic and hydrophilic functionalities, for example, lipohydrophilic polyglycerols resulting from lipophilic modification of polyglycerols (hydrophilic) in which at least a part of and up to all of the lipophilic character of the polymer results from a lipophilic carbon bearing group engaged to the polymer, the lipophilic modification being one such as alkylation, and esterification modifications.
“Mulifunctional” means a composition of matter having two or more functions such as selectively bonding to and forming a complex with a material and maintaining the stability of that complex in water.
“Papermaking process” means a method of making paper products from pulp comprising forming an aqueous cellulosic papermaking furnish, draining the furnish to form a sheet and drying the sheet. The steps of forming the papermaking furnish, draining and drying may be carried out in any conventional manner generally known to those skilled in the art. The papermaking process may also include a pulping stage, i.e. making pulp from a lignocellulosic raw material and bleaching stage, i.e. chemical treatment of the pulp for brightness improvement.
“Substituted” as used herein may mean that any at least one hydrogen on the designated atom or group is replaced with another group provided that the designated atom's normal valence is not exceeded. For example, when the substituent is oxo (i.e., ═O), then two hydrogens on the atom are replaced. Combinations of substituents and/or variables are permissible provided that the substitutions do not significantly adversely affect synthesis or use of the compound.
“Surfactanf” is a broad term which includes anionic, nonionic, cationic, and zwitterionic surfactants. Enabling descriptions of surfactants are stated in Kirk - Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology , Third Edition, volume 8, pages 900-912, and in McCutcheon's Emulsifiers and Detergents , both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
“Detackifiers” means a process chemical that reduces tackiness other substances present in a papermaking process or which disperses otherwise undispersed tacky substances present in a papermaking process, when detackifiers reduce the tackiness of or disperse pitch and stickies, the pitch and stickies have less tendency to form agglomerates or deposit onto papermaking equipment or create spots or holes in the product.
In the event that the above definitions or a description stated elsewhere in this application is inconsistent with a meaning (explicit or implicit) which is commonly used, in a dictionary, or stated in a source incorporated by reference into this application, the application and the claim terms in particular are understood to be construed according to the definition or description in this application, and not according to the common definition, dictionary definition, or the definition that was incorporated by reference. In light of the above, in the event that a term can only be understood if it is construed by a dictionary, if the term is defined by the Kirk - Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 5th Edition (2005) (Published by Wiley, John & Sons, Inc.) this definition shall control how the term is to be defined in the claims.
In at least one embodiment of the invention, deposition of pitch or stickies in papermaking process water is controlled by the addition of a novel detackifier composition into the process water. The composition comprises an anionic lipophilic glycerol based polymer. The polymer comprises a glycerol based polymer backbone which has undergone chemical modification with multi-functional groups.
In at least one embodiment the chemical modification of glycerol-based polymers is done with an anionic group and a lipophilic group. The lipophilic group can be an aliphatic and/or aromatic hydrocarbon of 1 to 50 carbon atoms. The anionic group can be selected from the list consisting of: phosphates, phosphonates, carboxylates, sulfonates, the like including acid and/or ionic salt forms and any combination thereof. The anionic charge density can bel % to 99%.
In at least one embodiment the anionic modification of glycerol-based polymers is phosphorylation. A representative example of such phosphorylation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,855. In at least on embodiment the anionic modification is phosphonation. A representative example of such phosphonation is described in the scientific paper: Michael Additions to Activated Vinylphosphonates , by Tomasz Janecki et al., Synthesis, issue 8, pp. 1227-1254 (2009). In at least one embodiment the anionic modification is carboxyalkylation. Representative examples of such carboxyalkylation are described in US Patent Applications 2004/0018948A1 and 2006/0047168A1. In at least one embodiment the anionic modification is sulfonation. A representative example of such sulfonation is described in GB Patent Specification 802325A.
In at least one embodiment the lipophilic modification glycerol-based polymers is via alkylation, alkoxylation, oxyalkylation, esterification or any combination thereof, such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/560,771, 13/484,526, 12/720,973 and references therein.
In at least one embodiment the anionic and lipophilic modifications of glycerol-based polymers are done together in one step, separately in two steps or combination thereof.
In at least one embodiment the lipophilic modification enhances the hydrophobic interaction between pitch/stickies and the anionic glycerol-based polymers. In at least one embodiment the anionic functionality enhances the water solubility for dispersing of the pitch/stickies. In at least one embodiment the anionic functionality chelates cationic ions commonly existed in water such as calcium and magnesium to increase the glass transition temperature of the pitch/stickies for preventing from being sticky in the papermaking processes.
In at least one embodiment the well-balanced modifications synergistically enhance the organic deposition control.
In at least one embodiment the backbone of anionic lipophilic glycerol-based polymers is branched, cyclic glycerol based polymer, such as described in US Patent Application 2011/0092743A1. Without being limited as to theory the lipophilic groups may interact with hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process, e.g., in a pulp slurry. The hydrophilic portion may aid dispersing the hydrophilic contaminants in water. The lipophilic groups may be introduced via known methods such as alkylation, alkoxylation esterification, or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, at least one portion of the glycerol-based polymer has both alkyl and ester functionalities. The nature of different polarities from both functionalities may be adjusted to optimally perform in dispersing pitch and stickies.
In at least one embodiment the glycerol-based polymer is a lipohydrophilic glycerol-based polymer, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , wherein: m, n, o, p, q and r are independently 0 to 700; R and R′ are independently —(CH 2 ) x —, wherein each x is independently 0 or 1; and each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, acyl and alkyl, wherein at least R 1 is alkyl.
The composition may be added to a papermaking process involving virgin pulp, recycled pulp or combination thereof at any one or more of various locations during the papermaking process. Suitable locations may include pulper, latency chest, reject refiner chest, disk filter or Decker feed or accept, whitewater system, pulp stock storage chests (either low density (“LD”), medium consistency (MC), or high consistency (HC)), blend chest, machine chest, headbox, saveall chest, paper machine whitewater system, and combinations thereof. The composition may be added to a pulp slurry in the papermaking process. The composition may also be applied to a surface in the papermaking process, such as a metal, plastic, or ceramic surfaces such as pipe walls, chest walls, machine wires, press rolls, felts, foils, Uhle boxes, dryers and any equipment surfaces that contact with fibers during the paper process. The method may include the step of contacting fibers with the composition. The fibers may be cellulose fibers, such as recycled fibers, virgin wood cellulose fibers, or combinations thereof.
In at least one embodiment, the composition is added to a papermaking process using recycled paper fibers. The recycled fibers may be obtained from a variety of paper products or fiber containing products, such as paperboard, newsprint, printing grades, sanitary and other paper products. These products may comprise, for example, old corrugated containers (OCC), old newsprint (ONP), mixed office waste (MOW), old magazines and books, or combinations thereof. These types of paper products typically contain large amounts of hydrophobic contaminants. In embodiments employing virgin fibers, the method may involve the use of pulp derived from softwood, hardwood or blends thereof. Virgin pulp can include bleached or unbleached Kraft, sulfite pulp or other chemical pulps, and groundwood (GW) or other mechanical pulps such as, for example, thermomechanical pulp (TMP).
Examples of organic hydrophobic contaminants include what is known in the industry as “stickies” that may include synthetic polymers resulting from adhesives and the like, glues, hot melts, coatings, coating binders, pressure sensitive binders, unpulped wet strength resins and “pitch” that may include wood resins, rosin and resin acid salts. These types of materials are typically found in paper containing products, such as newsprint, corrugated container, and/or mixed office waste. These hydrophobic contaminants can have polymers present, such as styrene butadiene rubber, vinyl acrylate polymers, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, natural rubber, ethyl vinyl acetate polymers, polyvinyl acetates, ethylvinyl alcohol polymers, polyvinyl alcohols, styrene acrylate polymers, and/or other synthetic type polymers.
The method may control hydrophobic contaminants in papermaking processes, e.g., the deposition of hydrophobic contaminants on components of a papermaking process. For example, the method may control hydrophobic contaminants present in paper mill furnish. For example, the method may reduce, inhibit or eliminate the deposition of hydrophobic contaminants in a papermaking process. The method may also reduce the size of contaminant particles through dispersion and suppressing agglomeration, and/or reduce the tackiness of the hydrophobic contaminants when compared to a papermaking process in which the composition is not employed. For example, the method may reduce the average size of contaminant particles by at least about 5% to about 40% (e.g., about 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% or 40%) when compared to a papermaking process in which the composition is not employed. In embodiments, the method may reduce the deposition of hydrophobic contaminants by at least about 5% to about 95% (e.g., about 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90% or 95%) when compared to a papermaking process in which the composition is not employed.
In the method, the composition may be added to a papermaking process in an amount effective to reduce deposition of hydrophobic contaminants when compared to a papermaking process in which the composition is not employed. For example, the composition may be added to pulp slurry in an amount from about 10 ppm to about 300 ppm, e.g., from about 50 ppm to about 200 ppm, or about 50 ppm, 60 ppm, 70 ppm, 80 ppm, 90 ppm, 100 ppm, 110 ppm, 120 ppm, 130 ppm, 140 ppm, 150 ppm, 160 ppm, 170 ppm, 180 ppm, 190 ppm, to about 200 ppm. The effective amount may reduce the deposition of hydrophobic contaminants by at least 5% to about 95% (e.g., about 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50° %, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90% or 95%) when compared to a papermaking process in which the composition is not employed. The method may further include adding to the papermaking system at least one component selected from the group consisting of fixatives, detackifiers and other dispersants.
In at least one embodiment the glycerol-based polymer may be any polymer containing repeating glycerol monomer units such as polyglycerols, polyglycerol derivatives, and polymers consisting of glycerol monomer units and at least one other monomer unit, regardless of the sequence of monomers unit arrangements. Suitably, other monomers may be polyols or hydrogen active compounds such as pentaerythrital, glycols, amines, etc. capable of reacting with glycerol or any polyglycerol structures. The polymer may be linear, branched, hyperbranched, cyclic, dendritic, and any combination thereof and have sub-chains/sunregions characterized by any combination thereof.
In at least one embodiment the glycerol-based polymer is branched. In at least one embodiment the branching structure in the backbone of the polymer, not in the lipophilic chains. In at least one embodiment the branched structure increases the polymer dimensions for the effective interfacial interactions to result in exceptional organic deposit control. Branching may be particularly useful as it facilitates increased molecular weight of the glycerol-based polymers. Branched polymers include both hyperbranched and dendritic structures. The branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may have a degree of branching of at least about 0.10, e.g., from about 0.20 to about 0.75 or from about 0.30 to about 0.50. For example, a branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may have a degree of branching of about 0.10, about 0.15, about 0.20, about 0.25, about 0.30, about 0.35, about 0.40, about 0.45, about 0.50, about 0.55, about 0.60, about 0.65, about 0.70 or about 0.75.
In at least one embodiment the glycerol-based polymer is cyclic, i.e. has at least one cyclic or ring structure, or has at least one cyclic or ring structured polymer molecule in the polymer. Such cyclic structures may be formed, for example, during the polymerization process via intramolecular cyclization reactions. The rigidity of cyclic structures in the polymer backbone may uniquely extend the molecular dimensions and increase the hydrodynamic volume, to better act interfacially for dispersing pitch and stickies. Cyclic glycerol-based polymers may have a degree of cyclization of about 0.01 to about 0.50. For example, the branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may have a degree of cyclization of at least 0.01, e.g., about 0.02 to about 0.19 or about 0.05 to about 0.15. For example, a branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may have a degree of cyclization of about 0.01, about 0.02, about 0.03, about 0.04, about 0.05, about 0.06, about 0.07, about 0.08, about 0.09, about 0.10, about 0.11, about 0.12, about 0.13, about 0.14, about 0.15, about 0.16, about 0.17, about 0.18, or about 0.19.
Suitable branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymers include compounds as illustrated in FIG. 1 . In the these compounds, m, n, o, p, q and r are independently 0 to 700; R and R′ are independently —(CH 2 ) x —, wherein each x is independently 0 or 1; and each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, acyl, alkyl, acid and anionic groups. The anionic groups may be in acid form in acidic condition, in anionic salt form in neutral or basic condition or any combination thereof. The anionic group is selected from a list of phosphates —P(O)OH) 2 or —(CH 2 ) x OP(O)(OH) 2 , phosphonates —(CH 2 ) x P(OXOH) 2 , carboxylates —(CH 2 C(O)OH, sulfonates (CH 2 ) x S(O) 2 OH and combination thereof, where per H can be independently substituted by any other groups or atoms, and each x can independently be any number of integers from 0 to 50. Furthermore, it should be understood that the compounds illustrated in FIG. 1 are random polymers of the indicated monomeric units, including R 1 groups. For example, in an exemplary embodiment in which m, n, o, p, q and r are each 1, it is understood that the monomeric units may be present in any order and not necessarily in the order illustrated in FIG. 1 . In another exemplary embodiment in which m, n, o, p, q and r are each 2, it is understood that the monomeric units may be present in any order, where the two “m” units may or may not be adjacent to each other, the two “n” units may or may not be adjacent to each other, and so on. In another exemplary embodiment in which one R 1 is H, two R 1 s are —P(O)(OH) 2 and another two R is are dodecanol, it is understood that any of the groups may or may not be on any of the end groups or non-end groups.
In embodiments of the formula illustrated in FIG. 1 , each m, n, o and p is independently 1-700, and each q and r is independently 0-700. In embodiments of the formula illustrated in FIG. 1 , each m, n, o and q is independently 1-700, and each p and r is independently 0-700. In embodiments of the formula illustrated in FIG. 1 , each m, n, o, p, q and r is independently selected from 0 to 50, 0 to 40, 0 to 30 or 0 to 25. Suitably, each of m, n, o, p, q and r are independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 (or more).
In embodiments of the formula illustrated in FIG. 1 , each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, acyl and C 1 -C 50 alkyl. When R 1 is alkyl, it may be, for example, a C 1 -C 50 alkyl, C 1 -C 40 alkyl, C 1 -C 30 alkyl, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 6 -C 18 alkyl, C 10 -C 16 alkyl or C 12 -C 14 alkyl group. For example, each R 1 that is alkyl may independently be a C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4 , C 5 , C 6 , C 7 , C 8 , C 9 , C 10 , C 11 , C 12 , C 13 , C 14 , C 15 , C 16 , C 17 , C 18 , C 19 , C 20 , C 21 , C 22 , C 23 or C 24 alkyl group. The R 1 group may be optionally substituted with other hydrocarbon-based groups, such as branched, cyclic, saturated, or unsaturated groups.
When R 1 is acyl, it may be, for example, a C1-C15 acyl group. When R 1 is acyl, it may be, for example, —C(O)CH(OH)CH 3 (lactate). In embodiments, lactate or lactic acid may be produced as a co-product during the synthesis of the branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer, which may further react with the polymer.
In at least one embodiment, the glycerol-based polymer may comprise at least two repeating units selected from at least one of the structures listed in FIG. 2 , including but not limited to linear structures I and II, branched structures III, IV and VIII, cyclic structures V, VI and VII, and any combination thereof. Any structure in FIG. 2 can be combined with any structure or structures including itself, in any order. The cyclic linkages of any basic cyclic structures in FIG. 2 may contain any structure or structures as a part or parts of linkages. In each of the repeating units depicted in FIG. 2 , each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, acyl, alkyl and anionic, and each n and n′ is independently 0 to 700.
The glycerol-based polymer may have a weight-average molecular weight of about 100 Da to about 1,000,000 Da.
In at least one embodiment the glycerol-based polymer may be crosslinked. Crosslinked polymers include cross-linkages between one or more types of polymers which are: linear, branched, hyperbranched, cyclic, dendritic, and any combination thereof and have sub-chains/sub-regions characterized by any combination thereof. The glycerol-based polymer may self-crosslink, and/or the polymer may be crosslinked via addition of a crosslinking agent. Suitable crosslinking agents typically include at least two reactive groups such as double bonds, aldehydes, epoxides, halides, and the like. For example, a cross-linking agent may have at least two double bonds, a double bond and a reactive group, or two reactive groups. Non-limiting examples of such agents are diisocyanates, N,N-methylenebis(meth)acrylamide, polyethyleneglycol di(meth)acrylate, glycidyl(meth)acrylate, dialdehydes such as glyoxal, di- or tri-epoxy compounds such as glycerol diglycidyl ether and glycerol triglycidyl ether, dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides such as adipic acid, maleic acid, phthalic acid, maleic anhydride and succinic anhydride, phosphorus oxychloride, trimetaphosphates, dimethoxydimethsilane, tetraalkoxysilanes, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,2-dibromoethane, dichloroglycerols 2,4,6-trichloro-s-triazine and epichlorohydrin.
The glycerol-based polymer used for the anionic and lipophilic modifications may be from a commercially available supplier, or synthesized according to known methods such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,774, 5,198,532 and 6,765,082 B2, and in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0306211 and 2011/0092743, or from any combination thereof.
For example, in embodiments, a method of preparing a glycerol-based polymer for the modifications may include the step of: reacting a reaction mass comprising at least glycerol monomer in the presence of a strong base catalyst of a concentration above 2%, in a low reactivity atmospheric environment at a temperature above 200° C., which produces a product comprising branched, cyclic polyols and a co-product comprising lactic acid, lactic salt, and any combination thereof. Such a method can further comprise the steps of providing a catalyst above 3%. The catalyst may be selected from the group consisting of: NaOH, KOH, CsOH, a base stronger than NaOH, and any combination thereof. The strong base catalyst in the particular amount can be used with combining a base weaker than NaOH. The atmospheric environment may be an atmospheric pressure of less than 760 mm Hg and/or may be a flow of an inert gas selected from the list of N 2 , CO 2 , He, other inert gases and any combination thereof and the flow is at a rate of 0.2 to 15 mol of inert gas per hour per mol of monomer. The particular atmospheric environment profile applied can be steady, gradual increase, gradual decrease or any combination thereof.
The method of preparing the branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may produce glycerol-based polymer products selected from the group consisting of polyglycerols, polyglycerol derivatives, a polyol having both glycerol monomer units and non-glycerol monomer units and any combination thereof. The branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer products have at least two hydroxyl groups. At least a portion of the produced polymers may have both at least a 0.1 degree of branching and at least a 0.01 degree of cyclization. The co-product may be at least 1% by weight.
The method of preparing the branched, cyclic glycerol-based polymer may make use of different forms of glycerol including pure, technical, crude, or any combination thereof. Such methods may further comprise other monomers selected from the group consisting of polyols such as pentaerythritol and glycols, amines, other monomers capable of reacting with glycerol or glycerol-based polyol intermediates and any combination thereof. The monomer(s) and/or catalyst(s) can be mixed at the very beginning of the reaction, at any time during the reaction and any combination thereof. The glycerol-based polyol products may be resistant to biological contamination for at least two years after synthesis. The method may further comprise the steps of pre-determining the desired molecular weight of the produced polyglycerol and adjusting the atmospheric environment to match the environment optimum for producing the desired molecular weight. The method may further comprise the steps of pre-determining the desired degree of branching and the desired degree of cyclization of the produced polyglycerol and the desired amount of co-product, and adjusting the atmospheric environment to match the environment optimum for producing the desired degree of branching, degree of cyclization and amount of co-product lactic acid and/or lactate salt.
Anionic, lipophilic glycerol-based polymer may be made from a lipophilic glycerol-based polymer. The lipohydrophilic glycerol-based polymer may be produced from glycerol-based polymers, such as those that are commercially available or those described herein, according to known methods such as alkylation, esterification and any combinations thereof. For example, such polymers may be produced from glycerol-based polymers according to known methods such as alkylation, as described in German Patent Application No. 10307172, in Canadian Patent No. 2,613,704, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,637,774, 5,198,532, 6,228,416 and 6,765,082 B2, in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0306211 and 2011/0220307, in Markova et al. Polymer International, 2003, 52, 1600-1604, and the like. The glycerol-based polymers may be produced according to known methods such as esterification of glycerol-based polymers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,023,388, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0286052 and the like. The esterification may be carried out with or without a catalyst such as acid(s) or base(s).
Anionic, lipophilic glycerol-based polymers may be made from crosslinked polymers. The crosslinked glycerol-based polymers may be produced in a continuous process under a low reactivity atmospheric environment according to a method described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/484,526, filed on May 31, 2012. The method may comprise the steps of: a) reacting a reaction mass comprising at least glycerol monomer in the presence of a strong base catalyst of a concentration of above 2% at a temperature above 200 degrees C. which produces a first product comprising polyols which are both branched and cyclic, and a co-product comprising lactic acid, lactic salt, and any combination thereof, b) esterifying the first product in presence of an acid catalyst of a concentration above 5% at a temperature above 115 degrees C. to produce a second product, c) alkylating the second product at a temperature above 115 degrees C. to form a third product, and d) crosslinking the third product at a temperature above 115 degrees C. to form an end product. The resulting polymer may further react with the acid catalyst to form the desired anionic polymer.
EXAMPLES
The foregoing may be better understood by reference to the following examples, which is presented for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Example 1
Synthesis of Polyglycerols
100 Units (or using different amounts) of glycerol were added to a reaction vessel followed by 3.0 to 4.0% of active NaOH relative to the reaction mixture. This mixture was agitated and then gradually heated up to 240° C. under a particular low reactivity atmospheric environment of nitrogen flow rate of 0.2 to 4 mol of nitrogen gas per hour per mol of monomer. This temperature was sustained for at least three hours to achieve the desired polyglycerol compositions, while being agitated under a particular low reactivity atmospheric environment. An in-process polyglycerol sample was drawn before next step for the molecular weight/composition analysis/performance test. For the performance test, the polyglycerol was dissolved in water as 50% product. The analysis of polyglycerols (PG) is summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Composition of polyglycerols
Lactic acid by wt.
Polylgycerol
MW
DB
relative to PG
Notes
PG1
9,300
0.34
15%
Used for
performance test
PG2
320
0.24
9%
Used for synthesis
of ALPG
Example 2
Synthesis of Anionic, Lipophilic Polyglycerol (ALPG)
To a reaction vessel with 100 units of polyglycerol (PG2) was added polyphosphoric acid (116.2% by wt. relative to polylgycerol). The mixture was gradually heated to 130° C. under nitrogen atmosphere while agitating whenever stirrable, and kept at this condition for hours to achieve the desired phosphorylation. After cooling down 1-hexanol (31.9% by wt. relative to polyglycerol) was added. The mixture was gradually heated to 150° C. under nitrogen atmosphere while stirring, and kept at this condition for hours to result in the final composition. The ALPG was dissolved in water as 60% product.
Example 3
Performance Test
For the organic deposition control experiment, file fold label (TopStick 4282) is used as adhesives, and baffle test method is used to evaluate the effectiveness of chemistry by deposition mass comparing to that of a blank test.
The topstick label (12.4 cm×21.0 cm) is placed on a plain copy paper, and the paper with the adhesives is cut or torn into 2.5 cm square pieces and put in a disintegrator vessel. Plain copy paper without adhesives is also cut or torn in 2.5 cm square pieces and added to the disintegrator vessel to make up 18.75 g of paper material in total. To the disintegrator vessel, hot water is added to a total weight of 1875 g of the suspension, and the suspension is mechanically disintegrated for 30 minutes to result in pulp of 1% consistency. The pulp is transferred to the baffle testing vessel, and diluted with 1875 g of hot water, followed by mixing to form the pulp in 0.5% consistency for the test. The baffle testing vessel is heated on a hot plant and controlled at 50° C. while mixing at 425 rpm. After 60 minutes at this temperature, the baffles (plastic strips) are removed, rinsed with cooled water and finally air dried. The weight increase of strips is the deposition mass of the blank test, which is without addition of any chemicals.
For evaluation of chemistry, a chemical sample or product is added before heated to the testing temperature 50° C. in the baffle test, and the deposition control effectiveness is calculated by the deposition mass difference from the blank divided by the deposition mass of the blank.
FIG. 3 graphically conveys the effectiveness of the invention (ALPG) as a superior detackifier of organic contaminants comparing to non-modified glycerol based polymer PG1 and a Nalco current product 64231 (a copolymer of vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate).
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. All patents, patent applications, scientific papers, and any other referenced materials mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, the invention encompasses any possible combination of some or all of the various embodiments described herein and/or incorporated herein. In addition the invention encompasses any possible combination that also specifically excludes any one or more of the various embodiments described herein and/or incorporated herein.
The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. The compositions and methods disclosed herein may comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the listed components, or steps. As used herein the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. As used herein the term “consisting essentially of” refers to a composition or method that includes the disclosed components or steps, and any other components or steps that do not materially affect the novel and basic characteristics of the compositions or methods. For example, compositions that consist essentially of listed ingredients do not contain additional ingredients that would affect the properties of those compositions. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims.
All ranges and parameters disclosed herein are understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein, and every number between the endpoints. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all subranges between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more, (e.g. 1 to 6.1), and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, (e.g. 2.3 to 9.4, 3 to 8, 4 to 7), and finally to each number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 contained within the range.
All numeric values are herein assumed to be modified by the term “about,” whether or not explicitly indicated. The term “about” generally refers to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited value (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances, the term “about” may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. Weight percent, percent by weight, % by weight, wt %, and the like are synonyms that refer to the concentration of a substance as the weight of that substance divided by the weight of the composition and multiplied by 100. All percentages and ratios are by weight unless otherwise stated.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a composition containing “a compound” includes a mixture of two or more compounds. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.
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The invention is directed to methods and compositions for reducing the deposition of pitches and stickies in a papermaking process. The method involves introducing an anionic glycerol-based polymer to the papermaking process. This anionic polymer prevents the pitches and stickies from depositing and agglomerating in papermaking processes.
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BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to systems for the dispersion of fragrance in laundry during the drying cycle of a dryer and in particular to a dispersion system using tumble sheets such as fabric softener sheets to facilitate the dispersion of the fragrance.
A wide variety of laundry products include perfumes for imparting a pleasant fragrance to clothing and/or other textiles, such as towels, sheets, etc. Such perfumes may be carried in laundry detergents, bleaches, or softeners to be dispersed during the washing process of a washing machine or added to “tumble sheets” during the drying cycle of a dryer. Tumble sheets are fabric-like sheets that readily intermingle with clothing to disperse laundry treatment materials including antistatic agents, wrinkle reducing agents, stain repellents, odor neutralizers, softening agents, fabric refreshers, soil shielding/soil releasing agents, ultraviolet light protection agents, water repellency agents, insect repellency agents, and dye transfer inhibitors. These laundry treatment materials often have a waxy consistency that helps retain the treatment materials on the tumble sheets for a period of time to ensure good dispersion of these materials on the laundry items during the drying cycle.
Some perfume agents including those associated with freshness are highly volatile and thus may be easily lost during the high temperature manufacture of the tumble sheet. U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,969 recognizes that the loss of these “high note” fragrance components may be reduced by altering the normal manufacturing process in which the perfumes are mixed with other laundry treatment components and applied at high temperature to the tumble sheet. Instead, the teachings of this patent are to apply the perfume after the tumble sheet is coated with other laundry treatment components immediately before it is cut and packaged. It was unexpectedly found that the later-added perfume is well absorbed by the tumble sheet when added at a later point in the manufacturing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention permits further delay of the introduction of the fragrance to the tumble sheet to a point immediately before use of the tumble sheet in the laundry by providing a convenient kit for the consumer including unscented tumble sheets and a fragrance spray bottle. The kit provides the consumer with freedom to select which fragrance and how much fragrance to introduce to their clothes while preserving the good dispersion properties and other laundry treatment aspects of the tumble sheet. By delaying the introduction of fragrance to the tumble sheets, the packaged sheets may be used also for times when no scent is desired. Further, by delaying the introduction of fragrance to the tumble sheets, high note fragrance components are not lost during prolonged storage of the package in a store or warehouse.
Specifically, the present invention provides a carton containing therein a stack of individual, separate, unscented tumble sheets in a first compartment, the tumble sheets coated with a laundry treatment substance selected from the group consisting of: antistatic agents, wrinkle reducing agents, stain repellents, odor neutralizers, softening agents, fabric refreshers, soil shielding/soil releasing agents, ultraviolet light protection agents, water repellency agents, insect repellency agents, and dye transfer inhibitors, and containing in a second compartment a fragrance spray bottle holding fragrance applicable to the individual tumble sheets to be retained thereby for dispersion in clothing when the tumble sheet is intermixed with the clothing during drying of the clothing in a dryer, the compartments providing an access flap closable to retain the tumble sheets and fragrance spray bottle within the compartments.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for greater consumer control of fragrance type and amount applied to laundry during drying together with the beneficial dispersion and laundry treatment features of a tumble sheet. It is a further feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to better preserve high note fragrance components.
The carton may further include a series of openings aligned with the second compartment to expose the fragrance spray bottle therethrough.
It is thus an object of the invention to permit ready identification of a fragrance type as indicated by the fragrance spray bottle when different fragrances are packaged with the tumble sheets.
The openings in the carton may further be commensurate with a cross-section of the fragrance spray bottle so that the fragrance spray bottle and/or the spray bottle alongside additional fragrance spray bottles may be inserted in an opening after removal from the carton to support the fragrance spray bottles in an upright configuration.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a convenient treatment station that makes it both practical and convenient for point-of-use fragrance application to a tumble sheet.
The bottle may have container walls of a transparent, tinted plastic allowing inspection of a level of fragrance contained therein, the tint selected according to a predetermined relationship between tint and fragrance.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a simple method of distinguishing among colorless fragrances preferred to avoid staining of clothing and to provide a simple and attractive method of visually distinguishing among fragrance types both before and after sale of the product. The colored bottle may readily indicate the fragrance type through the openings in the carton.
The carton may provide outer walls forming generally a rectangular parallelepiped surrounding a matching volume and wherein the first and second compartments may be formed by a spanning wall dividing the volume into the first and second compartments.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a simple method of creating separate compartments to prevent crushing of the tumble sheets and to appropriately support and display the fragrance spray bottle while further reducing outward bowing of the broad package face, particularly when intercut with apertures.
The carton may provide a first rectangular wall sized to support a base of the stack formed by a lower most tumble sheet such that the base extends substantially an entire width of the first rectangular wall and to support adjacent to the stack a side wall of the fragrance spray bottle, a longest dimension of the fragrance spray bottle extending along a line across the width of the first rectangular wall; the carton provides perpendicularly extending sidewalls along the periphery of the first rectangular wall joined by a second rectangular wall substantially parallel to and of equal dimensions to the first rectangular wall, and spanning a wall extending upward from a line separating the stack and the bottle between the first and second rectangular walls, the upstanding sidewalls and spanning wall extending by an amount substantially equal to the height of the stack.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to permit a compact carton dimension that promotes a large presentation front surface and may stably rest on one side with proper support of the tumble sheets.
The carton may include printed indicia on the first rectangular wall denoting a rotational orientation of the first rectangular wall when the carton is resting on an upstanding sidewall such that the stack is positioned below the fragrance spray bottle.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to promote carton facings that maximize product visibility.
The openings may be in the first rectangular face.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide exposure of the fragrance spray bottle on the same surface providing greatest presentation value to the purchasing consumer.
The spanning wall may include tabs extending perpendicularly to a line along the width of the rectangular base in between the orifices.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide large apertures while supporting and reinforcing the interstitial material.
The spanning wall may be attached to only one of the first and second rectangular walls.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to permit simplified fabrication of the carton.
The spanning wall may include a portion extending along and abutting the first rectangular wall and extending beneath the fragrance spray bottle when the fragrance spray bottle is within the second compartment.
It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide reinforcement of the fragrance spray bottle compartment.
These particular features and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carton of the present invention when displayed on a typical shelf facing with its broad face forward;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 1 in use as a laundry treatment center showing the contained stack of tumble sheets and fragrance spray bottle removed through a side access flap and with one fragrance spray bottle positioned in the carton as a holder;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken a long line 3 - 3 of FIG. 2 showing orientation of the fragrance spray bottle and laundry sheets within the carton of FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view in partial phantom of the carton of FIG. 3 showing a spanning wall used to form compartments for the bottle and stack of tumble sheets;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the carton of FIG. 4 showing the use of spacers to center the bottle within apertures in the broad face of the carton and reinforcing tabs between those orifices attaching the spanning wall to the front face of the carton;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing an alternative embodiment wherein the tumble sheets and fragrance spray bottle are in a single compartment;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing an alternative embodiment wherein the broad face of the carton forms the access flap; and
FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing an alternative embodiment wherein only a section of the broad face of the carton forms the access flap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1 , the present invention may provide a fragrance dispersal system 10 including a carton 12 , for example, of coated cardboard stock, holding other components of the dispersal system 10 for retail sales. The carton 12 may be a generally rectangular parallelepiped having a rectangular front wall 14 and corresponding rear wall 16 in parallel opposition separated by perpendicular sidewalls 20 a - d . The rectangular front wall 14 and rear wall 16 are the largest walls of the carton 12 and support on them printed point of sale information 22 , for example, indicating the product, the brand, its purpose, and its benefits. In a retail facing, the carton 12 made be set stably on sidewall 20 c to prominently display the information on front wall 14 .
A series of apertures 24 may be die cut in the front wall 14 near its upper edge adjacent to sidewall 20 a , the apertures 24 preferably being equal sized circles whose centers are displaced in a line along a width of the front wall 14 disposed generally horizontally during retail display. A fragrance spray bottle 26 resting horizontally within an internal compartment (to be described below) is visible through the apertures 24 .
In a preferred embodiment, the front wall 14 of the carton may be approximately 5½ inches high and 7 inches wide with the sidewalls 20 holding the front wall 14 and rear wall 16 approximately 1½ inches in separation.
Referring now also to FIG. 2 , the fragrance spray bottle 26 may be a conventional mechanical pump sprayer including a cylindrical reservoir 34 holding a fragrance 36 sealed therein by a spray mechanism 38 the upper operator of which is contained within a protective cap 40 . In one embodiment, the fragrance spray bottle reservoir 34 is constructed of a transparent, tinted thermoplastic polymer allowing direct viewing of the height of the fragrance 36 within the reservoir 34 while also announcing the type of fragrance by color of the tinted polymer so that different colors of fragrance spray bottles 26 may be placed into different cartons 12 on a seasonal or occasional basis with different fragrances 36 . So, for example, a purple bottle may denote a first type of fragrance 36 and a pink bottle a second type of fragrance 36 while permitting the fragrances 36 to be untinted. The fragrance 36 may include the fragrance itself and a carrier such as water and/or another solvent to assist in incorporation of the fragrance into the materials of the sheets 32 . Although described and shown as a tinted bottle, the bottle may alternatively be clear plastic, be labeled, etc.
The carton 12 also holds a stack 30 of folded, unscented tumble sheets 32 in addition to the fragrance spray bottle 26 . The sheets may, for example, be a nonwoven polyester material or the like known in the art and pre-coated with laundry treatment materials including one or more of: antistatic agents, wrinkle reducing agents, stain repellents, and dye transfer inhibitors. Although shown and described as a stack 30 , the tumble sheets may be provided in alternative configurations such as on a roll with perforations allowing easy separation of the tumble sheets, etc.
The stack 30 of sheets 32 will generally have a height 35 equal to the separation of the front wall 14 and rear wall 16 by the sidewalls 20 and will have a width 39 (described above) essentially equal to a width of the front wall 14 and rear wall 16 measured in a direction parallel to sidewalls 20 c and 20 a . The fragrance spray bottle 26 defines a height 37 , measured from the base on which it rests during normal use to the top of the protective cap 40 , that is preferably equal to or less than the width 39 of the stack 30 measured along the stack's longest dimension. In one embodiment, the sheets may have an unfolded dimension of approximately 6½″×9″ and a folded dimension of 6½″×3.5″ where the 6½″ is the width 39 .
During use of the product, the carton 12 may be placed flat upon rear wall 16 so that the apertures 24 face upward from the front wall 14 to receive the reservoir 34 of the fragrance spray bottle 26 whose circular cross-section in width matches the size of the apertures 24 . In this way multiple fragrance spray bottles 26 may be collected and stably supported to be readily used by the consumer for laundry applications. The consumer may remove an individual sheet 32 from the stack 30 and spray the unfolded sheet 32 with fragrance 36 using the fragrance spray bottle 26 . The spraying is conducted substantially at room temperature at a time many hours if not weeks after manufacture of the sheets 32 . The fragrance 36 may be adsorbed by the material of the sheet 32 which is then promptly placed into laundry in the dryer to act as a dispersal agent for the fragrance 36 distributing it evenly among the laundry. The multiple apertures 24 allow different fragrance bottles to be collected and stored in the original carton 12 as additional product is purchased with different fragrances. Although the bottle 26 and apertures 24 are shown and described herein as being circular, it should be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the bottles and apertures may be in any correlating shape. Further, the apertures may be different from each other such that one type of bottle, for example having a flower shape correlating to a scent for the fragrance in that bottle fits in one type of aperture having a correlating flower shape, etc.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 , one sidewall 20 d may provide resealable flaps 28 , for example, using a tab and slot arrangement well known in the art, to open and reveal a first compartment 41 holding the fragrance spray bottle 26 for removal through the open flaps 28 and a second compartment 42 holding the stack 30 for removal through the open flaps 28 . Compartment 41 and 42 may be formed in part by a spanning wall 44 extending from the front wall 14 to the rear wall 16 of the carton 12 generally parallel to the sidewalls 20 a and 20 c.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 , 5 and 6 , the spanning wall 44 may comprise an L-shaped cardboard member having a panel 48 extending generally parallel to sidewalls 28 a and 20 c attached at its lower edge to a stabilizing flange 50 extending perpendicularly from the panel 48 . The stabilizing flange 50 may abut an upper surface of rear wall 16 between the fragrance spray bottle 26 and the rear wall 16 . An upper edge of the panel 48 includes two tabs 52 extending perpendicularly therefrom along the front wall 14 to fit between the apertures 24 and to be glued to the underside of front wall 14 providing reinforcement between the apertures 24 as shown in FIG. 5 .
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , compartments 41 and 42 formed by the spanning wall 44 allow the stack 30 to be placed in side-by-side configuration with the fragrance spray bottle 26 where the height 37 of the fragrance spray bottle 26 is aligned with the width 39 of the stack 30 so as to provide a slim form factor to carton 12 of compact volume providing good display area. The spanning wall 44 , by separating the stack 30 from the fragrance spray bottle 26 , prevents deformation of the sheets 32 of the stack 30 by the weight of the fragrance spray bottle 26 during shipping, handling, or while displayed in the position shown in FIG. 1 . Optionally the spanning wall 44 may be glued only to the top of the front wall 14 by tabs 54 , being held to the rear wall 16 by the pressure of the fragrance spray bottle 26 constrained between the front wall 14 and rear wall 16 . The spanning wall 44 may act as a tensile member preventing outward bowing of the front wall 46 at the weak section of the apertures 24 .
Spacers 56 may be placed at either or both ends of the fragrance spray bottle 26 so as to center the fragrance spray bottle 26 within the compartment 41 .
Generally the weight of the sheets 32 in the stack 30 will provide a low center of gravity providing suitable stability for the carton 12 in the orientation shown in FIG. 1 with the apertures 24 and fragrance spray bottle 26 near the top of the carton. According to alternative embodiments, the sheets and bottle may be positioned on the side of the bottle, etc. to provide any of a number of various configurations within the scope of the present invention to implement the functionality described herein.
As noted above, it is expected during use the consumer will use the fragrance spray bottle 26 immediately before drying clothes to dust the tumble sheet 32 with fragrance placing the scent achieved within the clothing during the drying process. The remaining sheets 32 are stored within the carton 12 with the fragrance spray bottle 26 retained in the aperture 24 . As additional sheets 32 may be purchased with different fragrances, those bottles will be added to the remaining apertures 24 and the sheets 32 used to replace the sheets in the carton 12 as the latter are depleted.
Referring now to FIG. 6 , in an alternative embodiment, the sidewall 44 may be removed such that the stack 30 of tumble sheets 32 are positioned in a single compartment with the fragrance spray bottle 26 . Although shown according to a particular packaging configuration, it should be understood that the fragrance bottle 26 and stack 30 may be positioned in a variety of configurations.
Referring now to FIG. 7 , in an alternative embodiment, the access flap 28 may be moved from the sidewall 20 d and implemented instead by the front wall 14 of the carton 12 which may hinge upward about its connection point at sidewall 20 a to provide access to both the fragrance spray bottle 26 and the stack 30 of sheets 32 through the front wall 14 . A locking tab mechanism of a type known in the art may be used to hold the flap 28 down when the carton 12 is used to retain the fragrance spray bottles 26 , when the latter are placed through the apertures 24 as shown in FIG. 2 . In this configuration, the tabs 52 on an attachment of the spanning wall 44 at its upper edge are eliminated and the leg 50 glued to the inside of the rear wall 16 .
Referring now to FIG. 8 , in another alternative embodiment, the “hinge” portion of the access flap 28 may be moved from its connection point at sidewall 20 a to a point along the extent of sidewalls 20 b and 20 d to provide access to only the stack 30 of sheets 32 through the front wall 14 . The fragrance spray bottle 26 may, according to an exemplary embodiment, be accessed by a separate opening along or formed by one of sidewalls 20 b and 20 d.
The present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment, and it is recognized that equivalents, alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the appending claims.
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A laundry treatment system includes a carton holding a freestanding fragrance spray bottle of fragrance together with unscented laundry treatment sheets. The fragrance spray bottle may be used to apply fragrance to the sheets immediately before use by the consumer so as to enable dispersion of the fragrance among the clothing during a laundry cycle. The box may include apertures for supporting multiple bottles to allow the consumer to change or mix fragrances or apply no fragrance at the time of drying.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO THE RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application No. 200620135572.1 with filing date of Oct. 8, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a power generating device, more particularly, relates to a power generating device using up and down of ocean waves.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Using up and down of ocean waves to generate power, is a newly researched energy, which is not only environment friendly but also always available for use. Presently, there have been many designs and plans using ocean waves to generate power, such as Chinese Patent Application with Publication No. CN1080692A, disclosing a wave power generating device , providing a stay rod attached to a concrete anchor block sinking to the seabed (epicontinental sea), or installing the stay rod on a stable plate kept in a certain depth under water (deep sea place), wherein the stay rod passes through a hole of a floating plate, thus the toothed rack (or frictional strip) on the stay rod is engaged( or contacted ) with the input gear (or friction gear)of the rotating transmission device on the floating plate where the rotating transmission device converts a bidirectional movement to an unidirectional movement; up-and-down movements of the ocean waves make the floating plate reciprocating along the stay rod, in such way, converting the reciprocating motion of the toothed rack into rotation motion of the gear, which is then converted into a unidirectional rotation motion utilized to drive a generator to generate power. This wave power generating device has complex structure, big loss, low efficiency, and not available for multiple uses.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention provides a wave power generating device with simple structure and high power efficiency, to solve the insufficiency existing in the existing technology.
[0005] According to an aspect of the invention, a wave power generating device is provided, comprises a lifting pillar installed on a floating platform, a sleeve covered outside said lifting pillar, a first and second ratchet wheel mechanisms installed on said sleeve; wherein a external circumference of said lifting pillar is engaged with a inner circumference of said sleeve via screw threads, thereby said sleeve rotates along a first direction or a second direction with the rises and falls of the lifting pillar; the first or second ratchet wheel mechanisms comprises an inner wheel with multiple pawls and an outer wheel with corresponding multiple ratchets on its inner circumference, the inner wheel of the first or second ratchet wheel mechanisms is fixed on said sleeve and rotates with the sleeve, the outer wheel of the first or second ratchet wheel mechanisms drives a corresponding power generator to generate power; the pawls and the ratchets of the first ratchet wheel mechanisms are engaged with each other to make the outer wheel and inner wheel of the first ratchet wheel mechanism rotating together along the first direction when the lifting pillar is rising, the pawls and the ratchets of the second ratchet wheel mechanisms are engaged with each other to make the outer wheel and inner wheel of the second ratchet wheel mechanism rotating along the second direction when the lifting pillar is falling.
[0006] Advantageously, three traction gears are installed on the second outer wheel of said second ratchet wheel mechanism, engaged with a corresponding annular rack rail provided on the first outer wheel of said first ratchet wheel mechanism.
[0007] Advantageously, each of said traction gears is perpendicular to the second outer wheel, and positioned inside a corresponding through groove on the second outer wheel by a pin shaft, engaged with the annular rack rail on said first outer wheel.
[0008] Advantageously, the first outer wheel of said first ratchet wheel mechanism is supported by a rolling bearing with a #-shaped bracket attached on the sleeve, and the second outer wheel of said second ratchet wheel mechanism is supported on the first outer wheel by the traction gears.
[0009] Advantageously, the first outer wheel of said first ratchet wheel mechanism and the second outer wheel of the second ratchet wheel mechanism are respectively equipped with two or more centrifugal hammers along a radial direction on their external circumferences.
[0010] Advantageously, the screw threads on the external circumference of said lifting pillar is formed by an I-shaped steel rail wound regularly around the lifting pillar, and a corresponding spiral groove for receiving the steel rail is provided on the inner circumference of said sleeve.
[0011] Advantageously, said first or second inner wheel includes 8 pawls matching with the corresponding ratchets on the first or second outer wheel.
[0012] Advantageously, said first or second inner wheel includes 4 pawls matching with the corresponding ratchets on the first or second outer wheel.
[0013] Advantageously, each of said pawls includes a spring fixed on the first or second inner wheel and a lock core in the spring.
[0014] Advantageously, a wind power generator is attached on a bracket of said floating platform.
[0015] The wave power generating device in accordance with the present invention has advantages of simple structure, low loss, and high power efficiency, and the wave power generating device may transport much power energy for various uses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Further explanation to the invention can be found in the following description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is an overall structure schematic diagram of the wave power generating device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the transmission portion of the wave power generating device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating engagement between the lifting pillar and the sleeve of the wave power generating device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the second group of ratchet wheel mechanism of the wave power generating device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the first group of ratchet wheel mechanism of the wave power generating device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating engagement between the pawls and the ratchets of the second group of ratchet wheel mechanism in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating engagement between the pawls and the ratchets of the first group of ratchet wheel mechanism in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the transmission portion of the wave power generating device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the rolling bearing with a #-shaped bracket as shown in FIG. 8 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the wave power generating device in accordance with the invention is installed on a floating platform 10 over the sea. The floating platform 10 is positioned inside the bracket 20 fixed on the seabed. A lifting pillar 90 is fixed on the floating platform 10 , which may rise and fall with the floating platform. The lifting pillar 90 is covered with a sleeve 80 on its outside, and engaged with each other via screw threads, thus during the rises and falls process of the lifting pillar 90 , the sleeve 80 is driven by the screw threads to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise. The sleeve 80 equips with two ratchet wheel mechanisms rotating oppositely relative to each other, that is, a first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 on the downside and a second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 on the upside. Each ratchet wheel mechanism 60 or 70 comprises an inner wheel with a plurality of pawls and an outer wheel with a plurality of corresponding ratchets on its inner circumference, the specific structure of which will be explained hereafter. As shown in Figures, the first outer wheel 71 of the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 drives a first generator 40 to generate power through a belt 110 , and the second outer wheel 61 of the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 drives a second generator 30 to generate power through a belt 110 . Besides, in order to increase the generating power, one or more wind power generator is further installed in the four comers of the bracket 20 for supplement.
[0027] Specific structure of the transmission portion of the wave generating power device in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 3 , an I-shaped steel rail 91 is wound counterclockwise about the external circumference of the lifting pillar 90 in a regular interval to form the spiral threads. Correspondingly, the inner circumference of the said sleeve 80 is provided with a spiral groove 81 for receiving the steel rail. Thread engagement between the lifting pillar 90 and the sleeve 80 could be achieved by such structure. When the floating platform 10 rises under the action of ocean waves, the lifting pillar 90 rises, and in turn the sleeve 80 rotates counterclockwise (viewing from below) driven by the thread rotation; vice versa, when the floating platform falls under the action of ocean waves, the lifting pillar 90 falls, and in turn the sleeve 80 rotates clockwise. Obviously, the rotation direction of the sleeve 80 with respect to the rises and falls of the lifting pillar 90 may be changed by changing the rotation direction of the thread on the lifting pillar 90 .
[0028] As shown in FIG. 2 , the sleeve 80 equips with two ratchet wheel mechanisms, i.e. the first ratchet wheel 70 below and the second ratchet wheel 60 above. As shown in combination with FIG. 5 , the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 comprises a first inner wheel and a first outer wheel. The first inner wheel includes a plurality of pawls 73 , each formed by a spring and a lock core positioned in the spring. As shown in FIG. 5 , there are 8 pawls, but it is not a limit to the present invention, and 4 pawls shown in FIG. 7 is also an alternative. The first inner wheel comprising a plurality of pawls is fixed to the sleeve 80 directly and rotates with the sleeve 80 . As shown in Figures, a plurality of ratchets 72 engaged with the pawls are formed in the inner circumference of the first outer wheel 71 . When the first inner wheel rotates counterclockwise with the sleeve 80 , each pawl 73 contacts against the end surface of the corresponding ratchet 72 and drives the first outer wheel 71 to rotate together, this state is called “Real Gear”; when the first inner wheel rotates clockwise with the sleeve 80 , each pawl 73 contracts back under the function of the spring, and the first outer wheel 71 continues rotating clockwise under the effect of gravity, this state is called “Empty Gear”. So, whatever the ocean waves rise or fall, the first outer wheel 71 of the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 always rotates counterclockwise, driving the generator to generate power. Further, the first outer wheel 71 also comprises an annular rack rail 75 along the edge of its top surface. The annular rack rail is utilized to realize a mutual traction between the two ratchet wheel mechanisms, the specific description of which will be further explained hereafter. In a embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 8 , the first outer wheel 71 of the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 may be supported by a rolling bearing 130 with a #-shaped bracket 132 . Specifically as shown in FIG. 9 , a inner ring 134 of the rolling bearing 130 is fixed on the sleeve 80 , and a outer ring 136 of the rolling bearing 130 together with the #-shaped bracket 132 are utilized to support the first outer wheel 71 , thus the first outer wheel may rotate freely.
[0029] The structure of the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , comprising a second inner wheel and a second outer wheel. The structure of the second inner wheel is similar to the first inner wheel, also comprising a plurality of pawls, fixed on the sleeve 80 and rotating with the sleeve 80 . As shown in FIG. 4 , 8 pawls are provided for the second inner wheel, but this is not a limit to the invention, 4 pawls as shown in FIG. 6 is also an alternative. The structure of the second outer wheel 61 is similar to that of the first outer wheel 71 , wherein a plurality of ratchets 62 corresponding to the pawls 63 are formed on the inner circumference of the second outer wheel. When the second inner wheel rotates clockwise with the sleeve 80 , each pawl 63 contacts against the end surface of the corresponding ratchet 62 and drives the second outer wheel 61 to rotate together, this state is called “Real Gear”; when the second inner wheel rotates counterclockwise with the sleeve 80 , the pawl 63 contracts back, and the second outer wheel 61 continues rotating clockwise under the effect of gravity, this state is called “Empty Gear”. So, whatever the ocean waves rise and fall, the second outer wheel 61 of the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 always rotates clockwise, driving the generator to generate power.
[0030] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2 , the second outer wheel 61 also equips with a traction gear 100 , preferably 3 traction gears evenly distributed along the circumference (other two traction gears are not shown in the figures), individually engaged with a corresponding annular rack rail 75 on the first outer wheel 71 . These three traction gears 100 are perpendicular to the end surface of the second outer wheel 61 , each are positioned in a corresponding through groove 64 distributed every 120 degree along the circumference of the second outer wheel 61 by a pin shaft, and can rotate about the pin shaft. The bottom portion of the traction gears 100 get through the second outer wheel 61 and then engage with the annular rack rail 75 provided along the external circumference of the first outer wheel 71 . In such a way, the second outer wheel 61 is supported above the first outer wheel 71 and also a mutual traction between the two outer wheels is realized. For example, When the first outer wheel 71 rotates counterclockwise, the second outer wheel 61 rotates clockwise through the mutual action between the traction gears 100 and the rack rail 75 ; in the same way, when the second outer wheel 61 rotates clockwise, the first outer wheel 71 rotates counterclockwise through the mutual action between the traction gears 100 and the rack rail 75 . In such a way, during the whole process of the floating platform 10 and the lifting pillar 90 rising and falling driven by the ocean waves, the first outer wheel 71 and the second outer wheel 61 are ensured to rotate continuously without any stop, driving the corresponding generators 40 and 30 to generate power continuously, thus the energy from the rises and falls of the ocean waves are substantially utilized.
[0031] Further, two or more centrifugal hammers 120 are respectively attached on the external circumferences of the first outer wheel 71 and the second outer wheel 61 along their radial direction. Because of the traction of the centrifugal hammers 120 , the centrifugal force is increased, and then the rotation force and rotation speed of the two outer wheels are increased, accordingly increasing the power of the two generators driven by the belt 110 . In order to prevent the second outer wheel 61 of the ratchet wheel mechanism flying away from the upside during the rotation process, a fixing ring (not shown in the figure) may be attached on the sleeve 80 above the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 , to prevent the second outer wheel 61 flying away during the rotation process. The fixing ring may be implemented in various manners.
[0032] Further explanation to the transmission process of the wave generating power device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is provided below. As shown in FIG. 2 , when the sleeve 80 rotates counterclockwise driven by the rises of the lifting pillar 90 with the ocean waves, the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 is on “Real Gear”, wherein the first outer wheel 71 rotates counterclockwise driven by the pawls, then driving the first generator 40 to generate power; simultaneously, the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 is on “Empty Gear”, wherein the second inner wheel rotates counterclockwise with the sleeve 80 , while the second outer wheel 61 continues rotating clockwise under the action of the traction gears 100 and the centrifugal hammers 120 , then driving the second generator 30 to generate power. When the sleeve 80 rotates clockwise driven by the falls of the lifting pillar 90 with the ocean waves, the second ratchet wheel mechanism 60 is on “Real Gear”, wherein the second outer wheel 61 rotates clockwise driven by the pawls, then driving the second generator 30 to generate power; simultaneously, the first ratchet wheel mechanism 70 is on “Empty Gear”, wherein the first inner wheel rotates clockwise with the sleeve 80 , while the first outer wheel 71 continues rorating counterclockwise under the action of the traction gears 100 and the centrifugal hammers 120 , then driving the second generator 30 to generate power. Thus in the whole process of rises and downs of ocean waves, the first outer wheel 71 always rotates counterclockwise, driving the first generator 40 continuously generating power, and the second outer wheel 61 always rotates clockwise, driving the second generator 30 continuously generating power.
[0033] According to the surface area of the floating platform over the sea, several sets of the above-mentioned wave power generating device may be installed on the floating platform, therefore sufficient power energy is generated for various use. For example, the power energy generated by the wave power generating device can be used for thermal power plant, which is enough for power supply of a city.
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This invention relates to a wave power generating device, comprising a lifting pillar installed on a floating platform, a sleeve covered outside said lifting pillar and two groups of ratchet wheel mechanisms installed on said sleeve; wherein the inner wheel of each of said ratchet wheel mechanisms rotates with the sleeve, the outer wheel of each of said ratchet wheel mechanisms drives a corresponding power generator to generate power; and the first outer wheel in the first group of ratchet wheel mechanism rotates with a first inner wheel along the first direction when the lifting pillar is rising, while the second outer wheel in the second group of ratchet wheel mechanism rotates with the second inner wheel along the second direction when the lifting pillar is falling. The wave power generating device of the invention has advantages of simple structure, low loss, and high power efficiency, and may transport much power energy for various uses.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/937,169, filed Jun. 26, 2007 and to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/123,263, filed Apr. 7, 2008, which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the preparation of a hydrolysable linker, which is bound to at least one semi-synthetic polymer. These hydrolysable linker are useful for extending the in-vivo circulation of protein and peptide drugs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Most protein or peptide drugs are short-lived and have often a short circulatory half-life in vivo. Considering that protein or peptide drugs are not absorbed orally, prolonged maintenance of therapeutically active drugs in the circulation is a desirable feature of obvious clinical importance.
[0004] An attractive strategy for improving clinical properties of protein or peptide drugs is a modification of the drugs with polymers e.g. polyalkylene-oxides (Roberts et al., Advan Drug Rev. 54, 459-476 (2002)) or polysaccharides like polysialic acid (Fernandes et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 1341, 26-34 (1997)), dextranes or hydroxyl alkyl starch. (All documents cited in the specification are incorporated by reference.)
[0005] The modification with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been known for a while. However, modification of proteins with PEG often leads to reduction of the activity of the protein.
[0006] Polysialic acid (PSA), also known as colominic acid (CA), is a natural occurring polysaccharide. It is a homopolymer of N-acetylneuraminic acid with α(2→8) ketosidic linkage and contains vicinal diol groups at its non-reducing end. PSA is negatively charged and is a natural constituent of the human body. It can easily be produced from bacteria in large quantities with pre-determined physical characteristics (U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,951). Being chemically and immunologically identical to polysialic acid in the human body, bacterial polysialic acid is non-immunogenic even when coupled to proteins. Unlike other polymers (e.g.; PEG), polysialic acid is biodegradable.
[0007] However, to date no therapeutic compound comprising a polypeptide conjugated to an acidic monosaccharide such as PSA is commercially available.
[0008] Short PSA polymeric chains with only 1-4 sialic acid units have also been synthesized (Kang et al., Chem. Commun., 227-228 (2000); Ress et al., Current Organic Synthesis 1, 31-46 (2004)).
[0009] Several hydrolysable or degradable linkers comprising PEG moieties have been suggested.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,515,100, describes PEG and related polymer derivatives, having weak, hydrolytically unstable linkages
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 7,122,189 describes releasable PEG-linkers based on bis-N-2-hydroxyethyl glycine groups (bicine).
[0012] WO 04/089280 and WO 06/138572 describe hydrolysable fluorene-based PEG constructs.
[0013] After conjugation of these linkers to protein drugs, the protein-polymer conjugate can be regarded as a prodrug and the activity of the protein can be released from the conjugate via a controlled release mechanism. Using this concept improved pharmacokinetic properties of the drug can be obtained (Zhao et al., Bioconjugate Chem. 17, 341-351 (2006)).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention provides a hydrolysable linker, which is bound to at least one semi-synthetic biopolymer, wherein the hydrolysable linker is conjugated to a protein or peptide drug in order to improve its in-vivo properties such as the in-vivo circulation.
[0015] The present invention provides a compound of the general formula 1:
[0000]
[0000] wherein Z a leaving group and at least one of position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 is bound to radical Y.
[0016] Y is a radical containing a semi-synthetic biopolymer, which is bound to a N-succinimidyl moiety.
[0017] In addition to being bound to radical Y the compound of formula 1 may optionally be bound to radical X in at least one of the available position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.
[0018] X is —SO 3 —R 3 .
[0019] R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl and (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-R 4 .
[0020] R 4 is a polymer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 shows the in-vitro hydrolysis of a FVIIa-PSA conjugate at pH 8.3. The release of the FVIIa activity was measured with the Staclot-assay (Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France).
[0022] FIG. 2 shows the shows the in-vitro hydrolysis of a FVIIa-trimer PSA conjugate at pH 8.3. The release of the FVIIa activity was measured with the Staclot-assay (Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France).
[0023] FIG. 3 shows FVIIa activity in plasma measured with a clotting assay (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France). For FVIIa clotting activity the dose adjusted area under curve (AUC) was 0.014 for unmodified rFVIIa and increased to 0.015 for rFVIIa-conjugate (0-infinity). The terminal half-life increased from 2.3 to 4.4 hours and the mean residence time (MRT) from 1.4 to 2.4 hours.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows the determination of the FVIIa antigen by ELISA with a polyclonal anti-human FVII antibody. For the antigen the dose adjusted AUC (0-infinity) increased from 0.010 (unmodified rFVIIa) to 0.014 (rFVIIa-conjugate), the terminal half life increased from 1.4 to 2.3 hours and the MRT from 1.5 to 2.2 hours.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows FVIIa activity in plasma, measured with a clotting assay (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France). The pharmacokinetic of rFVIIa-trimer-PSA conjugates is improved (-◯-) compared to native rFVIIa (--Δ--).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The present invention provides a hydrolysable linker, which is bound to at least one semi-synthetic biopolymer, wherein the hydrolysable linker can be further conjugated to a protein or peptide drug in order to improve their in-vivo properties such as in-vivo circulation. The activity of the protein or peptide drug can be released from the conjugate via a controlled release mechanism.
[0027] The following paragraphs provide general definitions and definition of various chemical moieties that make up the compounds according to the invention and are intended to apply uniformly through-out the specification and claims unless an otherwise expressly set out definition provides a broader definition.
[0028] “C 1 -C 8 -alkyl” refers to monovalent alkyl groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms. This term is exemplified by groups such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, hexyl and the like. Linear and branched alkyls are included.
[0029] “Leaving groups” refers to groups, which are capable of reacting with a nucleophile present on the protein or peptide drug that forms the conjugate. This term is exemplified by groups such as N-hydroxysuccimimidyl, N-hydroxybenzotriazolyl, halogen, N-hydroxyphthalimidyl, p-nitrophenoxy, imidazolyl, thiazolidinyl thione, O-acyl ureas or other suitable leaving groups will be apparent to those of ordinary skill. For the purpose of the present invention, the protein or peptide drug thus contains one or more groups for displacement, such as an amine. Protein or peptide drug are plasma proteins or blood coagulation factors such as FVIII, VWF, FVIIa and FIX.
[0030] A “semi-synthetic biopolymer” refers to a manufactured organic polymer, which is based on a naturally occurring polymer. A semi-synthetic biopolymer may also be functionalized by reactive groups in order to conjugate these functionalized semi-synthetic biopolymers to other compounds. This term “semi-synthetic biopolymer” is exemplified by linear or branched polymers such as carbohydrates, specifically such as polysaccharides. Examples of polysaccharides are PSA (polysialic acid) and HAS (hydroxyalkylstarch).
[0000] “Hydrolysable” linker refers to a linker system, in which the protein is released in native form. The protein is released and the linker is split off completely. Synonyms for hydrolysable are “degradable” or “releasable” linkers.
[0031] The present invention provides a compound of the general formula 1:
[0000]
[0000] wherein Z a leaving group and at least one of position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 is bound to radical Y.
[0032] Y is a radical containing a semi-synthetic biopolymer, which is bound to a N-succinimidyl moiety.
[0033] In addition to being bound to radical Y the compound of formula 1 may optionally be bound to radical X in at least one of the available position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.
[0034] X is —SO 3 —R 3 .
[0035] R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl and (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-R 4 .
[0036] R 4 is a polymer. Examples are hydrophilic polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG).
[0037] In one embodiment, the invention relates to a compound of formula 1, wherein Z is an N-succinimidyl ester and at least one of position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 is bound to radical Y, wherein Y is:
[0000]
[0038] wherein POLYMER is a semi-synthetic biopolymer, preferably with a molecular weight of 1,000 Da to 300,000 Da.
[0039] In one embodiment the molecular weight is 5,000-25,000, preferably 5,000-10,000.
[0040] In another embodiment said semi-synthetic biopolymer is a carbohydrate, preferably a polysaccharide, preferably comprising at least 3 units of a monosaccharide.
[0041] In one embodiment said polysaccharide comprises between 2-200 units, preferably between 10-100 units of a monosaccharide.
[0042] In one embodiment the semi-synthetic biopolymer is a PSA derivative.
[0043] In another embodiment the semi-synthetic biopolymer is bound to the succinimidyl moiety via a thioether linkage.
[0044] R 1 is at each occurrence independently a (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl.
[0045] In one embodiment R 1 is at each occurrence independently selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and hexyl.
[0046] R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)NR—, —C(O)NR—(C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-NR—, —NRC(O)— and —NRC(O)—(C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-NR, wherein R is independently either hydrogen or (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl.
[0047] In one embodiment R 2 is —C(O)NH—.
[0048] In another embodiment R 2 is —NHC(O)—.
[0049] In one embodiment the compound of formula 1 is bound to radical Y in at least one of position 1, 2, 3 or 4.
[0050] In another embodiment the compound of formula 1, is bound to radical Y in at least one of position 1, 2, 3, or 4 and is further bound to radical X in at least one of position 5, 6, 7, or 8.
[0051] In another embodiment the compound of formula 1, is bound to at least one radical Y in at least one of position 2 or 3 is further bound to radical X in at least one of position 7 or 8.
[0052] In another embodiment the compound of formula 1 is bound to radical Y in positions 2 and 7.
[0053] In another embodiment the compound of formula 1 is bound to radical Y and radical X in positions 2 and 7, respectively.
[0054] In another embodiment the compound of formula 1 is:
[0000]
[0055] In a further embodiment, the invention relates to the preparation of a compound of formula 1.
[0056] Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004) described the synthesis of a hydrolysable PEG-linker for derivatization of proteins based on the Fmoc (9-fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl)-moiety. The synthesis of MAL-FMS-OSU ( 9 -Hydroxymethyl-2-(amino-3-maleimido-propionate)-7-sulfo fluorene N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbonate) is described. The synthetic scheme below illustrates the synthetic steps for the preparation of a compound of formula 1 as an example, starting from a MAL-FMS-OSU derivative.
[0000]
[0057] wherein
[0058] POLYMER is a semi-synthetic biopolymer;
[0059] R 1 is at each occurrence independently a (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl;
[0060] R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)NR—, —C(O)NR—(C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-NR—, —NRC(O)— and —NRC(O)—(C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-NR, wherein R is independently either hydrogen or C 1 -C 8 -alkyl.
[0061] R is independently either hydrogen or (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl;
[0062] X is —SO 3 —R 3 ;
[0063] R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl and (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl-R 4 ;
[0064] R 4 is a polymer;
[0065] n is an integer selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; and
[0066] m is an integer selected from 1, 2, 3, or 4.
[0067] HS-POLYMER is a thiol-derivatized semi-synthetic biopolymer, such as
[0000]
[0068] A compound of formula 2 can be easily reacted with a protein or peptide drug containing one or more groups for displacement, such as amines. Preferred protein or peptide drug are blood coagulation factors such as FVIII, VWF, FVIIa, FIX.
[0069] Protein and peptide drugs modified according to the above protocol have a significantly increased in-vivo circulation. The hydrolysability of the linker allows that the activity can be regained after hydrolysis, by release of the protein in its native form. An example is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The restoration of the biological activity of a protein conjugate is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
[0070] The present invention is illustrated by the following examples without being limited thereto.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Preparation of PSA Containing Terminal SH Groups
[0071] Polysialic acid (Sigma) was oxidized with NaIO 4 (Fernandes et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 1341, 26-34 (1997)), and a terminal aldehyde group was formed. Then a reductive amination step with NH 4 Cl was carried out as described in WO 05/016973 and the Schiff Base was reduced with NaCNBH 3 to form PSA-NH 2 containing a terminal amino group. Subsequently a reaction with 2-iminothiolane (Pierce 26101) was performed according to the instruction leaflet of the manufacturer to prepare a modified PSA containing a terminal SH group. The molarity of the generated SH-groups was determined using Ellmans reagent. In addition the same procedure was used to introduce a SH-group in a N-Acetylneuramic acid trimer, which was obtained from TimTec, LLC, Newark, USA.
Example 2
Conjugation of rFVIIa with PSA Using the MAL-FMS-OSU Linker
[0072] To 15 ml of a solution of rFVIIa (0.7 mg/ml) in 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.2 the bifunctional linker MAL-FMS-OSU (prepared as outlined by Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004)) was added (concentration: 0.5 mg/mg protein) and incubated at R.T. for 30 min. Then derivatized PSA containing a terminal SH group was prepared according to Example 1. The PSA derivative was added to the mixture (concentration: 10 mg PSA-SH/mg protein) and incubated for additional 2 hours. Then the reaction was stopped by adding an aqueous solution of 0.1 M glycine (final concentration 10 mM) and 5 mM cysteine (end concentration 0.5 mM).
[0073] The free reagents were separated from the rFVIIa-PSA conjugate by ion exchange chromatography using a QHyperD F 50 μm resin (BioSepra) and a Pharmacia XK-10 column (Pharmacia XK 10; h=10 cm). The PSA-rFVIIa containing solution was applied to the column, which was subsequently washed with 10 CV equilibration buffer (20 mM sodium citrate, 20 mM NaCl, pH 6.5). Then the polysialylated rFVIIa was eluted with elution buffer (20 mM sodium citrate, 500 mM NaCl, pH 6.1). The eluate contained 0.06 mg/ml protein, the evidence of bound PSA in the conjugate was proven by the resorcinol assay (Svennerholm; Biochim Biophys Acta 24: 604-11 (1957)). For release of the activity of rFVIIa in the conjugate 450 μl of the eluate was added to 50 μl 1 M TRIS-buffer pH 8.3 and the release of the FVIIa activity was measured (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France). The results are illustrated in FIG. 2 .
Example 3
Conjugation of rFVLLa with Trimer PSA Using the MAL-FMS-OSU Linker
[0074] To 15 ml of a solution of rFVIIa (0.7 mg/ml) in 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.2 the bifunctional linker MAL-FMS-OSU (prepared as outlined by Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004)) was added (concentration: 0.07 mg/mg protein) and incubated at R.T. for 30 min. Then trimer PSA (TimTec, LLC, Newark, USA) was derivatized as described in Example 1 to introduce a free SH-group. The trimer PSA-SH derivative was added to the mixture (concentration: 0.43 mg trimer PSA-SH/mg protein) and incubated for additional 2 hours. Then the reaction was stopped by adding an aqueous solution of 0.1 M glycine (final concentration 10 mM) and 5 mM cysteine (end concentration 0.5 mM). The free reagents were separated from the rFVIIa-PSA conjugate by ion exchange chromatography using a QHyperD F 50 μm resin (BioSepra) and a Pharmacia XK-10 column (Pharmacia XK 10; h=10 cm). The PSA-rFVIIa containing solution was applied to the column, which was subsequently washed with 10 CV equilibration buffer (20 mM sodium citrate, 20 mM NaCl, pH 6.5). Then the polysialylated rFVIIa was eluted with elution buffer (20 mM sodium citrate, 500 mM NaCl, pH 6.1). The eluate contained 0.06 mg/ml protein, the evidence of bound PSA in the conjugate was proven by the resorcinol assay (Svennerholm et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 24, 604-11 (1957)). For release of the activity of rFVIIa in the conjugate 450 μl of the eluate was added to 50 μl 1 M TRIS-buffer pH 8.3 and the release of the FVIIa activity was measured (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France). The results are illustrated in FIG. 1 .
Example 4
Conjugation of Human Serum Albumin with PSA Using the MAL-FMS-OSU Linker
[0075] Human Serum Albumin (HSA) is incubated with the bifunctional linker Mal-FMSOSU linker (prepared as outlined by Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004)) in 25 mM sodium acetate buffer, pH 6.2 for 1 hour. Then the excess linker is separated by gelfiltration using Sephadex G-25 (GE-Healthcare) using the same buffer system The protein containing fractions are collected and PSA-SH (prepared according to Example 1) is added. The mixture is incubated for 2 hours at R.T. Then the conjugate is purified by anion-exchange chromatography using DEAE-Sepharose FF (GE Healthcare). The Protein-PSA conjugate is eluted with 25 mM sodium acetate buffer pH 4.5. The conjugate containing fractions are pooled and concentrated by ultrafiltration using a 10K membrane. Then the solution is diafiltrated against 25 mM sodium acetate buffer, pH 6.2.
Example 5
Pharmacokinetic of rFVIIa-PSA-Conjugate in Normal Rats
[0076] A rFVIIa-PSA conjugate was prepared according to Example 2 using a concentration of MAL-FMS-OSU of 0.05 mg/mg protein. 8 normal rats (4 male, 4 female) were anaesthetized and the rFVIIa-PSA-conjugate in buffer (1.3 g/L glycylglycine, 3 g/L sodium chloride, 30 g/L mannitol, 1.5 g/L CaCl 2 ×2H 2 O, 0.1 g/L Tween 80, pH 5.5) was applied by intravenous injection into the tail vein in a volume dose of 10 ml per kg (1200 μg protein/kg). Unmodified rFVIIa in a dose of 1200 μg protein/kg was used as control in 8 normal rats (4 male, 4 female). Blood samples were taken from the tail artery 5 minutes, 1 hour, 2, 4, 7, 10 and 24 hours after substance application and citrated plasma was prepared and frozen for further analysis.
[0077] FVIIa activity in plasma was measured with a clotting assay (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France), FVII antigen was determined with an ELISA (polyclonal anti-human FVII antibody). The results were evaluated statistically. For FVIIa clotting activity the dose adjusted area under curve (AUC) was 0.014 for unmodified rFVIIa and increased to 0.015 for rFVIIa-conjugate (0-infinity). The terminal half-life increased from 2.3 to 4.4 hours and the mean residence time (MRT) from 1.4 to 2.4 hours. For the antigen the dose adjusted AUC (0-infinity) increased from 0.010 (unmodified rFVIIa) to 0.014 (rFVIIa-conjugate), the terminal half life increased from 1.4 to 2.3 hours and the MRT from 1.5 to 2.2 hours. All calculations were carried out by use of a statistical program (program R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org). The pharmacokinetic results are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
Example 6
Pharmacokinetic of rFVIIa-Trimer-PSA-Conjugate in Normal Rats
[0078] rFVIIa-trimer-PSA conjugate was prepared according to Example 3 using a MAL-FMS-OSU concentration of 0.05 mg/mg protein. 6 normal rats (3 male, 3 female) were anaesthetized and the rFVIIa-trimer-PSA-conjugate in buffer (1.3 g/L glycylglycine, 3 g/L sodium chloride, 30 g/L mannitol, 1.5 g/L CaCl 2 ×2H 2 O, 0.1 g/L Tween 80, pH 5.5) was applied by intravenous injection into the tail vein in a volume dose of 10 ml per kg (1200 μg protein/kg). Unmodified rFVIIa in a dose of 1200 μg protein/kg was used as a control in 6 normal rats (3 male, 3 female). Blood samples were taken from the tail artery 5 minutes, 1 hour, 2, 4, 7, 10 and 24 hours after substance application and citrated plasma was prepared and frozen for further analysis.
[0079] FVIIa activity in plasma was measured with a clotting assay (Staclot, Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France) and the elimination curve was constructed. The improved pharmacokinetic of the rFVIIa-trimer-PSA conjugate is illustrated in FIG. 5 .
Example 7
Conjugation of rFIX with PSA Using the MAL-FMS-OSU Linker
[0080] To 0.6 ml of a solution of recombinant FIX (8 mg/ml) in 20 mM Hepes buffer, pH 7.4 the bifunctional linker MAL-FMS-OSU (prepared as outlined by Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004)) was added (concentration: 0.07 mg/mg protein) and incubated at R.T. for 30 min. Derivatized PSA containing a terminal SH group was prepared according to Example 1. The PSA derivative was added to the mixture (concentration: 32 mg PSA-SH/mg protein—100 fold molar excess) and incubated for additional 2 hours at R.T. The reaction was stopped by adding an aqueous solution of 0.1 M glycine (final concentration 10 mM) and 5 mM cysteine (end concentration 0.5 mM). The free reagents were separated from the rFIX-PSA conjugate by Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography using a prepacked Butyl Sepharose column (HiTrap Butyl FF 5 ml, GE Healthcare). A buffer containing 5 M NaCl (50 mM Hepes-buffer, 5M NaCl, 0.01% Tween 80, 6.7 mM CaCl 2 , pH 6.9) was added to the PSA-rFIX containing solution to give a final concentration of 3M NaCl. This mixture was applied to the column, which was subsequently washed with 10 CV equilibration buffer (50 mM Hepes-buffer, 3M NaCl, 0.01% Tween 80, 6.7 mM CaCl 2 , pH 6.9) and the elution of the rFIX-PSA conjugate was carried out with 50 mM Hepes-buffer, pH 7.4, containing 6.7 mM CaCl 2 . After elution of the conjugate the pH was adjusted to pH 6.9. The eluate contained 0.24 mg/ml protein as measured by the BCA-assay, the evidence of bound PSA in the conjugate was proven by the resorcinol assay (Svennerholm, Biochim Biophys Acta 24, 604-611 (1957)). In a final step the eluate was concentrated 10 fold by ultrafiltration/diafiltration (UF/DF) using a 30 kD membrane (regenerated cellulose/Millipore) against 20 mM Hepes, 50 mM NaCl, 1 mM CaCl 2 , pH 7.4.
Example 8
Conjugation of rFVIII with PSA Using the MAL-FMS-OSU Linker
[0081] For the preparation of rFVIII-PSA conjugate 6 ml of a solution of recombinant FVIII (4.5 mg/ml), derived from the Advate manufacturing process, in 20 mM Hepes buffer, pH 7.4 the bifunctional linker MAL-FMS-OSU (prepared as outlined by Tsubery et al., J Biol. Chem. 279, 38118-38124 (2004)) was added (concentration: 0.315 mg/mg protein) and incubated at R.T. for 30 min. Derivatized PSA containing a terminal SH group was prepared according to Example 1. The PSA derivative was added to the mixture (concentration: 27.8 mg PSA-SH/mg protein—450 fold molar excess) and incubated for additional 2 hours at R.T. The reaction was stopped by adding an aqueous solution of 0.1 M glycine (final concentration 10 mM) and 5 mM cysteine (end concentration 0.5 mM). The free reagents were separated from the rFVIII-PSA conjugate by Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography using a prepacked Butyl Sepharose column (HiTrap Butyl FF 5 ml, GE Healthcare). A buffer containing 5 M NaCl (50 mM Hepes-buffer, 5M NaCl, 0.01% Tween 80, 6.7 mM CaCl 2 , pH 6.9) was added to the PSA-rFVIII containing solution to give a final concentration of 3M NaCl. This mixture is applied to the column, which was subsequently washed with 10 CV equilibration buffer (50 mM Hepes-buffer, 3M NaCl, 0.1% Tween 80, 5 mM CaCl 2 , pH 6.9) and the elution of the rFVIII-PSA conjugate was carried out with Citrate buffer, pH 7.4 (13.6 mM Na 3 Citrate, 20 mM CaCl 2 , 20 mM Histidine, 0.01% Tween 80). After elution of the conjugate the pH was adjusted to pH 6.9. The eluate contained 2.5 mg/ml protein (BCA assay).
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The invention relates to Fmoc (9-fluorenyl-methoxycarbonyl)-based polymeric conjugates. These conjugates are useful for extending the in-vivo circulation of protein and peptide drugs.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for monitoring persons under care, such as patients with Alzheimer's and related dementia, as well as those suffering from a range of other medical conditions, disorders and diseases (e.g. severe clinical depression, schizophrenia, childhood autism, brain injury, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and conditions such as recovery from hip replacement surgery), and in particular, tracking their movements relative to certain predetermined locations and hazards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Monitoring systems for tracking or controlling the movement of persons such as children, patients and prisoners are known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,214 granted to Cowley et al. on May 12, 1998 describes a device for monitoring the movement of a patient. Multiple sensors are used to monitor the patient's movement and these provide signals to a unit capable of activating an alarm to indicate the movement of the patient beyond a prescribed limit or to indicate other conditions. Information received from the sensors are stored and then transferred to a remote computer for evaluating a patient's care. A disadvantage of Cowley et al. is that their device is designed to restrict the patient's movement.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,054,928 granted to Lemelson et al. on Apr. 25, 2000. Lemelson et al. teach a system wherein data relating to a prisoner is obtained by a sensor/processor unit worn by the prisoner to track the location of the prisoner and to monitor physical conditions of the prisoner. The sensor/processor unit communicates with a control center via radio links or through “home base” via a telephone link. A control center has an associated data storage and is used to collect the data and compare it with authorized activities and to learn about the behavior of the prisoner.
Lemelson et al. use GPS technology which can be more expensive than wireless radio signal technology. In addition, Lemelson et al. use a “hard wired” transmission process and cannot function as a wireless system. The technology of Lemelson et al. seeks to restrict and contain the prisoner.
In both Lemelson et al. Cowley et al. the controls are not in place for benefit of the clients, patients and prisoners. Instead, the controls are in place for administrators caregivers, guards and institutions.
These examples of prior art are also limited in overall capacity. Specifically, they cannot collect and analyze data in a manner that will measurably impact upon and advance prevention strategies, mitigate harm, and facilitate the identification of behavioral and medical treatment interventions for diseases such as Alzheimer's and related dementia.
By contrast, the present invention focuses on positive enabling reinforcers; enables the collection and analysis of data and information of a nature and scope never previously available; and enables researchers to systematically identify and assess unique approaches, interventions and treatments both behavioral and medical to prevent or mitigate the effects of selected degenerative disorders and diseases. Being able to anticipate both adaptive and non-adaptive behaviors and patterns of behaviors among such patients could potentially lead to improved treatment interventions, better overall patient management and enhancement in the quality of patients' lives,
Alzheimer's disease was first discovered and described by a German psychiatrist (Aldis Alzheimer) around the beginning of the 19 th century. Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain characterized by progressive loss of mental and physical faculties. Some progress has been made in our ability to detect and diagnose Alzheimer's disease but progress has been minimal.
In the mid-1960s the only way to confirm absolutely that a patient was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease was to dissect the patient's brain after death. Nearly forty years later autopsy is still the only way to confirm the diagnosis. There is no cure in sight and medications which show real promise are unlikely to be available for widespread use and distribution until approximately 2007.
In the United States alone, it is believed there are now 4,000,000 people with Alzheimer's disease. The incidence of the disease is on the increase and it is estimated that in the United States there will be approximately 14,000,000 or more men and women with Alzheimer's disease before the middle of this century. This is a potentially catastrophic world wide problem. Unfortunately, it will be further exacerbated by markedly increased life expectancy, primarily attributable to advances in medical science.
Scientists and medical practitioners are working hard to find potential solutions through medical research and experimentation with medication. Data, derived or collected through clinical observation and the use of available technology, are urgently required to provide insights into the factors and variables which impact upon or determine differential rates of degeneration and progression of this deadly disease.
The present invention will facilitate the easy and systematic collection and analysis of massive amounts of objective and verifiable data. Such data are likely to reveal knowledge about Alzheimer's disease and related dementia and their concomitants. Additionally, the invention will help to safeguard the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease by preventing or substantially diminishing accidents, injuries and death in all institutional and private home settings where the invention is used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome or mitigate the limitations present in conventional monitoring systems. It is another object of the present invention to collect objective data about patients' movements, behavior and patterns of behavior. A further object is to use this data to allow researchers to discover unique interventions and treatments which will enhance the quality of patients' lives, diminish stress among families and potentially reduce the cost of institutional and private home care. A still further object is to safeguard the lives of patients and to prevent accidents.
The present invention thus seeks not only to identify signs and signals of degeneration but also to diminish controls and improve patients' functioning. A result is that patients can be more effectively monitored on a day-to-day basis.
Accordingly, the invention provides a system for monitoring a person under care comprising: a transmitter worn by the person for emitting an identification signal; one or more detectors placed at or near a hazard or at or near a location to be monitored, the detector or detectors being capable of detecting the distance of the person from a detector and transmitting such information; and, in the case of a detector at or near a hazard, determining that an incident has occurred when the person's distance from the detector falls below a predetermined threshold and then transmitting information about the incident a receiving unit for receiving the information transmitted by the detector or detectors; and database means for accumulating and amalgamating information received by the receiving unit.
The term “person under care” is intended to include patients suffering from a medical condition, such as dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, clinical depression or schizophrenia as well as other persons requiring care or monitoring such as a child, mentally challenged person, elderly or infirm person or a behaviorally challenged person. Typical hazards near which the detectors may be placed include an appliance, machine, vehicle, staircase, or swimming pool. Other locations which can be monitored include a doorway, window, gate, home office, or a border of a property.
It is anticipated that the data accumulated in the database by many patients will, over time, accelerate and enhance the collection and analysis of potentially vital data. Such information may be useful in: conducting clinical trials; improving prescribing practices; monitoring the impact of medication; facilitating observations of side effects; determining more effective dosages of medication; and assisting caregivers in making informed decisions about the best and safest locations for patients. The data may also be used to develop or discover theoretical models, standards and characteristic features of various stages of degenerative disorders. There is currently a need to facilitate the discovery and development of unique programs, strategies and treatments for patients afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
Ultimately such advances may reduce cost for care and long-term management of patients with such disorders and reduce the high levels of stress and depression among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
Advantages of the present invention include the ability to track patterns of movement of persons, such as patients; establish norms (related to movement, wandering and levels of agitation) for persons and patients of different ages, genders and other related variables; and substantially improve the accuracy and understanding of direct observations of patients' behaviors. The present invention will permit the systematic collection, compilation and analysis of data and information about movements, wandering behaviors and other patterns of behavior among patients with such diseases and disorders.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a bracelet which contains an electronic monitoring tag according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A, 2 B, 2 C and 2 D illustrate diagrammatically the detector receiving antennae in different locations for use with the electronic monitoring tag of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a receiver/controller/transmitter unit of the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a receiver/medical organizer of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the logical flow of the monitoring system;
FIG. 6 illustrates diagrammatically the placement of detector receiving antennae along a hallway;
FIG. 7 illustrates an antenna having rotational capability;
FIG. 8 illustrates diagrammatically the intersection of two antennae; and
FIG. 9 is an example of the path of movement of a patient along the hallway of FIG. 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Transmitter
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a system includes a transmitter worn by a patient for emitting a patient information signal. The patient information signal includes an identifier unique to the patient. The transmitter, according to the present embodiment, is a radio frequency identification device (RFID) and is installed in an electronic monitoring tag 1 worn by the patient which, in this embodiment, is contained in a bracelet 2 somewhat analogous in appearance to a wristwatch. The electronic monitoring tag 1 contains internally thereof a controller, transmitter, antenna and a power source. Optionally, the tag includes means for monitoring the heart rate of the patient.
Thus, in most instances, the electronic monitoring tag 1 will be worn and displayed by the patient or client in the form of an arm band, broach, or as a watch-type bracelet 2 which is capable of performing all of the necessary functions of the transmitter. In situations where the patient resists wearing any of the above-noted devices, the tag can be disguised as a belt-buckle, shoe insert, or other similar device, or sewn or otherwise fixed in a clothing item, if desired in a concealed manner. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic monitoring tag 1 is in the form of a bracelet 2 ; however, any number of devices can be employed and this should therefore not be taken in a limiting sense.
The bracelet may be regarded as a personal identification unit, which emits a burst of RF energy. Recorded within these bursts of energy are coded pieces of information that remain constant in the strength of their signal, as well as in the format of the information that they contain. The transmitter is a fixed frequency on/off keyed transmitter block that is driven on by the controller. The output radio frequency power of the device should be, but is not limited to −15 dBm±dB at a frequency of 418 MHZ±0.05 MHZ, although other frequencies such as phase modulation (PM), Amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), and Pulse position modulation may be used, as well as various combinations of modulation techniques, or other modulations.
Inside the bracelet there is a micro-controller that controls the function of the personal identification unit. It controls memory in which the transmission data is stored. The micro-controller itself could consist of microprocessor, logic array, logic devices, a state machine or other devices.
The transmitter/micro-controller are part of an incorporated circuit board that has a loop antenna attached as well. The type of antennae used will be determined by the configuration of the systems settings, and will be readily determined by those skilled in the art.
The electronic monitoring tag is also provided with means to detect removal from the patient whether by accident or intentionally. This is accomplished as follows. The electronic monitoring tag (or any personal identification unit) is powered with a battery which provides power to a continuity circuit which is incorporated in the system to allow for removal of the tag to be signalled in a variety of manners. Upon removal of the tag the continuity circuit is opened. This open circuit causes a signal to be transmitted in order to indicate the removal of the tag from the patient. Immediately upon removal of the tag, this will set off an audible alarm or an electronic signal. The decision as to whether the audible alarm or the electronic signal is used may be determined by the venue in which the patient is located. In other words, an audible alarm would normally suffice in a home environment because the alarm will be easily heard. For an institutional setting however, the electronic signal would probably be preferable since the size of the facility will likely limit the audible alarm from being effective. However, depending upon the configuration of the patient's living space and supervisory arrangements, a combination of both types of signalling is possible and may be preferred.
The patient, in this discussion, is assumed to be suffering from a degenerative condition, such as Alzheimer's disease, characterized by dementia. The patient is also assumed to be in a supervised environment such as in a hospital or a supervised home setting.
Detectors
As shown in FIG. 2, located within the supervised environment are detectors 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 . Each detector contains a receiver demodulator, distance power measurement circuit, phase error measurement circuit, controller, receiving antenna and a power supply.
The detectors 3 to 6 are placed at strategic locations such as doorways, stairways and exits; and proximal or juxtaposed to hazards such as stoves and automobiles accessible to the patient. For example, referring to FIGS. 2A to 2 D, the detectors 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 can be installed in multiple locations in order to provide adequate monitoring. FIG. 2A illustrates an example where a detector 3 having a directional antenna is installed on the roof 7 of a building 8 such as a house. FIG. 2B illustrates an example where the antenna of a detector 4 is placed below a ground surface 9 . FIG. 2C illustrates an example where a directional antenna of a detector 5 is placed in a doorway. FIG. 2D illustrates an example where a directional detector 6 is placed in an automobile 10 to detect the presence of the patient.
The detector detects the proximity of the patient to the detector based on the strength of reception of the signal from the transmitter. As the patient approaches a detector, the strength of the signal received from the transmitter increases. Conversely, as the patient withdraws from a detector, the strength of the signal received by the detector decreases. In addition, the antenna used in the detector can be directional or rotating. If the detector is rotating then it can be used to determine the position and direction of movement of the patient as described below.
Thus, the antenna is the receiver of the system and picks up the bursts of RF energy and relays the signal to a receiver demodulator within the receiver itself. The selection of antenna will depend on various options/parameters pertinent to a given context. A variety of configurations for antenna maybe chosen, including loop antenna, directional antenna and switched antenna array. The suitability of antennae will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and can directly depend on operating frequency. Depending on the distance from the receiver the antennae could be outfitted with a repeater, or could be directly wired to the receiver.
Within the detector is a receiver demodulator which demodulates the energy signal received by the detectors (antenna), the demodulated signal is passed on to a power measurement circuit which will in turn determine the distance of the identification unit, i.e. the transmitter. The controller is then provided with the distance measurement between the antenna (detector), and the transmitter. The controller includes a numerous range of detection thresholds that are adjustable by the system installer to account for the installation of antennae in various locations throughout the containment area. Included within the receiver may be a microprocessor/controller with memory, transmitter block driven by the controller, notification device, relay switch multiple antennae for receiving and one for transmitting information over the Internet. The receiver transmitter translates the RF signal, the patient location, how far they are from a hazard, whether the hazard is electronic in nature. If the incident is at an electrical/electronic appliance and the threshold has been exceeded, the controller may activate a relay switch, which deactivates the electrical appliance. Once all the information is processed in real time it may be sent via wireless communication to the Medical Organizer.
Controller
The information gathered by the detectors is transmitted to a controller for processing. Information received by the controller includes the patient's identifier, an identifier for the detector (such as a serial number), the received signal strength, and heart rate. In addition, if a more refined tracking is required, rotating detectors can be used to provide the information necessary to allow the controller to determine the patient's exact location, direction of movement and rate of movement.
Referring to FIG. 8, a rotating antenna detecting a signal will receive that signal at different strengths as the antenna rotates. Assume that at the beginning of rotation the transmitter is not directly in the “line of sight” of the antenna. Then the strength of the signal S o is relatively weak when the angle of rotation is q 1 . As the antenna rotates toward the location of the transmitter, the signal received increases in strength to a maximum S m which occurs when the antenna is oriented toward the transmitter at angle q m . The system also notes the time t of this measurement. Then as the antenna continues to rotate to angle q 2 , a subsequent signal received will have strength S 2 , which is less than S m .
In this way, by tracking the angle of rotation of the antenna and the strength of the signal, the position of the transmitter relative to the antenna can be determined. In particular, in the above example, the position of the patient is, using polar coordinates, (S m , q m ). Of course, the strength of the signal S m does not represent a physical distance but it is possible to convert signal strength to distance once the system has been calibrated.
The present embodiment, however, prefers to use triangulation to determine a more accurate reading of the patients position as described below. When the detectors are mounted on the wall, for example, to determine movement, the detectors rotate in order to triangulate the movement of the patient Referring to FIG. 9, assume that at time t, a first detector determines the patient's location to be (S m , q m ) relative to the first detector; and a second detector determines the patients location to be (T′ m , r′ m ) relative to the second detector.
Assuming that the distance between the two detectors is known and that the detectors are mounted in fixed positions then the patient's location is easily determined by using linear algebra. Of course, these polar coordinates values can easily be converted to Cartesian coordinates if desired.
Using triangulation, the patient's location can be known to a high degree of accuracy. In addition, the patient's rate of movement and direction of movement can easily be determined as well. For example, if we know that at time t the patient is at location L and that at time t′ the patient is at location L′, it is trivial to deduce the patient's speed and direction of movement
The patient's movements thus determined may provide many valuable clues about the patient's state of mind. Patterns of behaviour and the incidents in which they are involved reflect critical variables and characteristics such as mood, heightened apprehension or overt panic, as well as periods of calm and relaxation. For example, rapid movement by an afflicted patient signifies a probable state of agitation. An increased heart rate would confirm a state of agitation.
Medical Organizer
The information processed and compiled by the controller is sent wirelessly to a medical organizer. This medical organizer is a computerized device used by the caregiver to interface with the monitoring system. A suitably configured general purpose computer could be used, but it is preferred that, as shown in FIG. 4, the medical organizer be a compact handheld unit 11 with a screen 12 and control buttons 13 similar to a personal digital assistant (PDA) which is carried by the caregiver.
The information processed and compiled by the controller can be sent continually to the medical organizer thus providing a complete record of the patient's location, movements, heart rate and other information.
There is, however, another important aspect of the invention relating to event (incident) driven signals sent to the medical organizer. An incident occurs when the patient is too close to a hazard or a monitored location. More specifically, an incident occurs when the distance between the transmitter and the detector at the location of a hazard to be monitored falls below a predetermined threshold.
Upon determining that an incident has occurred, the controller transmits information to the medical organizer to record the incident. In addition to the information discussed above, the controller also transmits a signal to activate an alarm to alert the caregiver of the occurrence of an incident.
Upon receipt of a signal indicating the occurrence of an incident, the medical organizer records the details of the incident and alerts the caregiver. The means of alerting the caregiver can be any conventional means including an audio alarm or signal; a visual signal; or activating a pager carried by the caregiver. The medical organizer is also provided with a display screen to display information about the incident such as time of day; location of incident; nature of incident etc.
Upon being alerted, the caregiver can learn about the situation by consulting the display screen and can take suitable action. Since the detector is activated before the patient has reached the hazard or location in question, the caregiver is given advanced warning and thus has an opportunity to intervene by approaching the location of the event and trying to prevent the occurrence of an accident, injury or elopement. For example, if the patient approaches the front door of the house to leave, the caregiver is alerted while the patient is still in the house so that the caregiver can intercept the patient.
Following resolution of the incident, the caregiver is systematically guided by prompts on screen to enter critical observations relating to the incident. On-screen features also provide fields in which the caregiver can enter personal observations and can comment on the incident. This aspect of the system thus captures valuable observations made by caregivers and helps them to perceive themselves as a critical part of treatment.
An important feature of the system is that when a detector is located at a hazard such as an appliance, vehicle or other machine, the detector may be connected to a circuit breaker which will disable operation of the machine when the patient gets too dose to the machine. The system is designed so that the patient is able to move as freely as possible and it may not be necessary to severely restrict patient's movement since certain hazardous situations can be detected and the hazard neutralized by the system or caregiver before harm can come to the patient.
EXAMPLES
The following examples are provided for purposes of illustration of the inventive concepts, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims
1. Automobile Disabling System
As a specific example, an automobile accessible to the patient or other person requiring care may be provided with a detector. The detector could be a basic proximity detector but is preferably one which is configured so that it only detects the presence of the patient in the driver's seat. Thus, shielding could be provided so that a patient could sit in a passenger seat without activating the detector, thus enabling the patient to ride as a passenger without disabling the vehicle.
The detector and a corresponding controller could be connected to the automobile so these units are only activated upon starting the ignition of the automobile. This is to conserve energy and avoid draining power from the automobile, particularly, the automobile's battery. However, once the ignition is started, the detector is immediately actuated. It then operates to detect any suitable transmission within its intended field of coverage. Upon determination of the presence of the patient, i.e. the patient is in the vicinity of the driver's seat, the controller associated with the detector opens a circuit breaker and disables the ignition of the vehicle. Preferably the circuit breaker is configured to prevent power to the final phase of ignition, thus allowing the patient to operate, for example, the vehicle's entertainment system without allowing the patent to drive the vehicle.
2. Central Database via Internet
The information relating to the patient's location, movement, incidents, etc. received by the medical organizer is, in turn, transferred to a central database. Although this transfer could be accomplished in numerous ways, according to the present embodiment, the receiving unit transmits this information wirelessly via the internet on a routine basis to the central database.
The central database is designed to receive data transmitted via the internet by recognized sources such as institutions, patients or caregivers who have registered with the administrators of the central database and an associated website.
Accordingly, when a number of sources, each provided with a configuration of transmitters, detectors and receiving units for the detection and recording of incidents, contribute to the central database, the information accumulated in the central database becomes potentially more and more important for understanding, treating and possibly preventing dementia related disorders.
The information in the central database is accessible for retrieval via internet or other means, such as wireless means, by authorized users such as medical researchers and treating physicians. For example, the database may be available for ad hoc queries to authorized persons when they visit a website dedicated to research on Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. For more intensive analysis, it may be suitable to arrange direct access to the central database. For example a treating physician can access the central database to see data relating to a patient's progress as tracked by the system in the patient's supervised environment.
3. Monitoring of More Than One Patient
The system operates analogously to the above described system for a single patient, except that a plurality of patients are monitored by a single system. This may be the case, for example, in a hospital or other institutional setting.
In order to implement a multi-patient system, part of which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3, a number of different transmission frequencies are used. The transmitter of each patient transmits using a different radio frequency. The antennae 14 of the detectors are capable of detecting all different frequencies but does so only one at a time. The software controlling each detector operates to ensure that the detector scans the different frequencies in turn and with sufficient rapidity that all patients are adequately tracked. This would not be difficult since the detector and controller are able to operate at speeds much faster than patients can move and the information about the position of each patient could, if desired, be refreshed several times each second. The refresh frequency (i.e. how many times the detector passes through, or scans, the zone) for monitoring movement may be determined according to the patients medical condition and could, for example be different for a person suffering from Alzheimer's compared to an autistic child. In other words, a suitable refreshment rate depends on the type of disorder being monitored as well as the age, agility and physical condition of the patient being monitored.
Software in the controller would be used to separately record the information received from each patient and track the movement, position and other information, as discussed above, for that patient The controller could also use the patient's identifier to confirm that the identity of the patient corresponds with the radio frequency assigned to that patient thereby preventing any possible confusion of data.
The speed of rotation of the antennae and the radio frequency that is being used are controlled by the software portion of the system. The receiver transmits to the software the following information: who is in the area, time of contact and measurements of where the phase error disappears (angle of rotation). It is from these numerical measurements that the movements of the receivers can be computed. Because the antennae 14 are mounted in fixed positions on walls 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 (see FIG. 6 ), the distances between antennae remain constant. The first measurement for the equation for triangulation is the length of one side. The next measurement comes from the angle of rotation of the antenna (e.g. phase error disappears at 47 degrees). This gives the second measurement for triangulation, as the antennae move in sequential order. More angles of rotation are fed through the software allowing for the triangulation equation to be computed for movement.
4. Patient Monitoring System
This example of the system uses the same transmission portion. Where it varies is in the way it detects and calculates the position/location of the wearer of the transmitter.
This embodiment of the system uses phase error in determining the position of the transmitter. The detection system is a motor-mounted switched array antenna that measures phase error to determine the location of the transmission.
A bow tie array or similar antenna (also collects identification data) rotates at a given speed. The antenna is connected to the receiver through a diode-switching network. What occurs at this point is that an oscillator switches between the two wings of the antenna at about 1 KHz. When one wing of the antenna is slightly farther from the transmitter than the other, there is a phase error between the two received signals. This phase error disappears when the antenna wings are the same distance from the transmitter. At this given point the antenna array is at right angles to the direction of the transmitter.
The antennae are mounted at fixed positions on the walls, each systematically positioned for maximum triangulation effect. As the antennae rotate they do so at varying rates of speed for maximum triangulation effect. All the above mentioned calculations will be determined on individual basis, depending on location, room size, number of patients, etc.
As the antennae rotates, the angle of rotation is measured, as well they begin to measure phase error. When the phase error disappears on one antenna, that constitutes a first measurement for the angle of rotation for calculating movement. As the other antennae pass through the field of detection more measurements for triangulation are acquired. As the individual under surveillance moves, the transmitter moves with them thus creating a movement pattern into readable electronic data. The receiver remains the same and only transfers one additional piece of information, the angle where the phase error disappeared. This establishes the triangulation points.
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A system is provided for monitoring the behavior, behavior patterns and movements of patients with Alzheimer's, related dementia and a range of other diseases, disorders and injuries including childhood autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), schizophrenia, severe clinical depression, brain injury, and conditions such as recovery from hip replacement surgery. The monitoring system comprises: a transmitter worn by the patient which emits an identification signal; a detector placed at a hazard or a at a location to be monitored, the detector capable of determining the distance of the patient from the detector and determining the occurrence of an incident when the distance falls below a predetermined threshold; a receiving unit for receiving the information transmitted by the detector; and database means for accumulating information received by the receiving unit. The purpose of the system is to safeguard patients from injury and to generate, accumulate and analyze data and information about these diseases, conditions and disorders.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a safety grater and slicer.
[0003] 2. Discussion of Related Art
[0004] The kitchen graters and slicers currently available in the market can cause injury to the user by cutting and/or slicing the user's fingers. Even the slicers and graters that include so-called protective “rest holders” are insufficient to guard against serious injury because the user can disregard the safety instructions and slice and grate food without the protective rest holder. A slicer and grater is taught by German Patent Reference DE U1-296-23-430. Every injury can be a potential lawsuit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The safety grater and slicer of this invention can eliminate the possibility of injury and thus legal action against the manufacturer by designing a rest holder called a “safety holder” with two major safety advantages.
[0006] The safety grater and slicer of this invention includes a safety holder that covers the blades while in use, thus fully protecting the user's fingers.
[0007] The safety grater and slicer of this invention will not work without the safety holder in place.
[0008] The user must attach the safety holder before the cutting blades can be inserted into the safety grater and slicer of this invention. It is impossible to insert the blades/graters without the safety holder in place. Conversely, after completing the slicing and grating task, the user must remove the blades/graters before the safety holder can be removed. It is impossible to remove the safety holder unless the blades/graters are removed first.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] This invention is explained by the following diagrams:
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a top exploded perspective view of a cross section explosion diagram of one embodiment of a safety grater and slicer according to this invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a bottom exploded perspective view of a cross section explosion diagram of one embodiment of a safety grater and slicer according to this invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the views shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a bottom exploded perspective view of a cross section explosion diagram of one embodiment of a safety grater and slicer according to this invention; and
[0014] FIG. 5 shows a top exploded perspective view of a cross section diagram of one embodiment of a safety grater and slicer according to this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The safety grater and slicer of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and comprises a squared body ( 1 ), a safety holder ( 2 ) sliding in the body ( 1 ), a stamp ( 3 ) which will be picked up by the safety holder ( 2 ) and blade/grater inserts ( 4 ) which will be put in the body ( 1 ) of the safety grater and slicer of this invention.
[0016] The body ( 1 ) has two rails ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) at the sides, on which the safety holder ( 2 ) can slide. The first rail ( 5 ) is T-shaped and the opposite rail ( 6 ) is L-shaped. Furthermore, the body ( 1 ) has an opening ( 7 ) at the side where the user places the blade inserts ( 4 ). Between the rails ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) there are two waved surfaces ( 8 ) and ( 9 ) split by the opening ( 7 ) where the blade inserts ( 4 ) fit. The food slides along the waved surfaces ( 8 ) and ( 9 ) during use. At the end of the body ( 4 ) there is a thumb grip ( 10 ) to hold the body down on the kitchen counter or other work surface. Finally, there is a moveable block element ( 11 ) in the body ( 1 ) shown on FIG. 3 . The safety holder itself is designed as a squared plate ( 12 ) with a tube ( 13 ) for taking in the food and a stamp ( 3 ) for pushing the food down into the tube into the insert blades ( 4 ). The size of the tube ( 13 ) can be designed so that a child's hand can not fit down the tube to reach the insert blade ( 4 ). The tube ( 13 ) can be designed to be high enough that an adult finger can not reach the insert blade ( 4 ). At the longer sides of the plate there are two L-shaped sliding rails ( 14 ), ( 15 ) which cover the edges of these rails ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) during use. On the underside of the plate ( 12 ) there are two block elements ( 16 ) and ( 17 ) that control how far the plate ( 12 ) will slide.
[0017] Finally, the plate ( 12 ) has an L-shaped rail ( 18 ) under it which is between the tube ( 12 ) and the rail ( 13 ) which covers the inner edges of the rail ( 5 ) and which has a release element ( 19 ) at one side of the end. The inserts ( 4 ) can be designed with different blades ( 20 ) to meet various slicing and grating tasks. The insert ( 4 ) has at the opposite side of the leading edge at least one block ( 21 ).
[0018] To use the safety grater and slicer of this invention the user must put the safety holder ( 2 ) into the body ( 1 ). In doing so the block element ( 11 ) will be in a down position so that the opening ( 7 ) is now ready to accept the blade insert ( 4 ). The user cannot introduce the blade insert ( 4 ) until the safety holder ( 2 ) has been attached to the body ( 1 ) because without first placing the safety holder ( 2 ) onto the body ( 1 ) the block element ( 11 ) will be in the way of the blade insert ( 4 ).
[0019] This guarantees that the safety grater and slicer of this invention is usable only if the safety holder ( 2 ) has been put in prior to use. After the safety holder ( 2 ) has been fit into the body ( 1 ) it fully covers the insert blade/grater ( 4 ) no matter where it is placed while sliding along the body during use. Thus the insert blade/grater ( 4 ) is accessible only through the safety holder ( 2 ). Food, like potatoes, carrots and cucumbers etc. can go through the open top of the tube ( 13 ) to the insert blade/grater ( 4 ). The stamp pushes the food fully down through the tube to ensure complete slicing and grating. The block element ( 16 ) at the block ( 21 ) prevents removal of the safety holder ( 2 ) from the body ( 1 ) while the blade insert ( 4 ) is in place. This ensures that after the blade insert ( 4 ) has been put into the body opening ( 7 ) the safety holder ( 2 ) cannot be removed preventing exposure of the blade insert ( 4 ). Again, the safety grater and slicer of this invention will not work without the safety holder ( 2 ) in place.
[0020] A safety grater and slicer of this invention in a second embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 . This version is similar to the safety grater and slicer of this invention of FIG. 1 but is complemented by a separate insert holder ( 22 ) which must be attached to the safety holder ( 2 ) before use. The body ( 1 ) in FIG. 4 also differs from FIGS. 1 and 2 at the side opening ( 7 ). The body ( 1 ) features an open shaft ( 23 ) which splits the side rail into two L-shaped sections, ( 5 / 1 ), ( 5 / 2 ) separated by the open shaft ( 23 ). The difference in FIG. 1 is that the side rail ( 5 ) is one continuous T-shaped rail.
[0021] The insert holder ( 22 ) is designed like a box and fits into the body ( 1 ) and has two L-shaped rails ( 5 3 , 6 3 ) and an opening at the side in order to take the insert ( 4 ). The insert holder ( 22 ) fits into the shaft ( 23 ). After the putting in the insert holder ( 22 ) the rails ( 5 3 , 6 3 ) will line up with the rails ( 5 1 , 5 2 , 6 1 , 6 2 ) in the body ( 1 ) creating a two seamless rails.
[0022] The user slides the insert holder ( 22 ) onto the safety holder ( 2 ) to create a complete unit that will be placed down into the shaft ( 23 ). Only then can the insert blade/grater ( 4 ) be introduced into the opening ( 7 ) at the side of the body ( 1 ). While the insert holder ( 22 ) is on the body ( 1 ) its underside rails ( 14 ) ( 15 ) will slide on the rails ( 5 3 , 6 3 , 6 1 , 6 2 ) and cover the insert blade/grater ( 4 ). When the safety holder ( 2 ) is removed from the body ( 1 ) the insert holder will not fit into the body ( 1 ) making the safety grater and slicer of this invention impossible to use until the safety holder ( 2 ) is reattached.
[0023] The safety grater and slicer of this invention in a third embodiment is shown in FIG. 5 . This safety grater and slicer of this invention is similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The body ( 1 ″) differs from the body ( 1 ) in FIGS. 1 and 2 . At the top of the shaft edges there are two rests ( 24 ), ( 25 ). The rest ( 24 ) has a spring element ( 26 ) at the end. The blade insert/grater ( 4 ) will not fit into the body without the safety holder ( 2 ) because the spring element ( 26 ) will be in the way and will prevent the safety insert ( 4 ) from lying flush inside the body ( 1 ). The safety holder ( 2 ) must be in place over the blade insert/grater ( 4 ) in order to push down the spring element so that the blade is flush with the sliding surface. The safety grater and slicer of this invention will not work unless the safety holder ( 2 ) is in place.
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A safety grater having a parallelepipedal base body, an attachment that slides back and forth along guide rails by slide bars and that has a cylinder, into which items to be grated and sliced and a plunger are introduced and having at least one grating insert that can be fitted into the base body. The base body has elements that prevent the use of the grating and slicing insert without the attachment.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/705,392 filed Aug. 4, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to protection and security panel systems and braces for windows and doors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are several panel systems or bracing systems commercially available; however, many are heavy systems, others are very costly, others require a significant amount of time to install, and others require a multitude of anchor holes adversely affecting the house appearance. Those using plywood end up with the deterioration of the plywood during storage and a subsequent waste of money. What is needed is a system that can be installed in a matter of a few minutes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In one embodiment of the invention, a removable storm panel system is designed for interior or exterior use. The panel can be put in place inside or outside a building window. The main frame is mounted on the interior or exterior extension of the wall. The main frame is designed with a lip to seal all around the panel.
[0005] Each panel is preferably broke on all sides for adding rigidity and for sealing against wind intrusion. A plurality of latching levers secures the panel in place against the main frame inside channel. A stiffener acts as a stiffener for the panel interlock latches to secure each latch which gives full panel support to protect the window.
[0006] In another embodiment, a central latch lever is included as a main lever which is linked to each of the latches so that upon activation of the central mechanism, all or at least some multiple latches engage the frame member and seals the panel in the frame.
[0007] In another embodiment for sliding glass doors, other large door ways or for large windows, tubing or a longitudinal structural member with upper flanges for bolting into the building wall and a pin or barrel bolt type of mechanism for inserting a pin into a predrilled hole in the floor or ground surface is used. One such assembly is used on each side of the door and two panels are used where one side of each panel wraps around each opposing structural member and the other sides of the panels are secured together with bolts or sheet metal screws or similar fasteners. Intermediate panels may be used where each side is in turn fastened to the end panels. It is preferred that the panels have on or more cross breaks near the joining portions of the panels to add rigidity to the panels being joined. In some counties like Miami-Dade county, it may be required to include a stiffener, for example, a ¼ inch flat bar stiffener against the outwardly protruding break portion near the joined area of the panels. Typically, this may be required when using about a 1/16 inch thick aluminum panel, but it should be noted that it is only intended to minimize flexure at the joint area.
[0008] Another invention is a brace system for garage doors. The basic system is designed to have a bracket attached to the header of the door. The bracket has a latching hook design for catching and engaging an opposite shaped hook attached near the upper end of a vertical structural member such as a 2×6 or 2×4 framing member or a metal tubing form. At the lower end of the structural member is another bracket attached to the structural member incorporating a pin or barrel bolt system where the pin is insertable in a predrilled hole, preferably located behind the structural member. One system can be installed near the center of the garage door or two or three such systems may be installed spaced along the door. If desired to further limit any flexure of the garage door from the wind forces, one or more intermediate brackets can be installed on the structural member placed between the ends of the garage door where the intermediate bracket is attached on one end to the structural member and the opposite end of the intermediate bracket is configured to overlap the sides of one of the garage panel hinges and a pin is placed through an aperture on one side of the bracket, through the aperture in the hinge and through the aperture on the other side of the bracket. This intermediate bracing bracket should significantly reduce the flexure in the center of the garage door, if it is a concern to an end user.
[0009] In another embodiment, a storm panel is made to completely cover the outside of a window with perimeter attachments to wall anchoring fasteners on an exterior wall surrounding the window. The panel is shaped at its perimeter portion so as to have an angular portion. The angular portion has spaced-apart apertures through which the wall anchor fasteners extend for fastening with a wing nut or other female threaded nut. Because the base of the nut will tighten against the angular portion, most of the pressure is applied to the inside surface portion of the angular portion and the angular portion thereby acts as a spring locking washer, so separate washers are not needed to be handled while attempting to mount the storm panel. Handling both washers and nuts can become cumbersome when mounting panels, especially when the storm is approaching and winds are already being felt. The storm panel preferably has breaks in it to form a bowed X-shape on its exterior surface. The perimeter portion has a flatten portion exterior to the angular portion that is configured to rest against the surface of the exterior wall surrounding the window being covered.
[0010] Typical thickness of storm panels is about 1/16 inch thick, made from aluminum, stainless steel or galvanized steel. Certainly, as high strength composite materials are developed, such materials could also be used with the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] In the accompanying drawings:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective conceptual view of one embodiment of the present invention with multiple latches in an engaged position with the panel frame;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective conceptual view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with multiple latches in unlatched position;
[0014] FIG. 3 a perspective conceptual view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the storm panel separated from the frame;
[0015] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
[0016] FIG. 4B is a conceptual cross-section plan view depicting the invention mounted inside the window opening and on the outside of the building window;
[0017] FIG. 4C is a conceptual cross-section plan view depicting the invention mounted inside the window opening and on the interior side of the building window;
[0018] FIG. 5A is a conceptual depiction of one example of providing a common or central mechanism to simultaneously latch and unlatch multiple latches in position;
[0019] FIG. 5B is a depiction of the embodiment of FIG. 5A with the storm panel being separated from the frame;
[0020] FIG. 6A is a conceptual depiction of another example of providing a common or central mechanism to simultaneously latch and unlatch multiple latches in position;
[0021] FIG. 6B is a depiction of the embodiment of FIG. 6A with the storm panel being separated from the frame;
[0022] FIG. 6C is a depiction of the embodiment of FIG. 6A with the central control mechanism being on the opposite side of the storm panel latches for use in operating the latches from inside the house;
[0023] FIG. 7 is another example of the embodiment of FIG. 1 mounted so as to protect a shaped window (not viewable in depiction), in this case, a circular shaped window;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a depiction of the embodiment of FIG. 7 with the storm panel separated from the frame;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an example of another embodiment for sliding glass doors and large windows;
[0026] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the depiction of FIG. 9 ;
[0027] FIG. 11 is a conceptual depiction of another embodiment designed to cover a window and any associated decorative moldings or trim around the windows;
[0028] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 with the storm panel separated from the frame;
[0029] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 , with the panel covering trim or molding around at least a portion of the window;
[0030] FIG. 14 is a perspective of another embodiment of the invention which is configured to brace and secure a garage door as shown in a bracing position; and
[0031] FIG. 15 is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 14 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] In the embodiment related to the bracing of a garage door, the invention herein and as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is a bracket system 10 for use in bracing a garage door 12 a for security and for prevention of damage during wind storms, the system comprising first bracket means 14 for bracing an upper end 16 a of a vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 to an inside garage surface 12 b of a header of a garage door opening; and second bracket means 18 for bracing a bottom end 16 b of the vertically oriented elongate structure member 16 to a floor 12 c of a garage.
[0033] The first bracket means 14 comprises a first bracket portion 14 a attachable to the header 12 b . The first bracket portion 14 a is configured to have an upwardly directed offset 14 b to form a gap 14 c between the header surface 12 b and the first bracket portion 14 a wherein a distal end 14 e of a second bracket portion 14 d projecting from the upper end 16 a of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 can drop down into said gap 14 c to interlock with said first bracket portion 14 a . The second bracket portion 14 d has one end fixed to the upper end 16 a of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 and its distal end 14 e extending from the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 a predetermined distance sufficient to drop into and engage the gap 14 c formed by the first bracket portion 14 a.
[0034] The drawings depicted are merely an example of making a bracket that will secure the upper end of structural member 16 to the header surface 12 b . The essence of the interlock provision is that the upper end has an appendage that essentially hooks into the gap 14 c . Therefore, the second bracket portion can be separately fastened to the member 16 as shown, it can be integral therein, for example if member 16 was made from a polymeric fiberglass reinforced material and if member 16 was metallic, it could be welded thereto.
[0035] The second bracket means 18 for bracing the bottom end 16 b of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 to the floor 12 c of the garage comprises a bracket portion 18 a fixed to the bottom end 16 b of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 , and a vertically depending elongate member 18 b attached to said bracket portion 18 a and having a predetermined length sufficient to be dropped into a hole 12 d in the garage floor 12 c.
[0036] Again, this bottom bracket can be fastened as depicted and fabricated from plate material, it can be integral to the member 16 or it can be welded if the member 16 is metallic. The depending elongate member is essential configured to serve as a pin that can be dropped into the hole 12 d in the garage floor 12 c.
[0037] As an option for those end users who desire additional central bracing of the garage door and for additional security as well, the bracket system 10 can include a third bracket means 20 for bracing an intermediate portion 16 c of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 to a hinge 12 e of two adjacent garage door panels 12 f . A bracket portion 20 a is fixed to the intermediate portion 16 c of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 and a distal end of said bracket portion 20 a extends from the intermediate portion 16 c of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 and has two parallel vertically oriented sides 20 b with apertures 20 c therein configured to align with a central aperture 12 g of the panel hinge 12 e . An elongate retention member 20 d of sufficient length and size is insertable through the apertures 20 c , 12 g in the sides 20 b and the hinge 12 e for interlocking the intermediate portion 16 c of the vertically oriented elongate structural member 16 with the garage door hinge 12 e . One or more such intermediate bracket to panel hinge devices may optional be used.
[0038] Again this third bracket can be made in a number of ways and by way of example of one method, a bracket was made by bending a plate material to engage and fasten to the sides of a structural member 16 . The end attaching to the hinge is merely widened or flared out and then straightened out to be slightly wider than the hinge. Apertures are added on the straightened portion at a location so that when placed in position the holes in the bracket will line up with the hole in the hinge so that a retention pin can be inserted.
[0039] Another storm protection system is a removable storm panel system 100 as shown in FIGS. 1-8 for windows 112 . In one of the depicted embodiments, the invention 100 comprises a frame 114 that is mountable to an inside surface of a side wall portion 116 extending from a window 112 , the frame 114 being adapted to be installed a predetermined distance from the window glass around a perimeter of the window 112 ; the frame 114 being formed generally tubular in cross-sectional shape with one side of the tubular shaped frame having a sealing lip portion 114 a and an opening 114 b for insertion of a storm panel 118 , wherein the frame 114 when in use is anchored to the inside surface of the side wall portion 116 with the sealing lip portion 114 a directed outwardly; and the storm panel 118 having a bent break portion 118 a forming a lip around outer edges of sides of the storm panel 118 . The storm panel 118 is sized so that when installed, the bent break portion 118 a is inserted in the opening 114 b of the frame 114 . To secure the panel 118 in place, latching means 120 are providing for interlocking the storm panel 118 with the frame 114 wherein the storm panel 118 is compressed against the sealing lip portion 114 a of the frame 114 .
[0040] The latching means 120 typically comprises two or more pivotable latches 120 a attached at desired locations on the storm panel 118 adjacent to the frame 114 such that each latch 120 a can be rotated to engage the frame 118 for interlocking therewith. As can be seen in the drawings, one example of such a mechanism is a plate that pivots about a point and one edge/side can be manually rotated about the pivot point such that it is slides into the frame opening. It is preferable that the plate be somewhat offset so that when engaged with the frame, it provides for a relatively snug or tight fit within the frame, thereby forcing the panel outer edge to compress against the raised edge of the lip of the frame. The latching mechanism is preferably reinforced at the area of pivoting; this can simple be done with a reinforcing plate welded to the panel as depicted in the drawings.
[0041] It should be understood that other latching means are contemplated such as a simple spring loaded system where latches can slide in position or otherwise engage/disengage with the frame in another acceptable manner depending on the preference of the manufacturer or costs. The drawings herein are only intended to depict an example of one preferred method of latching.
[0042] When multiple latches are provided, it may be desirable to have a central location or single mechanism (see FIGS. 5A, 5B , 6 A- 6 C) where all or multiple latches 120 a can be operated simultaneously. In such a case, means 122 for controlling each latch 120 a for engagement and disengagement with the frame 114 from a single location are provided. The means 122 for controlling each latch 120 a from a single location comprises a pivotable handle or central control member or mechanism 122 a being in mechanical communication with each of said latches 120 a wherein when said handle 122 a is partially rotated in one direction, the latches 120 a are simultaneously engaged with the frame 114 and when said handle 122 a is partially rotated in an opposite direction, the latches 120 a are simultaneously disengaged from the frame 114 . Although there several ways that one skilled in the art can provide for this feature, one method is as shown conceptually in the drawings where linkages which can serve as a handle or central mechanism 122 a in and of itself or where linkages are connected to a central mechanism 122 a and connect each latch 120 a on a particular side of the storm panel 118 and in turn these latches 120 a are controlled by another link to the pivoting handle 122 a . As shown in FIG. 6C , the central control mechanism 122 can be located on the opposite side of the latches for operation from inside a house. The depicted manner of doing this is intended to be by way of example only.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the invention 100 can be used to protect shaped windows such as a circular-shaped window. The invention 100 can be installed in the interior of the house side to protect the window from inside the house but preferably, the invention in most cases, will be installed on the exterior of the building, either on the exterior wall surface around the window being protected on within the window opening side walls on the exterior side of the window.
[0044] In still another embodiment of the present invention, a removable storm panel system 200 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , is provided for prevention of damage during wind storms to sliding glass doors, large door ways or large window areas. The system 200 comprises a longitudinal structural member 212 a having a length to extend below and above an area to be protected, an upper bracket 212 b configured to be attached to an upper end of the longitudinal structural member 212 a , the upper bracket 212 b having a flange portion 212 c for anchoring said flange portion 212 c to a wall surface adjacent the area to be protected. A lower bracket 212 d is configured to be attached to a lower end of the longitudinal structural member 212 a . The lower bracket 212 d has a flange portion 212 e for anchoring to a desired part of the building structure adjacent the area to be protected. As shown, the flange portion 212 e is oriented horizontally for anchoring to a floor. In this case, a drop in retention pin 212 f can be inserted into a predrilled hole (or 2 holes) in the flange and dropped into or fastened to the floor. Of course, another option is that the pin or retention member 212 f can be welded or integral to the flange 212 e . Although not shown, it is understood that similarly, the flange portion 212 e for the lower bracket 212 d can be vertically oriented as in the top bracket 212 b for anchoring the flange to the wall of the building.
[0045] When in use, two longitudinal structural members 212 a are typically installed, one on each side of the area to be protected. Two storm panels 214 , each configured and sized to cover a portion of the area to be protected are then installed. One side of each storm panel 214 is configured to engage the longitudinal structural member 212 a and the storm panel 214 has a width such that an opposing side overlaps an adjoining storm panel 214 by a predetermined distance sufficient to allow for fastening of said overlapping storm panels 214 together. As shown in the drawings, one example of attaching or engaging the storm panel 214 to the longitudinal structural member 212 a is to bend the edge of the storm panel 214 to form a cup or C-shaped channel such that it can overlap member 212 a.
[0046] It is preferred that at least one storm panel 214 further be configured to have a raised bent break portion 214 a at an edge of the storm panel 214 overlapping the adjoining storm panel 214 to provide additional rigidity to the storm panels 214 in the overlap area. In the drawings, both storm panels 214 have the bent break portion 214 a , although one may be sufficient. In certain counties which have a history of repetitive hurricane strikes, should there be a desire to further reduce any flexure at the center area of the overlapping panels to ensure that the flexing panels spaced-apart by three or four inches from glass does not touch the glass, then additional stiffening can be added by the addition of a flat bar along the bent break portion 214 a , such as a ¼ inch thick flat bar stock. This flat bar stock can be fastened or welded to the break portion.
[0047] When relatively long window areas need to be protected and it is desired to have more than two panels, one or more intermediate storm panels 214 may be included between the two storm panels 214 attached to the longitudinal structural member 212 a . Each intermediate storm panel 214 overlaps a corresponding adjacent storm panel 214 a sufficient distance to allow for the fastening of said adjoining storm panels 214 together. The top and bottom of each panel 214 are preferably configured to have flanged edges similar to those depicted in FIG. 11 herein to serve as a sealing effect against the wall surface above and below the window.
[0048] In some cases, a storm panel is needed to cover odd shaped windows, such as windows with brows and circular windows, or windows with outwardly projecting trim or the like, or in areas where the installation of the frame/panel system 100 described above is impractical or not desired by the customer. In most cases such as this, a standard storm panel is needed. However, standard storm panels are typically anchored to the structure along a flat flange area. It is preferred that such an installation include a combination of a nut and a washer. Installing a storm panel when the winds have begun is hard enough, without having to hold onto washers that can easily be dropped. The inventor herein has designed a removable storm panel for a window where the design or configuration itself serves as the washer therefore requiring the use of a nut only. This storm panel system 300 comprises a storm panel 312 configured to be generally bowed 312 a and have a flange portion 312 b around a perimeter of the storm panel 312 such that the storm panel 312 can be placed over a window area to be protected. The storm panel 312 further has a portion 312 c configured to include an angular profile immediately adjacent and inside to the flange portion 312 b . The angular profile portion 312 c has a plurality of spaced-apart apertures 312 d for inserting anchor fasteners 314 . A fastening nut 314 a can be used without a washer due to a spring locking action provided by the angular profile portion 312 c when the fastening nut 314 a is tightened against the angular profile portion 312 c . This embodiment is very useful when windows have trim or decorative molding 316 around at least a portion of the exterior wall surface of the window. The storm panel 312 can be bowed out sufficiently to clear the trim 316 and allow for the fastening of the panel through the angular profile portion 312 c of the storm panel 312 .
[0049] It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of one or more embodiments of this invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A garage door bracing system for rapid bracing of a garage door includes brackets that attach to the header and floor with the brackets attached to each end of a structural member.
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This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/058,848, filed May 10, 1993 and now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of amplifiers and particularly to amplifier switching.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The rapid expansion of the number of cellular radiotelephones coupled with the desire to provide additional services has prompted the use of an improved communication technique, time division multiple access (TDMA). TDMA increases system capacity over the current analog system through the use of digital modulation and speech coding techniques. Even though a TDMA communication channel is comprised of numerous time slots, a radiotelephone operating in the TDMA system only uses every third time slot.
A linear modulation technique, π/4 shifted differential quadrature phase shifted keying (π/4 DQPSK), is used to transmit the digital information over the channel. The use of linear modulation in the U.S. Digital Cellular (USDC) system provides spectral efficiency allowing the use of 48.6 kbps channel data rates. π/4 DQPSK transmits the data information by encoding consecutive pairs of bits, commonly known as symbols, into one of four phase angles (±π/4, ±3π/4) based upon gray encoding. These angles are then differentially encoded to produce an 8 point constellation.
Radiotelephones designed for use in the U.S. Digital Cellular system are required to operate in both the analog and digital modes. The digital mode uses the π/4 DQPSK modulation, and can be implemented using a linear transmitter. The analog mode uses conventional frequency modulation and allows the use of higher efficiency non-linear transmitters.
The linear transmitter is not as efficient at its average power out as a non-linear transmitter. This is not a problem, however, when the DQPSK modulation is used since the transmitter operated in this mode is switched with a 1/3 duty cycle. This duty cycle is a result of the transmitter only operating for one time slot out of every three. Since the transmitter is on only 1/3 of the time, current drain in the transmitter is actually less than that of transmitters in existing FM products.
There is a problem, however, when the linear transmitter is used with continuous FM at the some average power level. This transmitter will have poor efficiency and will draw much more current than conventional FM transmitters. There is a resulting need for a dual mode power amplifier network that operates efficiently in both digital and analog modulation systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention encompasses a dual mode network that has two paths. The first path has first switching means coupled to the network input and to isolation means. Second switching means couples the isolation means to the network output. Third switching means, in the second path, couples to the network input to filtering means. Fourth switching means couples to the filtering means to the network output.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the dual mode network of the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a typical radiotelephone using the dual mode network of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The dual mode network of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. This network (100) provides high efficiency and good linearity from the same transmitter in both the π/4 DQPSK modulation mode and the FM mode.
Referring to FIG. 1, the network (100) is comprised of a bandpass filter (101) and power amplifier (102) coupled to two branches (110 and 120). The bandpass filter (101) keeps noise in the signal to be transmitted below -80 dBm, in the frequency range of 869-894 MHz, at the output of the power amplifier (102).
The power amplifier (102), in the preferred embodiment, is a three stage GaAsFET, a typical example being a Fujitsu FMC080802. This power amplifier (102) performs the task of amplification of signals applied to its input.
The branch (110) of the network (100) used in the π/4 DQPSK mode includes an isolator (103) that is coupled to the output of the power amplifier (102) through a switch (106). The output of the isolator (103) is coupled to the antenna (105) through another switch (107). The isolator (103), in the preferred embodiment, is a broadband isolator that operates in the frequency range of 779 MHz-894 MHz. A typical example of such an isolator is a TDK CU41K2. The isolater (103) performs the task of preventing external signals from mixing in the power amplifier and causing spurious emissions.
The branch (120) of the network (100) used in the FM mode includes a bandpass transmit filter (104) coupled to the output of the power amplifier (102) through a switch (108) and also coupled to the antenna (105) through another switch (109). This transmit filter (104) has a pass band in the range of 824.00 MHz-849.00 MHz.
The switches (106-109) in each of the branches (110 and 120) are controlled by a microprocessor (130). These switches (106-109), in the preferred embodiment, are pin diode RF switches. Other embodiments could use other types of controllable switches such as FET RF switches or other ways of isolating each branch from the power amplifier (102) at the appropriate time.
In operation, when the network of the present invention is used in a radiotelephone operating in the digital cellular system, the branch with the isolater is used. In this case, the microprocessor (130) opens the two switches (108 and 109) in the FM mode branch (120) to prevent this branch from loading the power amplifier (102) while it is driving the isolator branch (110). The switches (106 and 107) in the π/4 DQPSK mode branch (110) are closed, connecting the power amplifier (102) to the antenna (105) through the isolator (103).
When the network (100) of the present invention is used in a radiotelephone in the analog cellular mode, the FM mode branch (120) with the transmit filter (104) is used. In this case, the two switches (106 and 107) in the π/4 DQPSK mode branch (110) are opened to prevent this branch from loading the power amplifier (102) while it is driving the bandpass filter branch (120). The switches (108 and 109) in the FM mode branch (120) are closed, connecting the power amplifier (102) to the antenna (105) through the transmit filter (104).
The network (100) of the present invention provides at least two advantages over the prior art. The first advantage is the predictable output impedance that is presented to the power amplifier by the isolater. This allows the transmitter's linearity requirement to be relaxed since the power amplifier will be guaranteed a low voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) over all conditions. When the power amplifier is designed to work directly into the transmit filter block and antenna, it's linearity specification is very stringent. This is to insure that the power amplifier meets occupied bandwidth requirements into a load that could have a high VSWR under extreme conditions. By lowering the linearity requirements on the transmitter, it is possible to use a more efficient power amplifier.
The second advantage comes from the reduction in the path loss the power amplifier now sees between itself and the antenna. Isolators typically have much less insertion loss than the available transmit filter blocks that meet FM mode requirements. With less loss in the output path, the power amplifier is able to work at a lower average power output and still meet radio output power specifications. Since the power amplifier's output power is lower its peak current handling requirements are also lowered. This permits the use of smaller power amplifier devices.
Besides the two main advantages discussed above, the isolator also provides isolation from strong incoming signals. With the proper amount of isolation, signals are prevented from being conducted back into the transmitter. If these signals got back into the transmitter they could mix with the transmit signal and be retransmitted out of the radio at levels that are not within the spurious emissions specification.
With the linearity requirements reined and the size of the power amplifier devices reduced it becomes possible to use a standard high efficiency transmitter in the USDC dual mode radio. This is an advantage over the prior art load switch. With the load switch, it is necessary to have devices that can handle large peak currents that flow through the power amplifier at top power steps. The currents are higher with the load switch because the losses are greater in the output path. This makes the device work at a higher average power output level.
With the prior art transmit filter blocks typically used, specifications require the power amplifier to operate at an average power output of at least 31.2 dBm in the π/4 DQPSK mode. Experimentation data shows that available high efficiency power amplifiers, designed to saturate at 32 dBm, will not meet linearity requirements at a peak power output of 34 dBm under any load conditions. Presently, the only devices available that can handle these powers and high currents are bipolar devices. Bipolar devices are limited in their efficiency capabilities. With the dual mode amplifier network of the present invention, it is possible to use high efficiency GaAsFETs
In the preferred embodiment, using the Fujitsu FMC080802 three stage GaAsFET module with limited optimizing, the circuit met intermodulation distortion (IMD) requirements in the π/4 DQPSK mode at the specified radio output power. In the FM mode, the network of the present invention made possible a power amplifier current drain that is less than prior art USDC dual mode portable power amplifiers with load switching. If the FM mode of the circuit is optimized, the current drain can be improved by another 40 mA.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of how the network (100) of the present invention is used in a typical radiotelephone. The microphone (54) converts voice signals into an information signal. The information signal supplied on line (56) is utilized when, similar to conventional cellular, radiotelephone communications, a frequency modulated information signal is to be generated by the radiotelephone. The information signal supplied on line (58) is used when a discrete, encoded signal, modulated to form a composite modulated information signal, is to he generated by the radiotelephone.
The information signal generated on line (56) is supplied to a voltage controlled oscillator (60) where the information signal is combined with an oscillating signal of a certain frequency. A frequency modulated information signal (62) is generated by the voltage controlled oscillator (60) to a modulator (64). When the radiotelephone is to transmit a frequency modulated information signal, the modulator (64) does not alter the frequency modulated information signal (62), but, rather, "passes-through" the frequency modulated information signal. The oscillator (60) and modulator (64) may together comprise a hybrid modulation apparatus (68).
The information signal (58) is supplied to a vocoder (72) where the analog information signal is digitized and encoded according to an encoding scheme, and generates a discrete, encoded signal (76) that is supplied to the modulator (64). The modulator (64) modulates the discrete, encodod signal (76) to form a composite, modulated information signal of a predetermined frequency.
The modulated information signal, modulated according to either a frequency modulation technique or a composite modulation technique, is supplied to a mixer (80). The mixer (80) mixes this signal with an offset transmission-frequency carder wave generated by a synthesizer (90) and supplied to the mixer (80). The mixer (80) mixes the modulated information signal with the carder wave (92). The mixer (80) then generates a modulated information signal (96) upon a carrier wave of a carrier frequency determined by the oscillating frequency of synthesizers (90 and 60).
The modulated information signal (96) is coupled to the dual mode network of the present invention. A processor (10) provides control signals to control operation of the present invention as well as the oscillator (60), the vocoder (72), the modulator (64), and the synthesizer (90), respectively, and to control modulation of the information signal generated by the microphone (54).
The processor (10) controls whether the information signal generated by the microphone (54) is modulated by the oscillator (60) or encoded by the vocoder (72) to form a composite modulated information signal.
FIG. 2 further illustrates the radiotelephone receive circuit for a signal transmitted to the antenna (105). The signal transmitted to the antenna (105) is supplied to a filter (17) that passes signals of desired frequencies to the mixer (18). The mixer (18) receives an oscillating signal from the synthesizer (90) and generates a mixed signal that is supplied to a demodulator (20). The demodulator (20) supplies a demodulated, electrical information signal to a speaker (21). The processor (10) may supply a signal to the demodulator (20) to control its operation. The speaker (21) converts the electrical information signals into audible signals.
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The dual mode amplifier network of the present invention enables a radiotelephone to operate efficiently in both the U.S. Digital Cellular mode and the FM analog cellular mode. Multiple, switched branches (110 and 120) permit one branch (110) with an isolator (103) to be used in the in the U.S. Digital Cellular mode while the other branch (120) is switched out. In the analog mode, the transmit filter branch (120) is used while the isolator branch (110) is switched out.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to air filters for home and light commercial ventilation systems, and more particularly to extended surface air filters that fit into a standard, unmodified return air grille.
BACKGROUND
Air filters provide two important functions in any ventilation system, the first function is to remove particulates from the air circulating through the system and the second function is to provide adequate airflow for the system to operate efficiently. The most common method employed to remove particulates from a ventilation system is an air filter. Air filters can be placed at various locations throughout a ventilation system, but a common place for installation is in the return air grille. A standard return air grille is normally one inch deep and thus only accommodates at most a one inch thick air filter. The amount of pressure drop or airflow restriction through an air filter is dictated by the level of filtration needed and the surface area of the air filter presented to the air flow. As the level of filtration or filtration efficiency increases, the airflow reduction or pressure drop resulting from the filter is increased. There are two approaches to overcoming the increased pressure drop from higher efficiency air filters. The first, installing a larger fan to overcome the increased pressure drop, results in increased energy consumption and reduced fan life. The second approach involves modifying the return air grille to accommodate an air filter with greater surface area, which is costly and difficult due to the modification of the ductwork and return air grille required.
Thus, there is a need for a high efficiency filter that has improved filtration efficiency without the need to use a larger fan or modify the return air grille or ductwork.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying figures depict multiple embodiments of an air filter for residential and light commercial ventilation systems that enables an extended pleat air filter to be housed in a standard return air grille providing enhanced filtration with reduced pressure drop across the air filter. A brief description of each figure is provided below. Elements with the same reference numbers in each figure indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawings in which the reference number first appears.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an air filter.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of one embodiment of an air filter looking from a side.
FIG. 2A is a close up view of one embodiment of a filter flange with a single gasket.
FIG. 2B is a close up view of another embodiment of a filter flange with a gasket sandwich.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an air filter installed in a standard return air grille.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the extended pleat filter medium with excess filter medium folded to create a seal around the extended pleat filter medium.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of the front face 114 of an air filter 100 . The air filter 100 is comprised of a housing 104 where the housing 104 has walls 108 , a front cover 106 , and a back cover (not shown). Surrounding the periphery of the housing 104 is a filter flange 110 . The filter flange 110 in the embodiment of an air filter 100 depicted in FIG. 1 is wholly comprised of a gasket 112 . The gasket 112 in the embodiment depicted extends around the full periphery of the housing 104 and forms the full extent of the filter flange 110 .
The housing 104 in one embodiment of the air filter is comprised of polymer coated paperboard. In yet another embodiment, the housing 104 is comprised of laminated cardboard. In still other embodiments, the housing 104 is formed from materials selected from the following group consisting of paper, cardboard, plastic, and metal. The selection of housing 104 materials may be accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art with the objective of providing a means to support the extended surface air filter 102 and be affixed to the filter flange 110 . The housing 104 is sized and shaped to substantially slide within a standard air duct disposed behind a filter receptacle 302 of a return air grille 300 as shown in FIG. 3 .
Contained within the housing 104 and the front cover 106 and back cover (not shown) of the air filter 100 is an extended pleat filter medium 102 . Referring now to FIG. 2 , the extended pleat filter medium 102 is disposed within an interior volume defined by the housing 104 and affixed to the interior surface of the walls 108 of the housing 104 to hold it in place. The front cover 106 and back cover are substantially open such that they assist in retaining the extended pleat filter medium 102 within the interior volume of the housing 104 while allowing incoming air 220 to pass through the air filter 100 by traveling through the front cover 106 , through the extended pleat filter medium 102 , and through the back cover to emerge as filtered air 222 .
The housing 104 can be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art to house a variety of different sizes of extended pleat filter medium 102 . The housing 104 in one embodiment is flush mounted with the filter flange 110 such that the top surface 106 is substantially level with the surface of the filter flange 110 facing the front face 114 of the air filter 100 . The depth of the air filter 100 penetration beyond the return air grille 300 is limited primarily by the depth or size of the return air duct extending beyond the return air grille 300 . For most household and light commercial installations, the return air grille 300 is installed into a metal boot or other adaptor to join the return air duct to the return air grille 300 . In an alternative installations, the return air grille 300 is installed directly into the side or end of a metal duct. In either approach, the depth of the air filter 100 extending past the end of the filter receptacle 302 is limited primarily by the need for smooth flow of the filtered air 222 into the return air duct. In a typical installation with a 4-8″ deep metal boot, the housing 104 extends from about three inches to about five inches without disturbing the smooth flow of the filtered air 222 .
When mounted within the housing 104 , the extended pleat filter medium 102 is folded upon itself and held in an accordion or serpentine-like shape as depicted in FIG. 2 . The accordion or serpentine-like shape increases the effective surface area of the extended pleat filter medium 102 exposed to the incoming air 220 entering through the front cover 106 of the air filter 100 . The multiple folds of the extended pleat filter medium 102 allows the air filter 100 to have a greater filter surface area per a linear distance 250 than otherwise possible. The incoming air 220 passes through the extended pleat filter medium 102 and the filtered air 222 emerges from the air filter 100 at the back face 202 of the air filter 100 . The front cover 106 that extends across the front face 114 and a back cover (not depicted) extends across the back face 214 to help retain the extended pleat filter medium 102 inside the housing 104 .
Extended Pleat Filters
The extended pleat filter medium 102 in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 is formed from a commercially available reinforced non-woven cotton fiber sheet 140 also known as the filter medium 140 bonded to a metallic reinforcement 402 . The metallic reinforcement 402 is thin metal wire formed in a substantially repeating pattern. The metallic reinforcement 402 stiffens and substantially holds the filter medium 140 in the substantially accordion-like, pleated shape shown in FIG. 2 while maximizing the exposed surface of the fiber sheet. In yet another embodiment, polymer reinforcement is used to stiffen the extended pleat filter medium 102 . In yet another embodiment, the extended pleat filter medium 102 is impregnated with a fire retardant for safety.
In an alternative embodiment the extended pleat filter medium 102 is comprised of synthetic filter medium made of thermally bonded, continuous hydrophobic (moisture repelling) polyolefin fibers that resist shredding and do not absorb moisture. Synthetic medium can be electrostatically charged creating a force that attracts particles, especially smaller diameter particles.
The side edges 206 of the extended surface filter medium 102 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are bonded with an adhesive compound to the inner surface of the housing 104 walls 108 . In one embodiment, the side edges 206 are bonded with an adhesive compound to a fabric 208 that provides a loose fitting seal between the side edges 206 of the extended pleat filter medium 102 and the inner surface of the walls 108 . The fabric 208 in one embodiment is a non-woven cotton fabric. In still another embodiment, the filter medium 140 extends beyond the length of the metallic reinforcement 402 on one side of the extended pleat filter medium 102 creating an excess 404 of filter medium 140 . The excess filter medium 404 is easily folded and manipulated into the space between the side edge 206 of the extended pleat filter medium 102 where the metallic reinforcement 402 stops and the wall 204 . The excess filter medium 404 is adhered to the inner surface of the wall 204 facing the excess filter medium 404 to substantially seal the extended pleat filter medium 102 on that side edge 206 .
One of ordinary skill in the art can select alternative materials for the fabric 208 that work in conjunction with the adhesive to provide an effective seal between the side edges 206 and the ends 210 of the extended pleat filer medium 102 and the walls 108 of the housing 104 . The ends 210 of the extended pleat filter medium 102 are bonded to a fabric 208 that provides a loose fitting seal between the ends 208 and housing 104 walls 108 . In still another embodiment, the side edges 206 and the ends 210 of the extended pleat filter medium 102 are bonded with adhesive directly to the inner surface of the walls 108 of the housing 104 .
In still another embodiment, the individual folds of the extended pleat filter medium 102 are held apart and separated by the presence of a pleat spacer 226 . The pleat spacer 226 in the embodiment shown is fabricated from the same material as the housing 104 and has fingers 228 that are inserted between the individual folds or pleats of the extended pleat filter medium 102 as mounted inside the housing 104 . The fingers 228 of the pleat spacer 226 separate the individual pleats from each other to prevent two adjacent pleats from collapsing together, thereby increasing air flow through the air filter 100 . In the preferred embodiment, the fingers 228 are generally triangular shaped pieces of material, a few inches in length, that are spaced at regular intervals along a common edge of a base strip.
In another embodiment, the side edges 206 of the extended pleat filter medium 102 are fitted into forms similar in shape and dimension to the pleat spacer 226 , a framework having receptacles each of which receives and holds a single pleat, of similar shape and configuration to the pleat spacer 226 except the forms are fitted against the internal surfaces of the wall 204 to substantially guide and hold the extended pleat filter medium 102 in its accordion-like shape. In this another embodiment, an adhesive is used to seal the extended pleat filter medium 102 into the forms. In still another embodiment, the forms are bonded to a fabric 208 such that the forms maintain the structure of the extended pleat filter medium 102 while forming a loosely fitting seal between the side edges 206 and the fabric 208 . In yet another embodiment, an adhesive is applied to bond the side edges 206 to the fabric 208 and the forms to fix the extended pleat filter medium 102 in place within the housing 104 . The loosely fitting seal formed between the extended pleat filter medium 102 and the walls 108 of the housing 104 substantially eliminates any airflow around the extended pleat filter medium 102 and effectively urges the incoming air 220 to pass through the extended pleat filter medium 102 prior to exiting the air filter 100 as filtered air 222 .
Gasket
Gasket 112 in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 and 2 is a foam material. The filter flange 110 , in the embodiment depicted, is only a gasket 112 and is about 0.5 inches thick and about 0.75 inches wide. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will size the filter flange 110 and the gasket 112 such that the extents of the filter flange 110 are substantially equivalent or smaller than the filter receptacle 302 of the return air grille 300 .
Referring now to embodiments where the filter flange 110 is formed entirely of a gasket 112 . The gasket 112 in one embodiment is formed from a series of straight pieces of substantially rectangular foam that are affixed with an adhesive to the exterior surface of the walls 108 of the housing 104 , along the housing 104 periphery adjacent to the front cover 106 , and to the abutting ends of neighboring pieces of foam. In another embodiment, the gasket 112 is formed from a continuous strip that is affixed with an adhesive to the walls 108 of the housing 104 with the two ends of the continuous gasket 112 affixed to each other. In all of these embodiments, the gasket 112 surrounds the entire periphery of the front face 114 of the housing 104 .
In an alternative embodiment of the filter flange 110 , shown in detail in FIG. 2A , the gasket 112 is affixed to a flange support 218 . The flange support 218 is an extension of the housing 104 that provides an additional mounting surface for the gasket 112 . The gasket 112 is affixed with adhesive to the filter flange 110 and the housing 104 to form a seal around the housing 104 . In one embodiment, the gasket 112 is affixed to the housing 104 such that the front face 114 of the housing 104 is substantially level with the top surface of the filter flange 110 or, in another embodiment, substantially level with the top surface of the gasket 112 .
In another alternative embodiment of the filter flange 110 , shown in detail in FIG. 2B , two separate gaskets 112 are mounted to the top and bottom surfaces of the flange support 218 . The flange support 218 is an extension of the housing 104 that provides an additional mounting surface for the gaskets 112 . The gaskets 112 are then affixed with adhesive to the top and bottom surfaces of the filter flange 110 and the housing 104 to form a seal around the housing 104 .
The gasket 112 is formed of a foam rubber that retains some rigidity while remaining substantially deformable. In one embodiment, the foam rubber is polyurethane foam. In still other embodiments, the foam rubber is formed from materials such as latex, neoprene, polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene, microcellular urethane, vinyl-nitrile, styrene butadiene (SBR), ethylene-Diene-Propylene-Monomer (EPDM) and ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) or equivalents as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In yet another embodiment, where the gasket 112 is affixed to a flange support 218 , the gasket 112 material is selected to be substantially more compliant to provide structural support to the filter flange 110 .
These multiple embodiments are non-exhaustive examples of the multiple methods of affixing a gasket 112 to the housing 104 of an air filter 100 to create a filter flange 110 . Regardless of the specific method of attachment or materials used, one of ordinary skill in the art is capable of affixing a filter flange 110 to the housing 104 that substantially fits within the extents of a filter receptacle 302 within a standard return air grille 300 and the cover flange 304 such that a seal is formed whereby the incoming air 220 is forced to pass through the air filter 100 prior to entering the duct work behind the return air grille 300 as filtered air 222 .
Installation Within Standard Return Air Grille
FIG. 3 depicts a standard return air duct filter mount or return air grille 300 . The return air grille 300 includes a removable or rotatable cover 308 . The cover 308 includes a series of louvered grates 306 that enable incoming air 220 to enter the air filter 100 while, in the embodiment shown, cloaking the air filter 100 from easy view. The cover 308 also includes a cover flange 304 . The return air grille 300 also includes an outer housing 310 that is mounted to a wall of a house and attached to the return air duct within the house. Inside the return air grille 300 is a filter receptacle 302 . The filter receptacle 302 provides a recess around the periphery of the passage where the return air grille 300 is fit into the duct work. The recess in the filter receptacle 302 is sized for a standard air filter and, in the embodiment depicted, the filter receptacle 302 is sized for a standard one inch air filter. The most common size filter receptacle 302 is sized for one inch filter, however two, three, four, and five inch filter receptacles are also available, but they are uncommon. The air filter 100 fits within the standard filter receptacle 302 . The filter flange 110 of the air filter 100 fits within the filter receptacle 302 while the housing 104 is sized to fit within the return air duct beyond the return air grille 300 and extend beyond the filter receptacle 302 into the duct. When the rotatable cover 308 is fitted to the outer housing 310 , the cover flange 304 contacts the filter flange 110 and compresses the gasket 112 against the filter receptacle 302 . The cover flange 304 holds the air filter 100 in place and by virtue of the deformable nature of the gasket 112 , seals the space around the air filter 100 and the filter receptacle 302 thereby substantially preventing the flow of air around the air filter 100 . When installed within the return air grille 300 , the housing 104 is sized to pass through the filter receptacle 302 and be accepted into the duct emerging beyond the return air grille 300 . In such a manner the extended pleat filter medium 102 is extended into the air duct and occupies a greater volume of space then otherwise available in a standard filter receptacle 302 .
Extended Pleat Filter Performance
The extended pleat filter medium 102 mounted in the air filter 100 depicted in the embodiments shown provides significant additional performance over a standard filter designed to fit within the extents of a standard return air grille 300 filter receptacle 302 . In comparison, a traditional 1″ pleated air filter (not depicted) with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 8 with 14 pleats per a foot of filter length 250 provides 7.5 square feet of filter medium presented to the incoming air 220 . The MERV rating is developed for filters based on ASHRAE Standard 52.2 promulgated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). In contrast, the air filter 100 of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 and 2 with an extended pleat air filter medium 102 with 12 pleats per a foot of filter length 250 provides 33.4 square feet of filter medium presented to the incoming air 220 . The increased surface air of the extended pleat air filter medium 102 reduces the initial resistance to air flow through the filter (about 0.12 in WG (water gauge) for an air filter 100 with an extended pleat air filter medium 102 versus about 0.17 in WG for a standard 1″ MERV 8 filter) as well as enables additional particulates to be captured resulting in an increase in service life (more than 180 days service life for an extended pleat air filter medium 102 versus 30 days service life for a standard 1″ MERV 8 filter). Although the comparisons above were provided for a MERV 8 filter, the air filter 100 presented herein can be configured for multiple different MERV rating, including for example MERV 6, 10, and 13.
Conclusion
The embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing and described above are exemplary of numerous embodiments that may be made within the scope of the appended claims. It is contemplated that numerous other configurations of an extended pleat filter medium air filter may be created taking advantage of the disclosed approach. It is the applicant's intention that the scope of the patent issuing herefrom will be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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A high efficiency air filter for use in a standard return air grille is provided. Standard return air grilles possess filter receptacles for accepting air filters, a closeable cover with a cover flange for engaging air filters and a duct interface that leads away from the air grille to the remainder of the return air ducts. The air filter has a filter flange with a gasket that is sized to fit within the filter receptacle of the air grille, such that when the cover is closed, the cover flange seals against the cover and the filter receptacle. The gasket is affixed to a housing that is sized to extend beyond the filter receptacle into the duct extending beyond the return air grille. An extended pleat air filter is contained within and sealed to the walls of the housing such that air passing through the return air grille substantially passes through the air filter prior to entering the remainder of the return air duct.
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PARTIAL WAIVER OF COPYRIGHT
All of the material in this patent application is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and of other countries. As of the first effective filing date of the present application, this material is protected as unpublished material.
Portions of the material in the specification and drawings of this patent application are also subject to protection under the maskwork registration laws of the United States and of other countries.
However, permission to copy this material is hereby granted to the extent that the owner of the copyright and maskwork rights has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and maskwork rights whatsoever.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
The following applications of common assignee contain at least some drawings in common with the present application, and are believed to have effective filing dates identical with that of the present application:
Ser. No. 633,372 filed Dec. 21, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,156, entitled "Battery Manager Chip with Differential Temperature Sensing"; and
Ser. No. 633,615 filed Dec. 21, 1990 , entitled "Battery Manager Chip with On-chip Bandgap Voltage Reference Circuit"; and
Ser. No. 633,614 filed Dec. 21, 1990, now abandoned, entitled "Battery Manager Chip with Separate Modes for Standalone and Peripheral Operation"; and
Ser. No. 632,378 filed Dec. 21, 1990, recently allowed, entitled "Battery Manager Chip with Crystal-Controlled Time Base";
all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to integrated circuits for controlling the charging and discharging of a rechargeable battery.
Many portable electronic systems are powered by rechargeable batteries, typically Ni-Cd batteries. Such batteries have the advantage that they are portable, non-contaminating, relatively weight-efficient, and can be charged and discharged many times. However, Ni-Cd batteries also have some significant quirks which make optimal control difficult.
First, there is the well-known "memory" effect. If a Ni-Cd battery is repeatedly only partially discharged before recharging, the microstructure of the battery will gradually adapt, so that the battery's full capacity is no longer available.
Another non-linear effect is that total amount of energy which can be withdrawn in a discharge cycle is somewhat dependent on the rate of discharge.
A further non-linear effect is that, if the battery is completely discharged, e.g. into a dead short circuit, the microstructure of the battery will change to reduce the total capacity.
A further non-linear effect is the use of "trickle charge" currents. A battery which is already fully charged can be maintained at maximum readiness by applying a very small current to the battery. 1 This phenomenon is very well known in lead acid batteries and also applies to Ni-Cd batteries.
Another perverse characteristic of Ni-Cd batteries is that the voltage of a Ni-Cd will drop at full charge. Thus, in alternative embodiments, the chip of the present invention can be configured to watch for this voltage fall-off as a charging cycle comes to an end.
These difficulties with managing rechargeable batteries have long been generally known. For large rechargeable battery installations, expensive controllers (typically costing $5,000 or more, in 1989 dollars) have been proposed by others. Such controllers attempt to monitor the discharge characteristics of a bank of batteries and control the charging current and/or charging time to maximize the available battery capacity.
In addition, the battery characteristics will also be affected greatly by temperature. For example, a rate of discharge which is not excessive at one temperature may be excessive at another temperature. All of these effects are somewhat difficult to model theoretically, but can be fitted to an empirical model with reasonable accuracy.
These battery management issues apply not only to high performance batteries, such as Ni-Cd or other high-performance battery types, but also to lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries have a much lower cost-per-unit battery capacity (amp-hours at rated voltage) than do Ni-Cd batteries, but lead acid batteries provide a much lower amount of battery capacity per unit weight and also a much lower amount of battery capacity per unit volume. However, many lead acid battery installations are used in contexts where weight and volume are essentially unlimited. In such cases, the designer of a lead acid battery installation can provide some additional margin for error by increasing the size of the battery banks used.
The present invention provides very sophisticated battery monitoring functions in a single integrated circuit. Thus, reliable portable electronic modules, powered by rechargeable batteries, can be configured with greatly improved battery management capabilities.
This is particularly valuable in electronic devices where sudden battery failure could cause an intolerable loss of data. One key example of this type is lap-top computers. Another important class of applications is hand-held scientific or medical instruments. Another important class of applications is in hand-held portable data collection terminals. Another important class of applications is in military and police equipment, such as portable radio transceivers. A very important class of applications is in hand-held portable tools for commercial and industrial use.
The present invention provides a battery management chip which, in the presently preferred embodiment, incorporates several novel features. Not all of the features described are necessary to the claimed invention, but the combination of all of the features described is particularly advantageous.
The presently preferred embodiment of the battery manager chip includes an on-chip PMOS pull-up transistor, which can turn charging current to the battery on or off. (A corresponding logic output is also provided to control discrete switching transistors if desired for a larger current capability.)
One of the innovative features of the present invention is the provision of an integrated circuit with a comparator having two inputs for differential temperature-sensing base on inputs from two different sensors. Thus, one thermocouple or thermistor can be placed in close thermal contact with the casing of the battery, while the other thermistor is exposed to ambient temperature. This permits a temperature rise in the battery to be sensed. This is very useful in controlling charging characteristics. Otherwise, the rate of charging current may be excessive under a low ambient temperature and lower than necessary under high ambient temperature.
Another of the innovative features of at least one embodiment disclosed herein is that, in a portable module, the battery manager integrated circuit controls the charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery which powers the whole module, and is also connected to draw power from an external power supply, and is also connected to draw very small amounts of current from a third, stable battery, preferably a lithium battery, which is not necessarily rechargeable.
The integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment has also been designed to provide versatility for other analog interface or control functions in addition to battery management. For example, the two analog sensor interface circuits can be used not only for differential temperature assessing of battery temperature rise, but can also be used for inlet and outlet coolant temperature sensing and air-cooled or even liquid-cooled systems. Note that these inputs can also be used for pressure sensors, fluid level detectors, fluid flow detectors, or other sensor input interfaces.
In the presently preferred embodiment, these inputs are connected to thermistor temperature sensors. A thermistor is a temperature-dependent variable resistor, which therefore requires a biased current input to provide a voltage output. The biased current would normally be provided by an off-chip source. Alternatively, for some applications it may be preferable to provide temperature sensing from a thermal couple plus an instrumentation amplifier.
One of the key novel teachings is a battery manager integrated circuit which is configured for interface to a microprocessor. This provides system configurations to be implemented, wherein a system microprocessor can intelligently monitor battery-charged state, among other characteristics.
In particular, one characteristic of the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment which gives additional versatility is its capability for automatic and manual modes. That is, the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment can be configured so that it acts independently to disconnect current sourced from the battery when the battery becomes excessively low; or it can be configured to act simply as a microprocessor peripheral, so that the battery manager chip provides warnings but does not implement connection or disconnection actions.
Another significant teaching of the presently preferred embodiment is a battery manager integrated circuit which includes an on-chip bandgap voltage reference. The circuitry for bandgap voltage references is conventional, and a variety of circuit configurations are very well-known, but bandgap voltage references normally have a significant power consumption. However, the precise voltage reference derived from such a circuit is extremely useful in performing the battery control function as described below. (In alternative embodiments, the on-chip bandgap voltage reference can be replaced with expedients such as an off-chip zener diode voltage reference.)
A further novel teaching set forth in the present application is an integrated circuit which includes a crystal-controlled oscillator for precise time measurement. Crystal-controlled oscillators are normally fairly power-hungry circuits, and such circuits would not normally be used in the low-power part unless needed. However, according to this innovative teaching, the precise time integration provided by the crystal oscillator is significantly advantageous, since it permits accurate time integration to derive the present state of the battery after multiple charge and discharge cycles. In addition, in the presently preferred embodiment, a low-power crystal-controlled oscillator is used.
In the presently preferred embodiment, the battery manager integrated circuit is configured as an n-well part. The advantage of this is that the substrate is held at ground. This is advantageous in handling the multiple power input described below. The open-drain outputs used can be pulled high without abnormal problems. In particular, if the charging current supply voltage goes above the on-chip VDD voltage, as may well occur, this chip configuration will avoid any problem of junctions thereby being forward biased. Thus, the oscillator configuration of the presently preferred embodiment is the dual circuit to that shown in the DSC-74 application cited more specifically in the preferred embodiments.
A further novel teaching disclosed herein is the integrated circuit battery manager which can predict an imminent low-battery condition without waiting until voltage measurements show that the battery is actually dying. The precise measurement capabilities of the presently preferred embodiment permit this to be achieved. In addition, the presently preferred embodiment of the battery manager chip includes two low-battery outputs. These are referred to in the text below, as the "low-battery" and "MIN-battery" status bits. These may be thought of as warning conditions and alarm conditions respectively.
A further innovative feature of the battery manager chip of the presently preferred embodiment is the capability for both on-chip and off-chip switching of both charge and discharge currents. Whenever sizable currents need to be handled, it will of course be preferable to use a discrete transistor, such as a discrete power PMOS device controlled by logic signals generated from the battery manager chip. However, in addition, in low-current applications (e.g., where the current switched is of the order of hundreds of milliamps or less), the currents needed may be within the capability of on-chip to these PMOS drivers. Another consideration is whether the voltage drop incurred by going on-chip drivers, and then off-chip again, is acceptable. The present invention provides capability for both configurations, and therefore provides additional flexibility to the end user.
Another notable feature of the presently preferred embodiment is the multiplicity of comparators provided. In the presently preferred embodiment, four comparators are provided, two single-ended and two differential. The single-ended comparators, in the presently preferred embodiment, are used for the tests which generate the max-battery and min-battery signals. The differential comparators are used for temperature sensing, according to the innovative teachings set forth above, and for detection of a low-battery condition. Note that a differential comparator is not strictly necessary for detection in the low-battery condition. However, the provision of the additional differential comparator provides additional versatility for this chip to be used in applications beyond those limited to battery management, as described above.
A further notable feature of the presently preferred embodiment is that the comparators all have a one-way trip operation. That is, electrically, these comparators are combined with other circuit elements to achieve significant hysteresis. For example, when the operating conditions are just on the margin of tripping the low-voltage detection, it would be undesirable to have the corresponding signal turning on and off intermittently. Thus, in the presently preferred embodiment, circuit hysteresis in included (e.g. by including a latch in the circuit), so that the user normally has to service the interrupt to clear the trouble signal.
In an alternative embodiment, instead of using two differential comparators as shown, one of the pins is used instead for a programmable interrupt. The programmable interrupt, in addition to the primary interrupt, can be used to program the chip for sensing a particular condition. Thus, for example, the output on a programmable interrupt can be used to drive an LED or an audible alarm, to flag some particular anticipated condition for user response.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments of the invention and which are incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows the overall organization of the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows the control flow implemented by the control logic in the presently preferred embodiment of the chip of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a sample system configuration.
FIG. 4 shows the pinout of the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows the register structure of the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 6 shows the preferred bit organization of Status Register 1, in the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 7 shows the preferred bit organization of Status Register 2, in the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 8 shows the preferred bit organization of the Mode Register (Register 3), in the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 9 shows the preferred bit organization of the Manual Control Register (Register 4), in the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
FIG. 10 shows the preferred bit organization of the Write Protect Register (Register 5), in the integrated circuit of the presently preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to the presently preferred embodiment. However, it should be understood that this class of embodiments provides only a few examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily delimit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others.
Preferred Chip Embodiment
FIG. 1 shows the overall organization of the preferred chip embodiment. In this embodiment, four comparators 102A-102D are provided. Note that, in the presently preferred embodiment, comparators 102A and 102C are both connected to receive double-ended (fully differential) external inputs. Comparators 102B and 102D are each connected to compare an external input to a programmable reference voltage, received from a programmable voltage source 104. The voltage source 104 includes a conventional bandgap-voltage-reference circuit, plus two switchable resistor ladders. The resistor ladders are switched, under the control of the I/O and control logic 110, to implement hysteresis in the detection characteristics.
Battery-backed memory 120 provides control and status registers. (The organization of these registers will be described in detail below.) Battery-backed memory 120 also, in the presently preferred embodiment, provides nonvolatile RAM space for user-defined data. (For example, this memory space can be used to track power history.)
An open drain NMOS pull-down driver 112 permits the control logic 110 to drive an interrupt signal IRQ".
Logic outputs from the control logic 110 also control two large PMOS pass transistors 113 and 114. The size of these pass transistors is selected in accordance with the space available on-chip (included the area needed for low-resistance, i.e. wide, metal lines), and in accordance with the application requirements for maximum voltage drop at rated current through this path. Device 113 preferably has a net total 2 W/L ratio (ratio of effective width to effective length) of at least 100:1, and preferably larger. Device 114 preferably has a W/L ratio of at least 100:1, more preferably at least 300:1, and preferably much larger.
Note that a corresponding logic signal BATON" is pulled active whenever pass transistor 113 is turned on. Note also that a corresponding logic signal CHGEN" is pulled active whenever pass transistor 113 is turned on.
An analog oscillator circuit 130 is connected, through external pins OSC1 and OSC2, to a resonant quartz crystal (not shown) which stabilized the oscillator frequency at 32.768 kHz, in the presently preferred embodiment. The oscillator's frequency is divided down, by following stages 132, to provide a digital signal with a frequency of 1 Hz (one pulse per second). In the best mode as presently contemplated, this oscillator is essentially the same as the oscillator described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,982, which is hereby incorporated by reference, except that the polarity is reversed (since the presently preferred embodiment is an N-well part).
When the control logic 110 receives a pulse from the timing circuit 132, it updates the timing registers in memory 120, and then tests for time-out alarms.
Note that two timers 140A and 140B are provided. It is contemplated that, in operation, one of these timers will hold a maximum time for charging operations, and the other will hold a maximum duration for discharging. 3 However, it should also be noted that the provision of two stored time-out values minimizes the number of data transfer steps needed at each update cycle. It should also be noted that the provision of two stored time-out values provides the user with additional flexibility to adapt this chip to applications other than battery management.
The contemplated best mode for implementing the control logic 110 is with an on-chip sequencer, similar to those used in the DS1286 or DS1287 chips. (These two chips contain generally similar sequencer hardware, although the program implemented is significantly different.) These chip, and there data sheet, are available from Dallas Semiconductor, and are each hereby incorporated by reference. See also U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 208,889 filed Jan. 17, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,113, and Ser. No. 569,314, filed Aug. 16, 1990, now abandoned, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. However, of course, it would alternatively be possible to simply implement the described functions in hard-wired logic.
The control logic 110 also contains conventional interface circuitry for interfacing to the 3-wire serial port (pins RST", D/Q, and CLK).
FIG. 4 shows the pinout of the preferred chip embodiment.
PIN 1 VCHGO--(output) switched charging supply
PIN 2 CHGEN"--(output) charge enable signal, open drain
PIN 3 VBATO--(output) switched battery supply
PIN 4 BATON"--(output) battery on signal, open drain active low
PIN 5 RST"--(input) reset for serial port, active low
PIN 6 CLK--(input) clock for serial port
PIN 7 D/Q--(input/output) data I/O for serial port, open drain
PIN 8 VBAT BU --(input) this is the power input for a nonrechargeable battery (preferably a small lithium battery) for data retention.
PIN 9 IRQ"--(output) interrupt request, open drain active low
PIN 10 GND--(input) ground
PIN 11 OSC1--(input) 32,768 kHz crystal input 1
PIN 12 OSC2--(input) crystal input 2
PIN 13 MINBAT--(input) comparator input signal to set minimum battery voltage trip point
PIN 14 LOBATA--(input) differential comparator input signal to detect low battery voltage
PIN 15 LOBATB--(input) differential comparator input signal to detect low battery voltage
PIN 16 MAXBAT--(input) comparator input to set maximum battery voltage trip point
PIN 17 TMPNA--(input) ambient temperature input signal
PIN 18 TMPNG--(input) battery temperature input signal
PIN 19 VBAT--(input) battery supply input
PIN 20 VCHG--(input) charge supply input 2-7 volts
FIG. 5 shows the register structure in the memory 120, and FIGS. 6-10 provide further detail of the two status registers (FIGS. 6-7), the mode set register (FIG. 8), the manual control register (FIG. 9), and the write protect register (FIG. 10).
Sample System Configuration
FIG. 3 shows a sample system configuration provided by the innovative teachings disclosed in the present application. This particular configuration is a relatively complex system, such as might be used for a handheld scientific instrument with data collection capabilities. However, of course, simpler system configurations can be used instead.
Further Modifications and Variations
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the innovative concepts disclosed in the present application can be applied in a wide variety of contexts. Moreover, the preferred implementation can be modified in a trmendous variety of ways. Accordingly, it should be understood that the modifications and variations suggested below and above are merely illustrative. These examples may help to show some of the scope of the inventive concepts, but these examples do not nearly exhaust the full scope of variations in the disclosed novel concepts.
In another alternative embodiment, the charging and/or discharging currents can be pulsed. For rapid charging, it is normally advantageous to give the battery occasional resting periods during the charging process.
It should also be noted that a variety of control relationships can be implemented using the chip of the presently preferred embodiment. Some of these will now be discussed: Methods of charging:
1) Time Only--specific periods of charging at a specified rate. This method would have no feedback from the battery and the user would have to be careful not to overcharge and damage the battery or allow the battery to be discharged into cell reversal. If the charger/monitor only has a control line to gate an external device then the rate information would not be needed for this method. The part could revert to "trickle charging" after the specified period of charging has elapsed or it could stop charging altogether.
2) Voltage only--charging the battery at a specified rate until a specified voltage condition is met. This method could be carried out three different ways:
a) absolute cutoff--when the specified voltage is met, stop charging or go to "trickle charge". This method would probably only require a comparator with programmable trip points.
b) inflection point cutoff--this occurs when the derivative of the voltage-profile slope equals 0. Practically, the decreasing value of the positive voltage slope that occurs just beyond the inflection point is used as the control parameter. This method has the advantage of allowing for the limiting of the charging current as the battery approaches a full state of charge since the inflection point occurs prior to the voltage peak. However, under some conditions (e.G., Attempting to fast charge a fully charged battery), the battery does not display a voltage profile suitable for this method. Once again, the charging could be stopped or switched to "trickle charge" upon detection of this condition. This method would require an a/d converter plus an interface with the micro which allows for the passing of data for the calculation of the inflection point. C) negative delta v--this condition is based on the peak and subsequent decrease in the battery voltage at full charge. The value of negative delta v that is generally used is from 10 mv/cell to 30 mv/cell. After detecting this condition, the charging could be stopped or switched to "trickle charging". This method would require an a/d converter plus an interface with the micro which allows for the passing of data for the calculation of the slope of the voltage profile.
3) Temperature only--charging the battery at a specified rate until a specified temperature condition is met. This method can be carried out in one of two ways:
a) absolute temperature cutoff (tco)--when the absolute temperature specified is reached, stop the battery charging or switch to "trickle charging". The most commonly used settings for the absolute temperature are 40 and 45 degrees celsius. Problems associated with this method include: 1) charging the battery in a low temperature environment since it may never reach the cutoff point, 2) charging cold batteries since their temperature rise may lag the state of charge, and 3) charging hot batteries since the trip point may be reached prematurely. This method does have the advantage of only requiring one temperature sensor which is in contact with the battery.
b) incremental temperature cutoff (delta tco)--when the temperature difference between the battery and the ambient surroundings is sensed, stop the charging or switch to "trickle charging". The most commonly used settings for the temperature difference are 5 and 10 derees celsius. The delta *tco method overcomes the problems experienced with absolute tco in cold environments and/or with cold batteries because it reacts only to change but it does not solve the problem created when a hot battery is placed in the charger. (Note: for both temperature methods above, the requirements for the interface from the temperature sensor to the chip are not known at this time.)
4) Time and voltage charging--this is probably the simplest combination to implement and still have reasonable control and feedback from the battery. However, if inflection point cutoff or negative delta v voltage detection is used, the task becomes somewhat more complicated.
5) Time and temperature charging--this combination would be appropriate for conditions where the temperature of the batteries will not exceed the trip point of the circuit except when they are at full charge.
6) Voltage and temperature charging--these two methods in combination would probably do the job in most cases, however since the part will have a timer it seems fruitless to only use voltage and temperature.
7) Time, voltage, and temperature charging--this is obviously the best combination to use because it gives the most information about the battery. However, this translates to the most complicated charger.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope of patented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplary teachings given.
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A battery management chip which controls charging and discharging currents of a rechargeable battery. In a portable module, the battery manager chip controls the charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery which powers the whole module, and is therefore connected directly to the battery and to the source of charging current. The chip is also connected to draw very small amounts of current from a third, stable battery, preferably a lithium battery, which is not necessarily rechargeable.
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CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a suspension system, and more particularly, pertains to a video monitor support system incorporating supporting gas springs in alignment with predetermined arced slots or tracks. A four bar linkage system is incorporated to maintain parallel geometry of the supported video monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art support systems have not provided for movement of a video monitor over a wide range of angles, such as between eyesight level for reading of a video monitor to above head level for storage of a video monitor.
In some applications or environments, such as in a hospital, it is important to have a wide range of movements for a video monitor. In the past, video monitors have been fixed in one position or secured to an arm with no or very limited movement.
The present invention provides a video monitor suspension system which suspends a monitor or monitor support caddy with a wide latitude of movement and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a suspension system for the support of a video monitor or other equipment.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a suspension system for a video monitor or associated devices, including a vertically aligned swiveled major bracket, an angled support arm pivotally attached to the major bracket, a minor bracket pivotally attached to one end of the angled support arm, bar linkages between the major and minor brackets which maintain horizontal stability of the minor bracket so that a suspended load remains plumb, and a weight counterbalance assembly which includes a weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism secured to the underside of the angled support arm, arced slots in the weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism, and gas springs supporting the weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism, the angled support arm, and its suspended load, such as a video monitor.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a suspension system which pivots about a vertical axis.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a suspension system having a vertical angular motion adjustment of 90°. The resulting moment on the support mechanism is varied between a short moment, a longer moment, and then a shorter moment as the angled support arm is positioned vertically.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is that the vertical range of movement of the system is greater than the length of the angled arm. For example and illustration, an angled arm of 22" in length provides for a vertical movement of 30".
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of a four bar linkage system to maintain vertical orientation of a bearing mount containing a tilt and swivel mount in which a monitor support bracket or caddy is secured and suspended.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of a weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism having algorithm derived or computer analysis derived arced slots.
An additional significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of gas springs for support of an arm and its load.
A further significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of an arm down-lock to prevent arm runaway when a supported load such as a video monitor is removed from the end of the support arm.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the utilization of an automatically engaging up-lock and hidden release lever to provide for protection from catastrophic failure of the gas springs or from operation by unauthorized personnel.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the elimination of load interference through the use of an angled arm.
Having thus set forth significant aspects and features of the present invention, it is the principal object hereof to provide a lift system for the support of a video monitor or other equipment which includes an angled arm, a weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism, and gas springs.
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 is an isometric view of a suspension system according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the suspension system;
FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the suspension system;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the suspension system;
FIG. 6 is a top view of the major bracket pivotal attachment to a slotted mounting track;
FIG. 7 is a side view in cutaway of the automatic up-lock mechanism;
FIG. 8 is a left side view illustrating the range of vertical movement of the angled arm;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the suspension system secured to a wall in an upper locked position;
FIG. 10 is a side view of the suspension system in use with a ceiling well;
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the tilt and swivel mount; and,
FIG. 12 is a front view of the tilt and swivel mount.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a suspension system 10 of the present invention. A one-piece angled arm 12 constructed of rectangular tubing is pivotally secured at one end to a major bracket 14 of steel or aluminum channel. The vertically aligned major bracket 14 includes a planar back member 14b and opposing planar side members 14a and 14c extending perpendicularly from the common planar back member 14b. The one-piece angled arm 12 includes straight portions 12a and 12c aligned at angles to each other with an intermediate curved portion 12b located therebetween. The inboard end of the straight arm portion 12a aligns with and is secured such as by a weldment to a horizontally aligned pivot tube 16. A pivot pin 18 extends through the planar side members 14a and 14c to pivotally secure the angled arm 12 to the major bracket 14. A minor bracket 20 of rectangular tubing is pivotally secured to the outboard end of the straight arm portion 12c. Vertically aligned and opposing plates 22 and 24 are secured appropriately to the vertical sides of the minor bracket 20. A pivot tube 28 at the end of the straight arm portion 12c extends between the opposing plates 22 and 24. A pivot pin 26 extends horizontally through the opposing plates 22 and 24 and through the pivot tube 28 secured to the outboard end of the straight arm portion 12c. A vertically aligned cylindrical bearing mount 30 is secured, such as by welding, to a semi-circular cutout 32 in the outboard end portion of the minor bracket 20. The cylindrical bearing mount 30 supports a tilt and swivel mount 160 (illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12) such as like that referenced in the assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,687.
A four bar linkage system, which includes the straight portions 12a and 12c of the angled arm 12, functions to substantially maintain horizontal alignment of the minor bracket 20 and a video monitor bearing caddy which attaches to the bearing mount 30 by the referenced tilt and swivel mount. The angled arm 12 is adjustable throughout a range of vertical adjustment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the minor bracket 20 and its load remain in plumb alignment. Various mounts, pivots, control rods, control links, and the like are secured to the angled arm 12, and major and minor brackets 14 and 20, as now described. Centrally located and secured to the angled arm 12 at the upper surface of the curved portion 12b is a control link bracket 34 having a planar bottom 34a and planar sides 34b and 34c extending perpendicularly from the planar bottom 34a. Spacer tubes 36 and 38 are secured to the upper apexes of a planar and triangular center link 40, and a spacer tube 42 is secured to the lower apex of the center link 40. Pivot pin 44 extends through the planar sides 34b and 34c of the control link bracket 34 to pivotally secure the center link 40 to the angled arm 12. An outboard control linkage rod 46 forming another bar of the four bar linkage system and having opposing linkage connectors 48 and 50 threadingly and adjustably attached is secured to the triangular center link 40 by a pivot pin 52 passing through the end members of the linkage connector 48 and spacer tube 38. The remaining end of the outboard control linkage rod 46 is secured by a pivot pin 54 passing through the end members of the linkage connector 50 and through a vertically aligned link attachment bracket 56 secured to the upper horizontal planar surface of the minor bracket 20. An inboard control linkage rod 58 forming the remaining bar of the four bar linkage system and having opposing linkage connectors 60 and 62 threadingly and adjustably attached is secured to the triangular center link 40 by a pivot pin 64 passing through the end members of the linkage connector 60 and spacer tube 36. The inboard end of the inboard control linkage rod 58 is secured by a pivot pin 66 passing through the end members of the linkage connector 62 and through an inner link mounting bracket 68 secured to the major bracket 14, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Vertical support and "counterbalancing" of the angled arm 12, its load, such as a video monitor, and associated component members is offered by a weight counterbalance assembly which includes parallel gas springs 70 and 72 having their stationary securement ends 70a and 72a pivotally secured by a pivot pin 76 to the lower portion of the major bracket 14 and their non-stationary or extendable securement ends 70b and 72b secured to a weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism 74 located and secured to the underside of the inboard straight portion 12a of the angled arm 12, as also partially illustrated in FIG. 2. The weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism 74 includes generally triangular-shaped, vertically aligned and parallel opposing plates 78 and 80 extending perpendicularly and downwardly from the underside of the straight inboard arm portion 12a. Plates 78 and 80 include opposing algorithm derived arced slots 82 and 84 having a specific radius, length of arc and placement to provide minimum force inputs with maximum stability, as later described in detail. A ball socket retainer 86 is aligned with and secured to the ends of the plates 78 and 80. A threaded adjustment rod 88 having an adjustment nut 90 is threadingly and adjustingly secured and aligned in the ball socket retainer 86, as also illustrated in FIG. 2, to adjust the securement ends 70b and 72b along the arced slots 82 and 84 of the weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism 74. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a configured nut 92 threadingly and adjustably engages the non-stationary securement ends 70b and 72b of the gas springs 70 and 72. A pivot pin 94 extends through gas spring securement ends 70b and 72b and through a bore 93 formed in a lug 93a on the configured nut 92, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
An upper stop 96 is secured to the back planar member 14b of the major bracket 14 to limit the upward vertical travel of the angled arm 12. Upward movement of the angled arm 12 is limited by impingement of the straight arm portion 12a against the flat surface 96a of the upper stop 96. An automatically engaged up-lock mechanism 129, illustrated in FIG. 7 and having a hidden and secure release, locks the angled arm 12 in the full upper storage position to prevent catastrophic movement of the angled arm such as by the gas spring pressure failure, and to prevent unauthorized arm lowering by persons other than a trained operator. An angled bracket 128 is secured to the upper surface of the straight arm portion 12a and includes a hole 128a. A bracket 130 having a spring loaded pin 131 having a beveled surface 133 at one end is secured to the upper and inner region of the major bracket 14. At or near the upper limit, the beveled spring-loaded pin 131 slidingly engages hole 128a in the angled bracket 128 to secure the angled arm 12 in the upper position. When the operator desires to lower the system, a lock release lever 141 is pulled to disengage the lock mechanism and provide for downward movement of the angled arm.
A lower stop 98 is secured to the back planar member 14b of the major bracket 14 to limit downward vertical travel of the angled arm 12. Downward movement of the angled arm 12 is limited by impingement of the straight arm portion 12a against the flat surface 98a of the lower stop 98. As illustrated in FIG. 2, upper and lower rotation brackets 102 and 104 having spacer tubes 108 and 110 are secured by a plurality of machine screws 106a-106h and appropriate hardware to the rear of the major bracket 14 on the back planar member 14b. Wall mount brackets 112 and 114 are pivotally secured to the upper and lower rotation brackets 102 and 104 by machine screws 116a-116d. This pivoting arrangement allows the angled arm 12 and major bracket 14 and associated component members to swivel about a vertical axis up to as much as ±65° (130° total) of rotational arcuate travel as limited by rubber bumper pads 118 and 120 mounted on adjustable angled brackets 122 and 124 on side members 14a and 14c, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The rotational travel of the major bracket 14 and arm 12 is limited by impingement of the rubber bumpers 118 and 120 on the mounting wall or, if appropriate, a mounting track such as illustrated in FIG. 6. A plurality of machine screws 119a-119n or other suitable fasteners extend through like and similar slots 119 and 121 in each of the bracket support plates 122a and 124a of adjustable angled brackets 122 and 124 to adjust the rubber bumpers 118 and 120 inwardly or outwardly and thereby adjust the amount of arcuate travel of the major bracket 14, angled arm 12, and associated components, including a tilt and swivel mount from which a caddy carrying a video monitor is suspended.
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the suspension system 10 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Horizontal stiffener members 126 and 127 are provided on planar members 14a, 14b and 14c in the region about the pivot tube 16 to lend extra support.
A down-lock latch 132 including a hook end 134 pivots on a positionable and rotatable shaft 136 journaled in an orifice in the planar side member 14a and in a spring latch bracket 138. A spring latch mounting bracket 140 is secured over and about the shaft 136 and serves as a rotatable platform for the down-lock latch 132. The hook end 134 captures the angled end 142 of a bracket 144 aligned and secured between the lower edges of plates 78 and 80. One end of a spring 146 is anchored to a stiffener 158 and the other spring end is secured to the spring latch mounting bracket 140 to maintain sufficient pressure to keep the hook end 134 engaged with the angled end 142 of the bracket 144 for unloading of a video monitor. Engagement of the down-lock latch 132 with the angled end 142 of bracket 144 maintains the angled arm 12 in a lowered secure position to preclude vertical runaway of an unweighted angled arm 12, such as when the supported equipment such as the video monitor is removed from the end of the angled arm 12. The down lock latch 132 is positioned by the operator and held in the proper position by spring 146 to selectively engage the angled end 142 of bracket 144 to lock the angled arm 12 in the downward position. The angled arm 12 may be unlocked by exerting a slight downward pressure on the angled arm 12 and rotating the rotatable shaft 136 to disengage the hook end 134 from the angled end 142 of the bracket 144.
The four bar linkage system functions to maintain the alignment of the minor bracket 20. Control linkage rods 46 and 58 represent the upper bars of the four bar linkage system. The portions of the angled arm 12 between pivot pin 26 and pivot pin 44 represent the outer and lower bar of the four bar linkage system and the portions of the angled arm 12 between pivot pin 44 and pivot pin 18 represent the inner and lower bar of the four bar linkage system.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the weight counterbalance adjuster mechanism taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The pivot pin 94 extends through the securement ends 70b and 72b of the gas springs 70 and 72 and through a bore 93 formed in a lug 03a on the configured nut 92. Pivot pin 94 is also illustrated in alignment with opposing arced slots 82 and 84 along which the pivot pin 94 is adjusted by rotation of the threaded adjustment rod 88.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the suspension system where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the suspension system where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the pivotal attachment of the major bracket 14 to a vertically oriented slotted mounting track 148 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Planar end members 112a and 112b of the wall mount bracket 112 align in vertically oriented slots 148a and 148b respectively. A plurality of screws 150a-150n threadingly engage the vertical portion of the wall mount bracket 112 and are tightened to secure the wall mount bracket 112 within the slotted mounting track 148. As viewed from the top, the locus of the movement of the bumper 120 and angled arm 12 is represented by dashed lines 149a and 149b. Corresponding movement of bumper 118 allows rotation about the vertical axis of up to about 130° as determined by the inward or outward adjustment of the brackets 122 and 124.
FIG. 7 is a side view in cutaway of the automatic up-lock mechanism 129 engaging angled arm 12 in the full upward position where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Pin 131, having a beveled surface 133, aligns vertically in holes 130a and 130b of the horizontal members 130c and 130d of the bracket 130. A spring 135 aligns over and about the pin 131 between the horizontal member 130d and a stop pin 137 aligned horizontally through the pin 131. Stop pin 137 aligns also in a slot 130e in the vertically aligned bracket member 130f to limit vertical travel of the pin 131 and to orient the pin 131 in the bracket 130. The spring 135 forcibly positions the pin 131 upwardly, as illustrated, to engage hole 128a in the angled bracket 128 secured to the upwardly positioned surface of the angled arm 12. A ramped surface 139 on bracket 128 impinges against the beveled surface 133 of the pin 131 forcing the pin 131 downward to allow capture entry of the pin 131 through hole 128a in the bracket 128 to lock the angled arm 12 in the upward position as illustrated. A hole 143 accommodates an operator rod 141 extending to the lower or other region of the major bracket 14. Operator rod 141 allows for downward positioning of the pin 131 to release the up-lock mechanism 129 and can be located in a non-obvious area to preclude operation by unqualified personnel.
MODE OF OPERATION
FIG. 8 illustrates the range of vertical movement of the angled arm 12. Ranges vary from an upper and automatically locked position 152 to a lower and lockable position 154, and also a variety of intermediate positions illustrated as mid-position 156. A tilt and swivel mount 160, illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, and previously referenced, is secured and aligned in the bearing mount 30 for suspension of a caddy 162 and a monitor 164, shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 9 illustrates a suspension system 10 secured to a wall 166 and positioned in the upper and locked position 152 in close proximity to a ceiling 168 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. A suspended caddy 162 and monitor 164 are positioned over and above the head 170 of a person 172, thus allowing sufficient clearance between the head 170 of the person 172 and the lower portion of the monitor 164 and caddy 162. The suspension geometry of the suspension system 10 allows for maximum vertical clearance between its load and the floor, whereas systems supporting the load from the bottom of the monitor or caddy include geometry beneath which interferes with vertical clearance space. The angled arm 12 also allows the monitor and caddy to be positioned higher than a system incorporating a straight arm, which would interfere with and limit the upward vertical placement of the monitor and caddy, especially when space is critical such as in congested hallways, aisles, etc. The angled arm 12 also limits protrusion of the system into the normal work area when the arm is fully down. The angled arm counterbalances the weight of the supported equipment for maximum stability with minimal positioning force.
FIG. 10 illustrates the incorporation of the suspension system 10 with a ceiling well 174 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The suspension system 10 can also be incorporated in conjunction with a low ceiling 176 by including a ceiling well 174 extending into and above the level of the low ceiling 176 to accommodate the geometry of the angled arm 12 and its load in the upper position 152.
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a tilt and swivel mount 160 with its cover removed, which secures to the bearing mount 30 on the minor bracket 20. The steel tilt and swivel mount 160 includes an inverted U-shaped channel member 200 having a top planar member 202, sides 204 and 206 extending at right angles from the top planar member 202, and a cylindrical attachment member 208 secured to the top planar member 202 having internal threads 210. A series of hardware including metal, plastic, or other composition material in the shape of washers, nuts and bolts rotatably secures the U-shaped channel member 200 to L-brackets 212 and 214. The L-brackets 212 and 214 include horizontal members 216 and 218 at right angles to vertical side members 220 and 222, respectively, providing an attachment means to the caddy 162.
FIG. 12 is a front view of the tilt and swivel mount 160 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. A bolt 224 extends through side 206 of the U-shaped channel member 200, through a plastic washer 226 of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWP) material disposed between side 206 and vertical side member 220 of the bracket 212, through vertical side member 220 of the bracket 212, through a bronze washer 228, through a steel washer 230, through a precision spring washer 232, through a steel washer 234, and through a castellated lock nut 236. Any suitable plastic material can be utilized having similar static and dynamic coefficients of friction. Such materials can include olefin plastics, and Tivars polymers. A mirror-like arrangement rotationally secures vertical side member 222 to the side 204 of the U-shaped channel member 200 in the same manner as just described. Appropriate tension is applied between the head of the bolt 224 and the nut 236 to allow manual rotational positioning of the U-shaped channel member 200 with respect to the L-brackets 212 and 214. Through selection of the appropriate precision spring washers 232 and use of a custom feeler gauge to establish precision spacing between the steel washers 230 and 234, a specific rotational friction setting can be established to provide appropriate tilt control for a broad range of video monitors.
The unique characteristics of the plastic material 226 allow smooth tilt adjustment of the tilt and swivel mount 160 and yet provide a constant frictional memory for the preset position of the video monitor. A horizontal poise is required of the operator to tilt the video monitor, at which time it remains in the new position.
Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof.
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A suspension system having a four bar linkage system including an angled arm for adjustable and positionable vertical and horizontal support of a video monitor or the like. A weight counterbalance adjustment mechanism adjustably compensates for various weights of a load held by the angled arm. Gas springs provide for vertical support of the angled arm. Configured slots in which the upper ends of the gas springs position provide for minimal manual positioning effort and a linear counterbalance throughout the entire range of vertical adjustment. An arm bent at an angle of 120° overcomes the traditional interference of the load with movement of the arm beyond 45°.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a multispot grid-welding machine having an electrode-carrier beam which can be moved up and down in welding tempo and on which by means of guide rods a plurality of electrode units are moved, loaded by pressure-springs, in the direction towards the grid welding plane, and in which each electrode unit can be located in a retracted position of rest.
In multispot grid-welding machines of this type, known from AT-A- 325,393, the guide rods by means of which the electrode units are guided displaceably on the electrode-carrier beam are provided with stops, which cooperate with locking pins. If the electrode-carrier beam is lying in its lowest position, in which the electrode pressure-springs are compressed to their greatest amount, the guide rods of selected electrodes can be raised a little by the application of force by hand, by further compressing the electrode pressure-springs, and the associated locking pins can then be advanced under the stops on these guide rods until, upon subsequent raising of the electrode-carrier beam, relief of the pressure-springs in question is prevented. The selected electrodes then remain locked in a raised position of rest relative to the electrode-carrier beam, and upon lowering the electrode-carrier beam once more cannot come into contact with the work which is to be welded.
In this way it is possible to exclude selected electrodes from the welding process, for example, when grids must be produced with pitches of the longitudinal wires which amount to an integral multiple of the smallest pitch of the longitudinal wires, i.e., a basic spacing.
In the known machine the resetting of the electrodes, namely from the basic spacing to a multiple thereof by locking the electrodes not needed in the raised position during welding at the wider spacing, is possible only while the machine is at a standstill and only by hand, and the electrode-carrier beam must furthermore be lying in its lowest position. The resetting process is time-consuming, because the machine operator proceeding along the electrode-carrier beam, must in succession snap the locking pins into their active positions on all of the electrodes, which are to be excluded. Actuation of the locking pins is hardly possible if there is a grid in the machine, because the machine operator in this case cannot reach over to those locking pins which lie along the electrode-carrier beam at a greater distance than an arm's length from the edge of the grid. Finally, before locking an electrode, its guide rod must be raised a little against the whole considerable biasing force of the associated pressure-spring, in order to be able to bring the locking pin into its active position.
The invention has as its object the development of a multispot grid-welding machine in which the electrode units (which may be formed by single electrodes for single-spot welding, or by pairs of electrodes for double-spot welding, together with their associated electrode holders) may, even during operation of the machine, be brought selectively out of, or into a working position, in which they take part in the welding process, and into or out of, respectively, a position of rest, in which they do not participate in the welding process, without any additional stressing of the very powerful electrode pressure-springs being necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is solved in a welding machine according to the invention by subjecting the electrode units to the action of return springs which are considerably weaker than the pressure-springs, and tend to shift the associated electrode units out of the advanced working position into the retracted position of rest lying nearer the electrode-carrier beam, means being provided for advancing selected electrode units into the working position by overcoming the force of the return springs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Further features of the invention follow from the description below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows in elevation the upper part containing the electrode-carrier beam, of a grid-welding machine in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 shows in plan two operating cylinders which in the case of the machine of FIG. 1 serve for the adjustment of adjacent electrode units;
FIG. 3 shows in side elevation the electrode-carrier beam of a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a diagram of a hydraulic control device for the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3; and,
FIGS. 5 and 6 show in elevation similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 the electrode-carrier beam of a third embodiment of the invention and respectively the diagram of a hydraulic control device suitable for it.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An electrode-carrier beam 1 of a grid-welding machine, made in the form of a box girder as known, has, a plurality of guide rods 2 arranged in line along the beam. Each guide rod 2 is surrounded by a helical spring 3 which bears against an upper spring plate 4 and a lower spring plate 5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the guide rod 2 is freely displaceable with respect to the two spring plates 4 and 5. A threaded sleeve 6 which can be screwed into the cover plate of the carrier beam 1 and surrounds coaxially the upper end of the guide rod 2, provides a means of adjusting vertically each upper spring plate 4 inside the carrier beam 1. It is thereby within limits possible to alter the pre-stress of the springs 3 which serve as pressure-springs for the welding electrodes.
The bottom end of each guide rod 2 is fixed in a hole 8 drilled in an electrode unit 7. A return spring 9 loads the electrode unit 7 in the direction towards the carrier beam 1. Between the electrode unit 7 and the spring plate 5 are two sleeves 13 and 14 which surround the guide rod 2 coaxially and can be displaced relative to one another and to the guide rod. The sleeve 13 has an upper annular face which bears against the spring plate 5, and the sleeve 14 has a lower annular face which bears against the electrode unit 7. Between the adjacent annular end faces on the sleeves 13 and 14 is a forked wedge 15 which surrounds the guide rod 2. Two connecting links 18, 19, connected by pivots to the wedge 15 and to the piston rod 17 of an operating cylinder 16, enable the wedge 15 to be shifted by the operating cylinder 16 between the position shown in FIG. 1 in solid line and the position shown in the same figure in dash-dot line. The position shown in FIG. 1 in solid line corresponds in FIG. 2 with the position of the parts provided with the reference numbers 15-19, whilst the position shown in FIG. 1 in dash-dot line corresponds in FIG. 2 with the position of the adjacent parts provided with the reference numbers 15'-19'.
By advancing the wedge 15 into the position similar to that which the wedge 15' occupies, the distance between the adjacent annular end faces on the sleeves 13 and 14 is increased, so that the electrode unit 7 is shifted out of its position of rest close to the carrier beam 1 into a working position further away from the carrier beam 1. The guide rod 2 connected rigidly to the electrode unit 7 follows this movement so that it moves relative to the parts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, and it is merely the tension in the return spring 9 which is increased during this movement. The tension in the return spring 9, which is weak in comparison with the spiral spring 3, is the only force which must be overcome in advancing the electrode unit 7 out of the position of rest into the working position.
Even in the position of the carrier beam nearest to the grid being produced, the electrodes 20 of those electrodes units 7 which are lying in the position of rest close to the carrier beam 1, cannot come into contact with the cross-wires Q of a grid formed from these cross-wires and longitudinal wires L, and which is supported in the welding region on counter-electrodes 22. On the other hand the electrodes 20 lying in the working position remote from the carrier beam 1 come to seat against the cross wires Q, on lowering of the carrier beam 1 (which is movable in the direction of the double arrow P), whereupon with any further lowering of the carrier beam 1 the springs 3 are stressed and apply the necessary welding pressure. The considerable force necessary for stressing the springs 3 is transmitted from each electrode unit 7 via the sleeve 14 onto the wedge 15 and from the latter via the sleeve 13 and the spring plate 5 onto the spiral spring 3. The pivoted connecting links 18 and 19 ensure that the movement of the electrode units 7 and their guide rods 2 against the springs, after the seating of the electrodes 20 against the cross-wires, is not impeded by the wedges 15.
Whilst in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 the electrode units 7 together with the guide rods 2 can shift with respect to the spiral springs 3, the spring plates 5 and the carrier beam 1, the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 depends upon an ability of the guide rods 2 to be extended telescopically.
At the bottom end of the guide rod 2, which in this case is connected rigidly to the spring plate 5 by a bolt 24, there is thus provided an operating cylinder 25, in which a piston 26 is slidably guided and is loaded by a return spring 27 in the direction towards its position of rest, close to the carrier beam.
Liquid under pressure may be fed via a pipe 28 to the cylinder 25 or, alternately, the cylinder may be connected to a liquid reservoir, and the pressure in the cylinder be relieved.
The electrode unit 7 is attached to the piston rod 29 of the piston 26. Inside the cylinder 25 this piston rod forms a shoulder 30 to limit the stroke of the piston.
If the piston 26 is acted upon by liquid under pressure and subsequently the feed of pressure medium is blocked, the return spring 27 which again is weak in comparison with the spiral spring 3, becomes compressed and the electrode unit 7 is advanced into the working position remote from the carrier beam 1. The pressure-liquid enclosed in the cylinder head now acts as an incompressible transmission medium through which, upon lowering the carrier beam 1, the pressure from the electrode unit 7 is transmitted to the guide rod 2 and the spring plate 5 rigidly connected to it, so that the spring 3 is stressed.
In both the above embodiments the action of pressure upon the operating cylinders 16 and 25, respectively, is advantageously controlled for the individual electrode units 7 by electromagnetically actuable valves 21 in accordance with FIG. 4. A suitable control circuit is illustrated in FIG. 4, where the parts of the control circuit belonging, for example, to n different electrode units are distinguished from one another by the indices a, b . . . n. The cylinders 16a, 16b . . . 16n (or 25a, 25b . . . 25n), energized or, respectively, de-energized by associated solenoid valves 21a, 21b . . . 21n either via hand-actuated switches 31a, 31b . . . 31n or via a programming apparatus 33, which can be preset by sets of keys 32a, 32b . . . 32n, may either be supplied with liquid under pressure from a pump 34 or be relieved of pressure by being connected to a liquid reservoir 35.
In the embodiment of FIG. 5 a spring plate 40 is connected rigidly to each guide rod 2 and is slidably guided inside the electrode-carrier beam 1 by two guide rods 41 and 42. The lower parts of the guide rods 41, 42 are surrounded by sleeves 43, 44 which form stops limiting the downward movement of the spring plate 40. A return spring 27 loads the spring plate 40 in the upward direction. The guide rod is formed by the piston rod of an operating cylinder 45 which serves as the pressure-spring and which can be acted upon by a pressure medium via an electromagnetically controlled slide valve 46.
For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 6, two pumps 47, 48 are provided, which deliver liquid from a liquid reservoir 49 into leads 50, 51, expansion chambers 52, 53 communicating with these leads 50, 51. The pressures in the two leads are of different values and are kept constant by pressure regulating valves 54, 55.
If the operating cylinder 45 is connected via the slide valve 46 with, for example, the lead 51, the piston in the cylinder 45 is thrust downwards against the action of the return spring 27 until the spring plate 40 comes into contact with the sleeves 43, 44. The electrode unit 7 is then lying in its working position.
If, during the downward movement of the electrode-carrier beam 1, the electrode 20 is seated against the work which is to be welded, the guide rod 2 is thrust upwards against the action of the operating cylinder 45, so that liquid is displaced out of the operating cylinder 45 into the expansion chamber 53. The pressure against the workpiece therefore remains constant during the whole pressing procedure and is equal to the lead pressure multiplied by the cross-section of the piston.
If the slide valve 46 is switched back into the position shown in FIG. 6, the operating cylinder 45 is connected to the reservoir 49 and thereby relieved of pressure, and the return spring 27 brings the electrode unit 7 back into its position of rest.
By pressurizing the two pressure leads 50 and 51 at different respective levels, in this embodiment of the invention, each electrode may be acted upon by one of two optional pressures. In the case of welding machines therefore, by which grids are to be welded, which are built up from longitudinal wires having different respective wires diameters (e.g., edge-economy mats), two different electrode pressures are made available along the weld line.
Two different pressures along the weld line can moreover be achieved in the embodiment of FIG. 3 by having only one supply lead provided with an expansion chamber. That is, if in FIG. 3 the piston 26 is acted upon by liquid under pressure and after the advance of the electrode unit 7 into the working position, the connection to the supply lead is interrupted, e.g., by a solenoid slide valve, then the whole welding pressure is transmitted via the incompressible pressure-liquid enclosed in the cylinder 25, to the spiral spring 3. If, on the other hand, during the welding process the lead 28 is kept by the solenoid slide valve connected with an expansion chamber, the piston 26 can be displaced in the cylinder 25, assuming that the pressure in the lead 28 is so set that the force exerted by the pressure-liquid upon the piston 26 is less than the spring tension of the spiral spring 3. The force pressing the electrode 20 against the workpiece would therefore be less in the second case than in the first.
Instead of hydraulic operating and control circuits, under certain circumstances pneumatic circuits may be used.
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A multispot grid-welding machine has an electrode-carrier beam movable up and down and a plurality of guide rods mounting a plurality of electrode units for movement on the beam. Pressure springs bias the electrode units in a direction towards the grid being welded, each electrode unit being movable into a working position and a rest position in which it is retracted. A plurality of return springs act on the electrode units, the return springs being considerably weaker than the pressure springs and acting to shift the respective electrode units on the working position into the retracted position. Devices are provided for advancing selected electrode units into the working position by overcoming the force of the return springs.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stand-alone functional apparatus for use in consumer products, which comprises a control circuit in the form of a microcomputer, and a non-volatile memory for storing status data.
The term "stand-alone" is to be understood to mean that the functional apparatus can operate independently, without being subordinate to an external device, thus one that does not operate like a peripheral apparatus which is subordinate to a central computer.
Description of the Prior Art
In its generality, a stand-alone functional apparatus comprises a plurality of independent or mutually cooperating processing circuits, whose operation is controlled by the control circuit. They receive status data from the control circuit or apply status data thereto. These status data are indicative of the state in which a processing circuit is or to which state it must adjust itself. In a TV-receiver they represent, for example, the channel or program number the set is tuned to, or tone control, volume, luminance, contrast, etc.
To render it possible to apply the correct status data to the different processing circuits, a plurality of control circuits are coupled to the microcomputer and the microcomputer comprises an internal non-volatile memory having a plurality of addressable memory locations which are each addressable by means of a program counter. Each memory location comprises a given processing stage which is represented by a predetermined code word. A group of mutually associated processing steps is called a control program. The number of such control programs stored in the internal nonvolatile memory differs greatly from apparatus to apparatus.
Although microcomputers are very suitable for use as a control circuit, the mode of operation of the most contemporary microcomputers has been found to be far from reliable when they are used in an environment in which an electromagnetic field is present which may change considerably. Such a situation occurs, for example, in television receivers. As is known, there is a voltage of approximately 25,000 Volts between the anode and the cathode of the picture tube of a TV-receiver. Breakdown phenomena may occur due to contaminations in the picture tube. Such a breakdown phenomenon may be considered to be a current pulse which has a rise time of approximately 5 nanoseconds, a peak value of approximately 220 Amp. and a duration of approximately 100 nanoseconds. Such a current pulse generates voltage pulses everywhere in the TV-receiver and consequently also in the microcomputer. This may result in the microcomputer arriving in an undefined state, because the content of one or more internal registers of the microcomputer such as the program counter, stack pointer, volatile memory, gate registers, etc. has changed and the new contents are not associated with each other. The normal functioning of the microcomputer and consequently also the normal functioning of the functional apparatus is seriously disturbed thereby. With a TV-receiver this usually results in the picture disappearing completely and the microcomputer no longer responding to changes in the states of processing circuits and control circuits, which gives the user the impression that the TV-receiver is defective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the apparatus comprises a plurality of addressable nonvolatile memory locations coupled to a control circuit in the form of a microcomputer, the nonvolatile memory locations storing auxiliary status data for at least one processing circuit and an internal nonvolatile memory of the control circuit comprising a recovery program utilizing the auxiliary status data stored in the nonvolatile memory locations to reset processing circuit to a predetermined state, and a check program which forms part of at least one of the control programs in the internal nonvolatile memory and which is used to start the recovery program in the event of a detected error.
If the microcomputer suddenly cycles through a different control program due to a disturbance, then this situation is determined by means of the check program which as a result thereof immediately starts the recovery program. For a a TV-receiver, this recovery program results in the receiver being retuned to either a predetermined channel or program or to the channel or program it was tuned to just prior to the disturbance. Therefore, said channel or program number is stored as an auxiliary status data in the nonvolatile memory locations, optionally together with the contrast setting, luminance setting, etc. associated with that channel or program.
The auxiliary status datum may alternatively be a code word indicating that the receiver is in the stand-by condition. This prevents the receiver from being turned-on due to malfunctioning.
The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to a TV-receiver.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows schematically the general structure of a television receiver which comprises a control circuit in the form of a microcomputer.
FIGS. 2 to 7 inclusive show some flow charts to explain the operation of the receiver shown in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
General structure of a TV-receiver
FIG. 1 shows schematically the general structure of a television receiver. It comprises an aerial 1 for receiving a video signal which is processed in a number of processing circuits. More specifically, the received video signal x(t) is applied to a UHF/VHF-tuning circuit 2, which also receives a frequency band status data E(VHF I), E(VHF II) or E(UHF) to enable tuning of the receiver to a frequency within the respective frequency bands VHF I, VHF II or UHF. This tuning circuit 2 also receives a tuning dataum TD to tune this tuning circuit to the frequency of the desired transmitter in the frequency band chosen. This tuning datum TD is supplied by an auxiliary circuit 3 in response to a tuning status datum MTD applied thereto.
Tuning circuit 2 supplies a demodulated video signal z(t) and an oscillator signal d(t) whose frequency is compared in the auxiliary circuit 3 to a desired frequency which is characterized by the tuning status datum MTD. In addition, the modulated video signal z(t) is applied to a separating circuit 4, which produces the luminance signal y(t), the chrominance signal chr(t) and the audio signal a(t). The signals y(t) and chr(t) are applied to a video processing circuit 5 which produces the three signals R, G and B which are applied to the video display device 6. The audio signal a(t) is applied to an audio reproducing device 8 via an audio processing circuit 7.
For the control of the luminance, contrast, color saturation of the displayed picture and volume, bass and treble of the sound to be reproduced, the video processing circuit 5 receives control signals br(t), c(t) and s(t) and the audio processing circuit 7 receives control signals v(t), bs(t) and tr(t). All these control signals are supplied by the auxiliary circuit 3 in response to a suitably chosen control status datum MAC applied to it. A particularly suitable embodiment of this auxiliary circuit 3 are the Philips types SAB 3034 or SAB 3035. These circuits can supply the said control signals only in the digital form. They are consequently converted into analog control signals with the aid of a digital-to-analog converter 9.
In the TV-receiver shown the tuning status datum MTD is also applied to the input circuit 10 of a digital display device 11 for displaying the channel number or the program number the receiver is tuned to.
The frequency band status data E(.) and also the tuning status datum MTD and the control status datum MAC are produced by a microcomputer 12 which receives clock pulses from a generator 13. Suitable microcomputers are, for example, the Philips types MAB 8048, MAB 8049, MAB 8050, MAB 8400 etc. The following description will be based on the MAB 8049 equivalent to INTEL 8049.
The frequency band-status data E(.) are taken from the three gates DB5, DB6 and DB7. The tuning status data MTD and the control status data MAC are applied via a serial data bus 14 to the auxiliary circuit 3 and to the input circuit 10. This bus 14 is connected to the gates P 10 , P 11 and P 12 . A signal which indicates whether the TV-receiver is in the switched-on state or not is applied to the microcomputer 12 by means of a gate P 24 , while a video-presence signal which indicates that a video signal is received or not received, is applied to a further gate P 1 . This video-presence signal is produced by a video-presence detector 15. In addition, a plurality of control circuits are connected to the microcomputer in order to apply predetermined data to this microcomputer. More specifically, a bus 16 which connects the microcomputer 12 to a keyboard 17 is connected to the gates P 20 , P 21 , P 22 , P 23 . In addition, by means of a bus 18 a nonvolatile memory 19 in which, for example, the tuning status data MTD of a number of preselected transmitters are connected to the gates P 12 , P 13 , P 14 and P 15 . In practice, this nonvolatile memory 19 can be chosen such that it also comprises the nonvolatile memory locations mentioned in the foregoing for storing the auxiliary status data. A third control circuit connected to the microcomputer is the receiver 20 of a remote control system. More specifically, the output of this receiver is connected to the external interrupt input INT.
TV-receiver operation
As has already been mentioned in the foregoing, the microcomputer provides a nonvolatile internal memory, usually a ROM, in which a plurality of control programs are stored. One of these control programs is the background program BGR which is continuously cycled through. This background program comprises the steps which are schematically shown in FIG. 2 by means of a flow chart. More specifically, this background program comprises a preparation program 100 in which immediately after the receiver has been tuned to the predetermined transmitter the sum is calculated of a number of data present in a number of internal registers of the microcomputer. The number thus obtained is denoted as a reference check sum and is stored in a spare memory location of an auxiliary memory.
To check whether the microcomputer has arrived in an undefined state due to malfunctioning, a number of check programs are first cycled through. In a first check program 101 in a step 1010 an actual value is first determined of the check sum. In a step 1011 this actual check sum is compared to the reference check sum. If both check sums are equal to each other, then a second check program 102 is cycled through, in which in, for example, step 1020 the value of the stack pointer is determined. The value of the stack pointer must be zero. If it is unequal to zero this implies that the microcomputer has been adjusted to an undefined state due to the occurrence of a disturbance and that it was cycling through a subprogram prior to the occurrence of the disturbance. It is therefore checked in step 1021 if this stack pointer has a value equal to zero. If yes, then still further check programs can be cycled through.
After all the check programs have been cycled through it is checked in a step 103 whether the receiver is still tuned to the desired transmitter which is characterized by the tuning status datum MTD. If this is indeed the case, then the sequence of check programs 101, 102 is cycled through again. If it is found that the receiver is not tuned to the desired transmitter, then a tuning program 104 is started. At the end of this program the receiver will then indeed be tuned to the desired transmitter, but it is possible that no picture is displayed. Whether there is a picture is determined in step 105 in which it is checked whether the presence detector 15 indicates the presence of a video signal. If this is not the case then the preparation program 100 is started. If a video signal is indeed present then in a step 106 the actual tuning status datum is stored as an auxiliary status datum in an addressable nonvolatile memory location and thereafter the preparation program 100 is started again. As has already been mentioned in the foregoing this non-volatile memory location is preferably part of the non-volatile memory 19, which may comprise a plurality of further addressable non-volatile memory locations for storing further control status data acting as auxiliary status data and characterizing the actual setting of quantities such as contrast, color saturation, sound volume, etc. of the transmitter, characterized by the actual tuning status datum.
If in step 1011 it is determined that the actual check sum is not equal to the reference check sum, or if it is found in step 1021 that the stack pointer is unequal to zero, then a recovery program REC is started which will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 7. First it will be described via which further control programs this recovery program can be started.
As has already been described in the foregoing, control circuits 17 and 20 are connected to the microcomputer to make it possible to apply predetermined data to the micro-computer. If, more specifically, a control command is applied to the external interrupt input INT by the receiver 20 of the remote control system, then the external interrupt program E-INT which is schematically shown in FIG. 3 is started immediately. In order to check that this program is cycled through in response to a disturbance, a first step 200 of a check program is effected. More specifically, in this step 200 a pass word is stored in this step 200 in a memory location of the auxiliary memory. This word indicates that this program is passed through in response to a signal applied by the receiver 20 to the input INT. Thereafter, in step 201 the code format of this signal is determined and in step 202 it is checked whether this code format is the correct format. When the received signal does not have the correct code format then in step 203 the pass word is reset and in step 204 a return is effected to the control program which was cycled through at the moment at which the interruption occurred. If the received signal does indeed have the correct code format then a command-execute program C-EXE is started which will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 5.
The command-execute program C-EXE can alternatively be started by a what is commonly referred to as a time-interrupt program T-INT which is shown schematically in FIG. 4. This time-interrupt program is started each time after a predetermined time interval of, for example, 20 msec. This time interval is determined by a software counter. This interrupt program has for its object to process data applied to the microcomputer via the keyboard 17. To that end, in a step 300 the keyboard is first scanned in a customary manner by the microcomputer. Each time it is found that a key has been operated, and consequently a control command is transmitted, a first step 301 of a check program is effected. More specifically, in this step 301 a pass word is stored in a memory location of the auxiliary memory, whereafter the command-execute program C-EXE is started. If it is found that no key of the keyboard is operated, then in step 302 a return is effected to the control program which was cycled through at the instant at which the disturbance occurred.
The command-execute program C-EXE which is started after a command has been applied to the microcomputer via the remote control system or by means of the keyboard 17, is shown schematically in FIG. 5. It comprises N auxiliary execute programs C-1, C-2, . . . , C-N-1, one for each control command. Such an auxiliary execute program is activated in customary manner by means of a step 400 in which a predetermined auxiliary execute program is unambiguously assigned to a received control command. After the relevant control command has been effected in a step 401(.) a second step 402 of the control program is effected. In this second step 402 the passage word is checked and in a third step 403 of the control program it is determined whether the pass word is correct. If so, then the background program BGR (FIG. 2) is started. If, however, the pass word is not correct, then the recovery program REC is started.
It should be noted that the auxiliary execute program C-3 is activated when the receiver must be adjusted to the "stand-by" state by means of a button reserved for that purpose. After this command has been effected in step 401(3), in step 404 the last actual tuning status data stored as an auxiliary status datum in a memory location of the nonvolatile memory 19 is replaced by a "stand-by" code word which indicates that the receiver is in the "stand-by" condition and this code word now represents the said auxiliary status datum.
A further possibility to render it possible to determine whether the microcomputer has arrived in an unexpected state due to malfunctioning is shown schematically in FIG. 6 and relates to the passing through of subprograms. Each time such a subprogram 500(.) has been passed through, a check program is effected consisting of a step 501 and a step 500. More specifically, in step 501 the depth of the stack pointer is determined. Thereafter it is checked in step 502 whether the depth is too deep. If not, then in step 503 a return is made to the control program which was passed through at the instant at which the relevant subprogram was activated. If the stack pointer is found to be too deep then the recovery program REC is started.
The said recovery program REC has a structure which is schematically shown in FIG. 7. It comprises an initializing step 600. Therein all the steps are effected which are also effected on switch-on of the receiver and the microcomputer receives via gate P 24 a signal which is characteristic of an energized receiver. More specifically, in this initialization step all gates are inter alia reset, the auxiliary memory is erased, the software counter is stopped, any interrupts received via input INT are made inoperative, and in addition the status register, the stack pointer and the stack register are reset. Thereafter, in step 601 the auxiliary status datum stored in the nonvolatile memory 19 is conveyed to the auxiliary memory. Thereafter, in step 602 is determined what this auxiliary status datum represents. If it is the "stand-by" code word then the "stand-by" command execute program C-3 (see FIG. 5) is effected. If the auxiliary status datum represents a tuning status datum then in step 603 the receiver is tuned to the transmitter characterized thereby, whereafter the microcomputer proceeds to cycling through of the background program BGR.
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A stand-alone functional apparatus comprises a plurality of processing circuits which operate under the control of status data applied by a control circuit and possibly apply status data to the control circuit, more specifically a television receiver with the control circuit in the form of a microcomputer. To protect this microcomputer against external disturbance, a plurality of addressable nonvolatile memory locations are present in which auxiliary status data for at least one processing circuit are stored. A program store comprises a plurality of control programs and also a recovery program. The latter is made operative in response to a disturbance, causing the auxiliary status data to be applied to the relevant processing circuit(s). To enable the determination of a disturbance at least one of the control programs includes a check program.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, it has been discovered that compounds of the formula ##STR2## wherein n is either 0 or 1; one of R 1 and R 2 is hydrogen and the other is hydrogen, hydroxy, oxo group, a protected hydroxy or protected oxo group; R 3 is hydroxy, oxo group, ═CH--CH 2 --OH, ═CH--CHO or one of the foregoing groups where the hydroxy or oxo functions are protected; R 4 is --CO--OR 6 , --CO--R 6 , --CO--NR 6 R 7 , --CO--Cl or --SO 2 --R 6 ; R 6 is saturated or aromatic hydrocarbon; and R 7 is saturated or aromatic hydrocarbon or hydrogen,
can be converted by cleavage of R 4 OH into a compound of the formula ##STR3##
wherein n, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 is as above, and, if a compound of formula II contains a protected hydroxy or oxo group then by hydrolysis converting to the corresponding hydroxy or oxo compound.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As used throughout this application, the term "protected hydroxy or oxo group" or "protected hydroxy or oxo function" means any conventional organic protecting group which upon hydrolysis yields the hydroxy or oxo group. Any conventional hydrolyzable protecting group which is generally used to protect oxo or hydroxy groups can be used in accordance with this invention. Exemplary hydroxy protecting groups are the ether, silyl ether and acetal containing 1 to 7 carbon atoms such as methoxy, ethoxy, benzyloxy, trimethylsilyloxy and (2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy. Exemplary oxo protecting groups are the acetal or ketal groups, containing 1 to 10 carbons, particularly those derived from alkanols and alkanediols. Preferably the term "protected oxo group" stands for 2 methoxy groups or for an ethylenedioxy group.
The term "saturated or aromatic hydrocarbon group" as used herein means any conventional saturated hydrocarbon group and any conventional aromatic hydrocarbon. The term "saturated hydrocarbon" as used herein designates a saturated aliphatic straight or branched chain hydrocarbon containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as ethyl, methyl, isopropyl etc. The term "aromatic hydrocarbon" as used throughout the specification designates a cyclic hydrocarbon having an aromatic ring such as aryl and arylalkyl groups. The term "aryl" designates mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbon groups such as phenyl, tolyl, which can be unsubstituted or substituted in one or more positions with a lower alkyl or substituent and polynuclear aryl groups such as naphthyl, anthryl, phenanthryl, which can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of the aforementioned groups. The preferred aryl groups are the substituted and unsubstituted mononuclear groups particularly phenyl or tolyl. The term "arylalkyl" designates arylalkyl groups where aryl is defined as above and alkyl is preferably lower alkyl. The term "lower alkyl" means a saturated aliphatic straight or branched chain hydrocarbon containing from 1 to 7 carbon atoms such as ethyl, methyl, isopropyl, etc.
In accordance with the present invention it was discovered that compounds of formula I can be converted under mild conditions and in good yield into pure compounds of Formula II.
In accordance with this invention the compound of formula I is converted to the compound of formula II by cleaving off R 4 OH of compound I either by heating and/or catalyst. The term "cleaving" as used herein means the splitting or separation of the alcohol moiety from the starting compounds through any conventional method to achieve alcohol separation. The preferred methods of cleaving are heating and/or by catalyst. Any conventional catalyst can be utilized. Suitable catalysts are, for example: (a) organic nitrogen bases, especially primary and secondary nitrogen bases such as nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds (e.g. imidazole, 1,2,4-triazole, aniline); (b) salts of organic nitrogen bases with strong acids (preferably acids with pK a <1), especially chlorides, bromides and tosylates (e.g. pyridinium p-tosylate); (c) phosphonium salts (e.g. triphenylphosphonium chloride orbromide); (d) acids, preferably strong acids with pK a <1 (e.g. toluenesulphonic acid, Amberlyst A 15® (Fluka AG) [which is a strongly acid cationic ion-exchange resin], hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid); (e) trialkylchlorosilanes (e.g. trimethylchlorosilane); (f) lithium salts, for examples lithium salts of strong (pK a <1) acids (e.g. lithium chloride, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrafluoroborate); and, (g) palladium-(O) catalysts (e.g. by the addition of palladium acetate).
In accordance with this invention the cleavage of R 4 OH already takes place under mild conditions, the optimum reaction temperature being dependent inter alia on the meaning of R 4 and on the catalyst, which may optionally be used. In some cases R 4 OH is cleaved off already at room temperature, e.g. when R 4 is --CO--OCH 3 and lithium perchlorate is used as the catalyst. On the other hand, temperatures up to 200° C. or higher temperatures can be used. However, high temperatures are undesirable, if the reaction is carried out on a technical scale, and some decomposition of the product may occur during long pre-heating periods. Therefore, the cleavage of R 4 OH is carried out preferably below about 200° C., most preferably below about 160° C. Optimum reaction temperatures can easily be found by experiment on a case to case basis.
The cleavage of R 4 OH when carried out in the presence of a catalyst may be carried out at room temperature or at higher temperatures. The catalysts which may be used are as described above. Catalysts can be used in conventional catalytic amounts or greater amounts. In carrying out this reaction, the pressure is not critical and this reaction can be carried out at atmospheric pressure. The catalytic cleavage is generally carried out at temperatures from room temperature to about 200° C. The preferred temperature range is from room temperature to about 160° C. In accordance with this embodiment, it is also preferred to vary the temperature at which the reaction is carried out in accordance with the substituent chosen as R 4 . For example, if R 4 is --CO--OCH 3 or --CO--OC 2 H 5 then the preferred temperature range will be from room temperature to about 100° C.
According to another embodiment of this invention, the process for converting the compound of formula I to the compound of formula II can be carried out without catalyst by heating, i.e. heating the compound of formula I to a temperature of from about 150° to 200° C. In accordance with this embodiment, it is preferred to vary the temperature at which the reaction is carried out in accordance with the substituent chosen as R 4 . For example, if R 4 is --CO--OCH 3 or --CO--OC 2 H 5 then the preferred temperature will be from 160° to 190° C. In carrying out this reaction, the pressure is not critical and this reaction can be carried out at atmospheric pressure.
In carrying out this reaction, any conventional inert organic solvent can be used. Exemplary inert organic solvents are ether, alcohol, nitrile, amide, or a saturated, aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbon. Preferred solvents are diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, hexane, toluene, benzene, xylene, methylene chloride, dichloroethane and the like.
Any conventional method of hydrolysis of the protecting groups can be used when R 1 , R 2 or R 3 of compound II is or contains a protected hydroxy or oxo group.
Where R 3 of compound I is a ═CH--CH 2 OH a preferred reaction is carried out in the presence of equimolar or higher amounts of phosphonium salt, preferably triphenylphosphonium chloride or bromide. A corresponding compound of formula II is formed which is converted directly to the corresponding phosphonium salt (i.e. the hydroxy group in R 3 is converted into a phosphonium salt group, such as --P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 + Cl - or -P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 + Br - .
In accordance with this invention preferred compounds of formula I are those where n is 0 and R 2 is hydrogen and those where n is 1. An especially preferred compound of formula I is one where n is 1 and R 1 is hydrogen. Further, those compounds of formula I are preferred in which one of R 1 or R 2 is hydrogen and the other is hydrogen or hydroxy, especially hydroxy, such as, for example, the compounds of formula I in which n is 1, R 1 is hydrogen and R 2 is hydroxy.
Especially preferred groups for R 3 are hydroxy and ═CH--CH 2 --OH. In addition, double bonds when present in R 3 preferably have the trans configuration.
Especially preferred groups for R 4 in formula I are the groups --CO--OR 6 , especially those in which R 6 is C 1 --C 6 -alkyl. Particularly preferred are --CO--OCH 3 and --CO--OC 2 H 5 . Other preferred groups for R 4 in formula I are --CO--R 6 , especially those in which R 6 signifies an aromatic hydrocarbon group (e.g. benzoyl).
Further preferred are those compounds of formula I in which the hydrogen atom in the 5-position of the cyclopentyl ring or in the 6-position of the cyclohexyl ring and the R 4 O-- group are in the cis position to one another (syn elimination).
In accordance with this invention another embodiment is the reaction converting a compound of the general formula ##STR4##
wherein R 5 is hydroxy or ═CH--CH 2 --OH and R 4 is as above,
or the optical antipode thereof by cleavage of R 4 OH in the presence of a basic sterically hindered lithium compound into a compound of the general formula ##STR5##
wherein R 5 is as above,
or the optical antipode thereof.
The term "basic sterically hindered lithium compounds" means any conventional organolithium compounds which have steric hindrance on the basic group (in order to avoid nucleophilic attack on the group-OR 4 ) and which are derived from organic compounds with pK a values of at least about 9, preferably at least about 11. The steric hindrance can be effected, for example, by branching or substitution at the carbon atom in the 1-position or by substitution in the ortho-position of a benzene ring. Preferred among such compounds are alkyl lithiums, lithium alkanolates, lithium phenolates, lithium dialkylamides and the like which fulfill the above conditions, for example lithium tertbutylate, lithium 1,1-dimethylpentanolate, lithium 2,6-dimethylphenolate, lithium 2,6-di(tert.-butyl)phenolate, lithium 2,6-dichlorophenolate, tertbutyl lithium, 2,6-di(tert.butyl)phenyl lithium and lithium diisopropylamide.
In this embodiment approximately 2 mol of lithium compound at a minimum are used per mol of compound of formula Ia (or antipode thereof). In a preferred embodiment about 2-3 mol equivalents of lithium compound are used, although higher amounts do not have any detrimental effects on the reaction.
The statements regarding temperature, pressure and solvent made above in connection with the reaction of the compounds of formula I apply analogously to this embodiment. However, this variant is preferably carried out at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 70° C. The saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons are especially preferred solvents.
This embodiment provides high yields. Moreover, a double bond optionally present in R 5 is preserved. Furthermore, since only the compounds of formula I and their optical antipodes (but not the remaining stereoisomers) react well under the mild temperature conditions mentioned, this embodiment is especially suitable for the manufacture of pure isomeric compounds. R 5 in formula Ia above is preferably a ═CH--CH 2 --OH. The double bond in this group is preferably in the trans configuration. Preferred groups of R 4 are --CO--R 6 and especially --CO--OR 6 . Especially preferred among such groups are --CO--OCH 3 , --CO--OC 2 H 5 , --CO--C 6 H 5 and --CO--CH 3 .
The compounds of formula I are novel and also form an object of the present invention. They can be prepared in a manner known per se, for example from the corresponding lithium alcoholate (a compound of formula I in which R 4 is lithium) by reaction with a corresponding chloride, i.e. with compounds of the formulae Cl--CO--OR 6 , Cl--CO--R 6 , Cl--CO--NR 6 R 7 , Cl--CO--Cl or Cl--SO 2 R 6 in which R 6 and R 7 are as above. The lithium alcoholates can be obtained in a conventional manner by reacting the corresponding cyclopentanone or cyclohexanone with the corresponding alkynyl lithium. Hydroxy and oxo groups if present are in protected form. These protecting groups can be cleaved off, if desired, before or after the introduction of R 4 or after cleavage of R 4 OH, in accordance with the invention, has been carried out.
The conversion of the compounds of formula II into carotenoids can be carried out in a known manner or conventionally, for example by conversion into suitable aldehydes or phosphonium salts and subsequent Wittig reaction.
The invention is also concerned with all novel compounds, mixtures, processes and uses as herein described.
The invention is illustrated in more detail by the following Examples.
EXAMPLE 1
10.4 g of ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(3-hydroxy-1-butynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate were dissolved in 50 ml of hot dimethylformamide. The solution was treated with 1 g of pyridinium p-tosylate and the mixture was stirred for 1.5 hours in a pre-heated oil bath (oil bath temperature 90°-93° C., internal temperature about 79°-82° C.). The mixture was subsequently poured into 500 ml of semi-saturated sodium chloride solution and extracted three times with 200 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed once with saturated sodium chloride solution, dried over sodium sulphate and evaporated. The crude product obtained (8.3 g) was chromatographed on silica gel with hexane/diethyl ether (vol. 1:1). There were thus obtained 5.9 g (83.3%) of (4R)-4-(4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-butyn-2-ol.
The ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(3-hydroxy-1-butynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate used as the starting material was prepared as follows:
(a) In a four-necked flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel and an apparatus for inert gasification 19.52 g of (4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone were dissolved under argon in a mixture of 40 ml of absolute tetrahydrofuran and 20 mg of pyridinium p-tosylate and then 14.4 g of isopropenyl methyl ether were added dropwise to the solution within about 20 minutes at 15°-20° C. The solution A obtained was processed as described in paragraph (c).
(b) In a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, a rising tube and an apparatus for inert gasification a solution of 23.5 g of 3-butyn-2-yl trimethylsilyl ether in 80 ml of absolute tetrahydrofuran was placed under argon, cooled to -30° C. and treated dropwise within 10 minutes at -30° C. to -20° C. with 105 ml of an about 1.56M solution of butyl lithium in hexane. The mixture was stirred to -10° C. for a further 30 minutes and then again cooled to -40° C. The solution B obtained was processed as described in paragraph (c).
(c) Solution A was added dropwise at -40° C. within 10 minutes to solution B. The mixture was stirred at -40° C. for a further 30 minutes, then treated with 15.7 ml of ethyl chloroformate and the mixture was warmed to room temperature within 1 hour while stirring. The mixture was subsequently cooled to 0° C., treated while stirring with 100 ml of 3N sulphuric acid and stirred at 0°-5° C. for a further 30 minutes. The mixture was diluted with 250 ml of ethyl acetate and the aqueous phase was separated. The aqueous phase was back-extracted twice with 250 ml of ethyl acetate each time. The organic phases were washed three times with 250 ml of saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution each time and once with 250 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, combined and dried over sodium sulphate. After filtering off the drying agent and concentrating the filtrate on a rotary evaporator (water bath temperature 50° C.), there were obtained 43.6 g of crude product which was chromatographed on silica gel with hexane/diethyl ether (vol. 1:1). From the product-containing fractions there was obtained a total of 36.5 g (97.8%) of ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(3-hydroxy-1-butynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate as a slightly yellowish oil.
EXAMPLE 2
In a two-necked flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and an argon headpiece 6.7 g of imidazole were dissolved under argon in 40 ml of triethylene glycol dimethyl ether and the solution was heated to 195° C. in an oil bath. A solution of 8.0 g of ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate in 15 ml of triethylene glycol dimethyl ether was subsequently added dropwise within 60 minutes at an internal temperature of 188°-190° C. The mixture was held at the same temperature for a further 30 minutes and then poured on to 200 ml of ice/water. The aqueous phase was extracted twice with 250 ml of diethyl ether each time. The combined ether phases were washed four times with 100 ml of water each time, dried over sodium sulphate, concentrated on a rotary evaporator at about 50° C. and then dried at room temperature for 3 hours in a high vacuum. The crude product obtained (6.0 g) was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 1:1), whereby there could be isolated 3.5 g (61.4%) of (4R)-5-(4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-methyl-2-penten-4-yn-1-ol as a slightly yellowish oil (ratio 2E/2Z=91.0:4.7).
The ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate used as the starting material was prepared as follows:
(a) In a four-necked flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel and an apparatus for inert gasification 52.0 of (4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone were dissolved under argon in 65 ml of tetrahydrofuran and 50 mg of pyridinium p-tosylate and the solution was treated dropwise at 15°-20° C. within 20 minutes with 48.0 g of isopropenyl methyl ether. The yellowish solution A obtained was processed directly as described in paragraph (c).
(b) In a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, a rising tube and an apparatus for inert gasification a solution of 79 g of 5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-yne in 50 ml of absolute tetrahydrofuran was placed under argon and cooled to -20° C. This solution was now treated dropwise at -30° C. to -20° C. within 20 minutes with 280 ml of an about 1.56M solution of butyl lithium in hexane and the resulting mixture was stirred for a further 30 minutes. The orange solution B obtained was processed as described in paragraph (c).
(c) Solution B was treated dropwise at -15° C. within 20 minutes with solution A and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for a further 2 hours. The mixture was cooled to -20° C., treated while stirring with 42 ml of ethyl chloroformate and the mixture obtained was then warmed to room temperature during 1 hour. The mixture was subsequently diluted with 250 ml of diethyl ether and the aqueous phase was separated and back-washed with 250 ml of diethyl ether. The organic phases were washed twice with 250 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution each time, combined and dried over sodium sulphate. After filtering off the drying agent and concentrating the filtrate on a rotary evaporator (water bath temperature 50° C.), there was obtained 181.5 g of crude ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-1-[5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl]-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate was a brown-yellow oil.
(d) The brown-yellow oil obtained was dissolved in 450 ml of tetrahydrofuran and 50 ml of water (turbid solution), treated with 2 g of pyridinium p-tosylate and stirred for a further 20 minutes (clear solution). The brown-orange solution was subsequently treated with 2 g of solid potassium carbonate and evaporated to constant weight on a rotary evaporator (bath temperature 50° C.). The residue was diluted with 250 ml of diethyl ether and extracted with 250 of water. The aqueous phase was separated and back-extracted with 250 ml of diethyl ester. The organic phases were washed twice with 250 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution each time, combined and dried over sodium sulphate. After filtering off the drying agent and concentrating the filtrate on a rotary evaporator (water bath temperature 50° C.), there were obtained 140 g of crude product which was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 1:1). From the product-containing fractions there was obtained a total of 99.0 g (91.6%) of pure ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate as a slightly yellowish oil.
EXAMPLE 3
In a two-necked flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, a reflux condenser and an argon headpiece 4.4 g of imidazole were dissolved under argon in 50 ml of triethylene glycol dimethyl ether and the solution was heated to 195° C. in an oil bath. A solution of 5 g of ethyl 1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate in 10 ml of triethylene glycol dimethyl ether was subsequently added dropwise within about 20 minutes at an internal temperature of 185°-190° C. The mixture was held at the same temperature for a further 1 hour and then poured on to 200 ml of ice/water. The aqueous phase was extracted twice with 250 ml of diethyl ether each time. The combined ether phases were washed four times with 100 ml of water each time, dried over sodium sulphate, concentrated on a rotary evaporator at about 40° C. and then dried at room temperature for 2 hours in a high vacuum. The crude product obtained (3.6 g) was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 1:1). From the product-containing fractions there were obtained 2.1 g (59.5%) of 5-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-methyl-2-penten-4-yn-1-ol as a slightly yellowish oil (ratio 2E/2Z=98.8:0.6).
The ethyl 1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate used as the starting material was prepared as follows:
(a) 115.1 g of 5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-yne and 90 ml of tetrahydrofuran were placed in a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel and an argon headpiece, the mixture was cooled to -25° C. and treated dropwise at this temperature within 20 minutes with a 1.6M solution of butyl lithium in hexane. The mixture was stirred at 0° C. for a further 15 minutes, then cooled to -10° C. and treated dropwise at this temperature within 15 minutes with 72.9 g of 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone. The mixture was subsequently warmed to room temperature and stirred for a further 2 hours. The mixture was cooled to 0° C., treated dropwise at this temperature within 15 minutes with 67.5 ml of ethyl chloroformate, left to warm to room temperature and stirred for a further 1.5 hours. The mixture was subsequently poured into 1 l of saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and extracted twice with 1 l of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed with 1 l of deionized water, dried over sodium sulphate, the drying agent was filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo on a rotary evaporator (bath temperature about 45° C.). The residue was freed from 5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-yne in a high vacuum at a bath temperature of 60° C. during 1 hour. There were obtained 232.1 g (117.3%) of crude ethyl 1-[5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl]-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate which was processed directly without further purification.
(b) 105.0 g of the crude product obtained as described in paragraph (a) were dissolved in 630 ml of tetrahydrofuran in a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer and an argon headpiece, the solution was treated with 105 ml of deionized water and 5.25 g of pyridinium p-tosylate and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for a further 30 minutes. The mixture was poured into 750 ml of saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and extracted three times with 600 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed with 750 ml of semi-saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, dried over sodium sulphate, the drying agent was filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo on a rotary evaporator (bath temperature about 45° C.). After drying in a high vacuum, there were obtained 84.8 g (116.9%) of crude product which was chromatographed on silica gel with hexane/diethyl ether (vol. 2:1). There were thus obtained 2.3 g (4.5%) of 5-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-methyl-2-penten-4-yn-1-ol and 53.6 g (73.9%) of ethyl 1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate.
EXAMPLE 4
In a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, a reflux condenser and an apparatus for inert gasification 16 ml of tert.butanol and 20 ml of absolute toluene were placed under argon and cooled to -25° C. This solution was treated dropwise at -30° C. to -20° C. within 10 minutes with 52 ml of a 1.56M solution of butyl lithium in hexane and the mixture was stirred for a further 30 minutes without cooling. There was subsequently added to the thus-prepared solution of lithium tert.-butylate at about 20° C. in one portion a solution of 14.4 g of (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl benzoate in 120 ml of absolute toluene. The suspension obtained was heated carefully to 65° C. with the aid of an oil bath and stirred at this temperature for 1.5 hours. Thereafter, the mixture was poured on to 150 ml of ice/water. The aqueous phase was separated and extracted twice with 150 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed with 150 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, combined, dried over sodium sulphate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator at about 40° C. and the residue was then dried at room temperature for 1 hour in a high vaccum. The crude product obtained (12.0 g) was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 1:1). From the product-containing fractions there was obtained a total of 7.5 g (80%) of (4R)-5-(4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-methyl-2E-penten-4-yn-1-ol as yellowish crystals (purity 98.8%, content of 2Z isomer 1.1%).
The (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl benzoate used as the starting material was prepared as follows:
(a) A solution of 16.4 g of (4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone and 30 mg of pyridinium p-tosylate in 20 ml of tetrahydrofuran was treated dropwise under argon at 15°-20° C. within 10 minutes with 16.0 g of isopropenyl methyl ether.
(b) A solution of 27 g of 5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-yne in 30 ml of absolute tetrahydrofuran was cooled to -20° C. under argon, then treated dropwise at -30° C. to -20° C. within 10 minutes with 90 ml of an about 1.56M solution of butyl lithium in hexane and the mixture was stirred for a further 30 minutes.
(c) The solution obtained as described in paragraph (b) was treated dropwise at -15° C. within 15 minutes with the solution prepared as described in paragraph (a) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for a further 1 hour. The mixture was cooled to -10° C., treated while stirring with 18.6 ml of benzoyl chloride and then stirred at room temperature overnight (18 hours). Thereafter, the mixture was poured into 200 ml of saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, the aqueous phase was separated and back-extracted twice with 300 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed twice with 250 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution each time, concentrated, dried over sodium sulphate and the drying agent was filtered off. After concentrating the filtrate on a rotary evaporator (water bath temperature 40° C.), crude (1S,4R,6R)-4-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-1-[5-(2-methoxy-2-propyl)oxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl]-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl benzoate was obtained as a brown-yellow oil.
(d) The brown-yellow oil obtained was dissolved in 400 ml of tetrahydrofuran and 20 ml of water (turbid solution), treated with 1 g of pyridinium p-tosylate and stirred for a further 15 minutes (clear solution). The mixture was subsequently poured into 200 ml of saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, the aqueous phase was separated and extracted twice with 300 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were combined, dried over sodium sulphate and the drying agent was filtered off. After concentrating the filtrate on a rotary evaporator (bath temperature 40° C.), there were obtained 51.3 g of crude product which was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 2:1). From the product-containing fractions there was obtained a total of 32.2 g (86.1%) of pure (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexyl benzoate as a light yellow oil.
EXAMPLE 5
In a sulphonation flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, a reflux condenser and an apparatus for inert gasification 40 ml of tert.butanol and 50 ml of absolute toluene were placed under argon and cooled to -25° C. This solution was treated dropwise at -30° C. to -20° C. within 10 minutes with 130 ml of a 1.56M solution of butyl lithium in hexane and the mixture was stirred for a further 30 minutes without cooling. There was subsequently added to the thus-prepared solution of lithium tert.butylate at 6° C. in one portion a solution of 32.4 g of ethyl (1S,4R,6R)-4-hydroxy-1-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-3E-penten-1-ynyl)-2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexylcarbonate (prepared according to Example (2) in 150 ml of absolute toluene. The mixture was heated carefully to 55° C. with the aid of an oil bath and stirred at this temperature for 30 minutes. Thereafter, the mixture was poured on to 400 ml of ice/water. The aqueous phase was separated and extracted twice with 300 ml of diethyl ether each time. The organic phases were washed with 300 ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, combined, dried over sodium sulphate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator at about 40° C. and the residue was then dried at room temperature for 5 hours in a high vacuum. There were thus obtained 23.9 g (102.1%) of a yellow-orange crystalline product of (4R)-5-(4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-3-methyl-2-penten-4-yn-1-ol (containing 90.5% of 2E isomer with 1.4% of 2Z isomer) which was chromatographed on silica gel with diethyl ether/hexane (vol. 1:1). From the product-containing fractions there was obtained a total of 19.9 g (85%) of (4R)-5-(4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-methyl-2E-penten-4-yn-1-ol as yellowish crystals (purity 98.0%, content of 2Z isomer 0.5%).
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Compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein n is either 0 or 1; R 1 and R 2 is hydrogen and the other is hydrogen, hydroxy, oxo group, a protected hydroxy or protected oxo group; R 3 is hydroxy oxo group, ═CH--CH 2 --OH, ═CH--CHO or one of the foregoing groups where the hydroxy or oxo functions are protected; R 4 is --CO--OR 6 , --CO--R 6 , --CO--NR 6 R 7 , --CO--Cl or --SO 2 --R 6 ; R 6 is saturated or aromatic hydrocarbon; and R 7 is saturated or aromatic hydrocarbon or hydrogen,
are converted by cleavage of R 4 OH into corresponding cycloalkenes and protecting groups, if present, are hydrolyzed.
The compounds obtained are valuable intermediates in carotenoid syntheses.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new water-based bleaching and disinfecting compositions with viscoelastic, i.e. non-Newtonian, flow behavior containing alkali metal hypochlorites, alkali metal hydroxides, amphoteric surfactants, hydrotropes and sequestrants in defined quantity ratios.
PRIOR ART
In the past, bleaching compositions based on alkali metal hypochlorites which have a remarkable viscosity and which are therefore particularly suitable for the treatment of fibers and hard surfaces have been successfully used both in the field of textile treatment and in the field of hygiene and disinfection. The effect of the high viscosity of these compositions is that the contact time between them and the surfaces to be treated is considerably longer than in the case of commercially available liquid products which soon flow off.
There has been no shortage of attempts in the past to provide bleaching and disinfecting compositions as viscous as this. For example, it was found that certain surfactants or surfactant mixtures have a thickening effect on aqueous hypochlorite solutions. EP 0 274 885 A1 (ICI), for example, recommends the use of mixtures of linear and branched amine oxides. According to the teaching of EP 0 145 084 A1 (Unilever), mixtures of amine oxides with soaps, sarcosinates, taurides or sugar esters may also be used for this purpose. The use of amine oxides with soap or sarcosinate and other anionic surfactants, for example alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, secondary alkane sulfonates or alkyl benzenesulfonates as thickening components is known from EP 0 079 102 A1, EP 0 137 551 A1 and EP 0 447 261 A1 (Unilever). EP 0 156 438 A1 reports on the use of alkylaryl sulfonates as thickeners in water-based bleaching compositions which contain certain stilbene dyes as optical brighteners. In addition, water-based bleaching compositions containing sodium hypochlorite and anionic surfactants are known from EP 0 447 261 A1. However, the hypochlorite concentration of these compositions is between 0.1 and 8% by weight and preferably between 0.5 and 5% by weight active chlorine. In German patent DE 43 33 100 C1, applicants have already proposed stable and sufficiently viscous water-based bleaching and cleaning compositions based on hypochlorites, fatty alcohol ether sulfates and amine oxides which contain amine oxide phosphonic acids as a compulsory component. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,514 (Lever) relates to alkaline hypochlorite bleaching compositions which contain amine oxides and small quantities of alkyl ether sulfates and soaps as viscosity regulators. However, all the known products mentioned above are attended by the disadvantage of Newtonian flow behavior, i.e. the velocity gradient is proportional to the shear stress at a given temperature which, although of advantage for the washing or bleaching process, makes dosing very difficult.
Accordingly, the complex problem addressed by the present invention was to provide new water-based bleaching and disinfecting compositions which would be distinguished by the fact that they would exhibit adequate chlorine and storage stability and would have a washing and bleaching performance at least equivalent to the products of the prior art. In addition, the products would be free from clouding and, in particular, would show viscoelastic behavior which would make them easy to dose, for example when used in washing machines, and also when applied to inclined surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to viscoelastic bleaching and disinfecting compositions containing—based on the composition
(a) 1 to 8 and preferably 2 to 6% by weight of alkali metal hypochlorites,
(b) 0.1 to 2 and preferably 1 to 1.5% by weight of alkali metal hydroxides,
(c) 0.1 to 2 and preferably 0.5 to 1% by weight of betaines,
(d) 0.1 to 1 and preferably 0.2 to 0.5% by weight of hydrotropes and
(e) 0.05 to 1 and preferably 0.1 to 0.5% by weight of sequestrants,
with the proviso that the quantities shown add up to 100% by weight with water and, optionally other auxiliaries and additives.
It has surprisingly been found that the new liquid bleaching compositions not only show excellent chlorine and storage stability and improved bleaching and washing performance, they also exhibit—above all —the desired viscoelastic behavior, i.e. the flow rate of the compositions is above all a function of the shear stress or, in other words, the viscosity of the compositions only decreases significantly during shearing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Alkali Metal Hypochlorites
Alkali metal hypochlorites in the context of the invention are understood to be lithium, potassium and, in particular, sodium hypochlorite.
Alkali Metal Hydroxides
Suitable alkali metal hydroxides are potassium hydroxide and, in particular, sodium hydroxide which are preferably used to adjust the pH value of the compositions to an optimum value of 12.5 to 14.
Betaines
Betaines are known surfactants which are mainly produced by carboxyalkylation, preferably carboxymethylation, of aminic compounds. The starting materials are preferably condensed with halocarboxylic acids or salts thereof, more particularly with sodium chloroacetate, 1 mole of salt being formed per mole of betaine. The addition of unsaturated carboxylic acids, for example acrylic acid, is also possible. Information on the nomenclature and, in particular, on the difference between betaines and “true” amphoteric surfactants can be found in the article by U. Ploog. in Seifen-Ole-Fette-Wachse, 198, 373 (1982). Other overviews on this subject have been published, for example, by A. O'Lennick et al. in HAPPI, Nov. 70 (1986), by S. Holzman et al. in Tens. Surf. Det. 23, 309 (1986), by R. Bilbo et al. in Soap Cosm. Chem. Spec. Apr. 46 (1990) and by P. Ellis et al. in Euro Cosm. 1, 14 (1994). Examples of suitable betaines are the carboxyalkylation products of secondary and, in particular, tertiary amines which correspond to formula (I):
in which R 1 represents alkyl and/or alkenyl groups containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms, R 2 represents hydrogen or alkyl groups containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 3 represents alkyl groups containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is a number of 1 to 6 and X is an alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal or ammonium. Typical examples are the carboxymethylation products of hexyl methyl amine, hexyl dimethyl amine, octyl dimethyl amine, decyl dimethyl amine, dodecyl methyl amine, dodecyl dimethyl amine, dodecyl ethyl methyl amine, C 12/14 cocoalkyl dimethyl amine, myristyl dimethyl amine, cetyl dimethyl amine, stearyl dimethyl amine, stearyl ethyl methyl amine, oleyl dimethyl amine, C 16/18 tallow alkyl dimethyl amine and technical mixtures thereof. Other suitable betaines are carboxyalkylation products of amidoamines corresponding to formula (II):
in which R 4 CO is an aliphatic acyl group containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms and 0 or 1 to 3 double bonds, m is a number of 1 to 3 and R 2 , R 3 , n and X are as defined above. Typical examples are reaction products of fatty acids containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms, namely caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, petroselic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, elaeostearic acid, arachic acid, gadoleic acid, behenic acid and erucic acid and technical mixtures thereof, with N,N-dimethyl amino-ethyl amine, N,N-dimethyl aminopropyl amine, N,N-diethyl aminoethyl amine and N,N-diethyl aminopropyl amine which are condensed with sodium chloroacetate. A condensation product of C 8/18 cocofatty acid-N,N-dimethyl aminopropyl amide with sodium chloroacetate is preferably used. Other suitable starting materials for the betaines to be used in accordance with the invention are imidazolines corresponding to formula (III):
in which R 5 is an alkyl group containing 5 to 21 carbon atoms, R 6 is a hydroxyl group, an OCOR 5 or NHCOR 5 group and m is 2 or 3. These imidazolines are also known substances which may be obtained, for example, by cyclizing condensation of 1 or 2 moles of fatty acid with polyfunctional amines, for example aminoethyl ethanolamine (AEEA) or diethylenetriamine. The corresponding carboxyalkylation products are mixtures of different open-chain betaines. Typical examples are condensation products of the above-mentioned fatty acids with AEEA, preferably imidazolines based on lauric acid or C 12/14 cocofatty acid, which are subsequently betainized with sodium chloroacetate.
Hydrotropes
Hydrotropes are understood by the expert to be substances which allow the solubilization of poorly soluble substances without actually being solvents themselves. Suitable solubilizers are, in particular, sulfonates of aromatic compounds with low degrees of alkylation such as, for example, toluene sulfonate, xylene sulfonate or cumene sulfonate in the form of their alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof.
Sequestrants
If the compositions are used for the treatment of textiles, it is advisable to add to them electrolytes which act as sequestrants for heavy metal ions and which thus counteract yellowing of the washing. Suitable sequestrants are, for example, inorganic substances such as, for example, alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal silicates, carbonates, phosphates or phosphonates and organic substances such as, for example, polyacrylic acid compounds, amine oxide phosphonic acids or lignin sulfonates. Mixtures of different sequestrants may of course also be used.
Silicates in the context of the invention are understood to be salts and esters of orthosilicic acid Si(OH) 4 and self-condensation products thereof. Accordingly, the following crystalline substances, for example, may be used as silicates:
(a) neosilicates (island silicates) such as, for example, phenakite, olivine and zircon;
(b) sorosilicates (group silicates) such as, for example, thortveitite and hemimorphite;
(c) cyclosilicates (ring silicates) such as, for example, benitoite, axinite, beryl, milarite, osumilite or eudialyte;
(d) inosilicates (chain and band silicates) such as, for example, metasilicates (for example diopside) or amphiboles (for example tremolite);
(e) phyllosilicates (sheet and layered silicates) such as, for example, talcum, kaolinite and mica (for example muscovite);
(f) tectosilicates (framework silicates) such as, for example feldspars and zeolites and clathrasils or dodecasils (for example melanophlogite), thaumasite and neptunite.
In contrast to the ordered crystalline silicates, silicate glasses, for example soda or potash waterglass, are preferably used. These may be of natural origin (for example montmorillonite) or may have been synthetically produced. In another embodiment of the invention, alumosilicates may also be used. Typical examples of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal silicates are sodium and/or potassium silicates with a modulus of 1.0 to 3.0 and 1.5 to 2.0.
Phosphonic acids are understood to be organic derivatives of the acid HP(O)(OH) 2 . Phosphonates are the salts and esters of these phosphonic acids. The organic phosphonic acids or phosphonates preferably used are known chemical compounds which may be produced, for example, by the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction. They correspond, for example, to formula (IV):
in which R 1 is an optionally substituted alkyl and/or alkenyl group containing 1 to 22, preferably 2 to 18 and more preferably 6 to 12 carbon atoms and R 2 is hydrogen, an alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal, ammonium, alkylammonium and/or alkanolammonium or an optionally substituted alkyl and/or alkenyl group containing 1 to 22, preferably 2 to 18 and more preferably 6 to 12 carbon atoms. Typical examples are optionally hydroxy-, nitrilo- and/or amino-substituted phosphonic acids such as, for example, ethyl phosphonic acid, nitrilotris-(methylenephosphonic acid), 1-amino- or 1-hydroxyalkane-1,1-diphosphonic acids. A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by the use of amine oxide phosphonic acids corresponding to formula (V):
in which R 3 is hydrogen, a (CH 2 ) m (CHCH 3 ) n NH 2 O group or an alkali metal, m is a number of 1 to 4 and n is 0 or 1. Amine oxide phosphonic acids are builders or sequestrants which are marketed, for example, under the name of Sequion® by Bozefto (Italy). They are produced from aminophosphonic acids which are reacted to form the amine oxide. Both mono- and diamine oxides in the form of the phosphonic acids (or salts) thereof corresponding to formula (V) may be used for the purposes of the invention. Amine oxide phosphonic acids in which R 3 is hydrogen, m is 3 and n is 0 (amine oxide based on aminotrimethylene phosphonic acid) are preferably used.
Polyacrylic acid compounds are understood to be homopolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid or esters thereof. Besides the acids, esters of the acids with alcohols containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms may also be polymerized. Polyacrylic acid compounds with a particularly advantageous stabilizing effect are present as alkali metal salts and have an average molecular weight of 1,000 to 10,000 and more particularly, 4,000 to 6,000 dalton. A suitable modified polyacrylate is Norasol® 470 N (Rohm & Haas, Germany)—a polyphosphonoacrylate with a molecular weight of 3,500 dalton.
Polyols
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the new bleaching compositions may contain polyols preferably containing 2 to 15 carbon atoms and at least two hydroxyl groups. Typical examples are:
glycerol;
alkylene glycols such as, for example, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and hexylene glycol and polyethylene glycols with an average molecular weight of 100 to 1000 dalton;
technical oligoglycerol mixtures with a degree of self-condensation of 1.5 to 10, for example technical diglycerol mixtures with a diglycerol content of 40 to 50% by weight;
methylol compounds such as, in particular, trimethylol ethane, trimethylol propane, trimethylol butane, pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol;
lower alkyl glucosides, more particularly those containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, for example methyl and butyl glucoside;
sugar alcohols containing 5 to 12 carbon atoms, for example sorbitol or mannitol,
sugars containing 5 to 12 carbon atoms, for example glucose or sucrose;
amino sugars, for example glucamine.
The polyols may also be present in esterified or etherified form. A typical example of the latter group of compounds are the mono- and dimethyl ethers of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol. In general, the polyols will be used in small quantities, i.e. in quantities of 0.01 to 1% by weight and preferably 0.02 to 0.5% by weight, based on the composition.
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The compositions according to the invention are generally aqueous with a non-aqueous component of, preferably, 5 to 35% by weight and, more preferably, 8 to 15% by weight and are particularly suitable for the treatment of flat textiles such as, for example, yarns, webs and, in particular, textiles. They are normally used at low temperatures, i.e. at cold-wash temperatures (ca. 15 to 25° C.). The compositions are distinguished not only by excellent stain removal, they also reliably prevent the deposition of lime and metal traces on the fibers and thus also prevent incrustation and yellowing. Although the actual use of the compositions is directed to the removal of stains during washing, they are also suitable in principle for other applications where hypochlorite solutions are used, for example for the cleaning and disinfection of hard surfaces.
The compositions may additionally contain other chlorine-stable surfactants, optical brighteners, fragrances, dyes and pigments each in quantities of 0.01 to 2% by weight, based on the composition.
Suitable chlorine-stable surfactants are, for example, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, amine oxides, soaps, alkyl polyglucosides and fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers.
Typical examples of suitable optical brighteners are derivatives of diaminostilbene disulfonic acid and alkali metal salts thereof. Suitable optical brighteners are, for example, derivatives of 4,4′-diamino-2,2′-stilbene disulfonic acid (flavonic acid), such as in particular the salts of 4,4′-bis-(2-anilino4-morpholino-1,3,5-triazinyl-6-amino)-stillbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid or compounds of similar structure which, instead of the morpholino group, contain a diethanolamino group, a methylamino group, an anilino group or a 2-methoxyethylamino group. Other brighteners which may be present are those of the substituted diphenyl styryl type, for example alkali metal salts of 4,4′-bis-(2-sulfostyryl)-diphenyl, 4,4′-bis-(4-chloro-3-sulfostyryl)-diphenyl or 4-(4-chlorostyryl)4′-(2-sulfostyryl)-diphenyl, methyl umbelliferone, coumarin, dihydroquinolinone, 1,3-diaryl pyrazoline, naphthalic acid amide, benzoxazole, benzisoxazole and benzimidazole systems linked by CH═CH bonds, heterocycle-substituted pyrine derivatives and the like. Mixtures of the brighteners mentioned above may also be used. Particularly preferred brighteners are naphthotriazole stilbene sulfonic acid, for example in the form of its sodium salt (Tinopal® RBS 200), distyryl biphenyl bis-(triazinylamino)-stilbene disulfonic acid (Tinopal® CDS-X) and, in particular, 4,4′-bis-(2-sulfostyryl)biphenyl disodium salt (Tinopal® CBS-X, products of Ciba). The potassium salt of 4,4′-bis-(1,2,3-triazolyl)-(2)-stilbine-2,2-sulfonic acid marketed under the name of Phorwite® BHC 766 is preferred. The compositions generally contain the optical brighteners in quantities of 1 to 5% by weight and preferably 2 to 3% by weight. Blue dyes may also be present in small quantities. A particularly dye is the tetrabenzotetraazaporphine available as Tinolux® BBS (Ciba-Geigy).
Typical examples of suitable perfumes stable to active chlorine are: citronellol (3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol), dimethyl octanol (3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol), hydroxycitronellol (3,7-dimethyloctane-1,7-diol), mugol (3,7-dimethyl-4,6-octatrien-3-ol), myrcenol (2-methyl-6-methylene-7-octen-2-ol), tetrahydromyrcenol (THM, 2,6-dimethyloctan-2ol), terpinolene (p-mentho-1,4-(8)-diene), ethyl-2-methyl butyrate, phenyl propyl alcohol, galaxolide (1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl cyclopental-2-benzopyran), tonalide (7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl tetrahydronaphthalene), rose oxide, linalol oxide, 2,6-dimethyl-3-octanol, tetrahydroethyl linalool, tetrahydroethyl linalyl acetate, o-sec.-butyl cyclohexyl acetate and isolone diphorenepoxide and also isoborneal, dihydroterpineol, isobomyl acetate, dihydroterpenyl acetate. Other suitable perfumes are the substances mentioned in columns 3 and 4 of European patent application EP 0 622 451 A1 (Procter & Gamble).
Suitable pigments are inter alia green chlorophthalocyanines (Pigmosol® Green, Hostaphine® Green) or yellow Solar Yellow BG 300 (Sandoz). The compositions according to the invention are prepared by stirring. The product obtained may optionally be decanted or filtered to remove foreign bodies and/or agglomerates. In addition, the compositions have a viscosity below 100 and preferably below 50 mPas, as measured at 20° C. in a Brookfield viscosimeter (spindle 1, 60 r.p.m.).
EXAMPLES
Viscosity was measured at 20° C. using a Brookfield RVT viscosimeter (spindle 1, 60 r.p.m.). To determine chlorine stability, the test mixtures were introduced into a colorless plastic bottle and stored in daylight for 4 weeks, after which the active chlorine content was determined. Bleaching and washing performance was tested against a bleachable soil (red wine). To this end, polyester/cotton fabric was soiled and treated at 30° C. (water hardness 29° dH) in a conventional Miele washing machine (program: fast wash/rinsing/spinning/rinsing/spinning/drying). The bleaching composition was used in a quantity of 200 g/15 l, the liquor load was 0.3 g/l. Brightening was photometrically determined against a white standard. Finally, the compositions were tested to determine whether they showed viscoelastic (+) or Newtonian (−) flow behavior. The optical impression was evaluated after storage for 4 weeks at 40° C., (++) signifying no clouding, (+)slight clouding and (−) distinct clouding. Formulations 1 to 6 in Table 1 correspond to the invention while formulations C1 and C2 are intended for comparison.
TABLE 1
Viscosity, storage stability, chlorine stability and cleaning performance
(quantities = % by weight)
Components
1
2
3
4
5
6
C1
C2
Sodium hypochlorite
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.2
Sodium hydroxide
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
Cetyl dimethyl betaine
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
—
1.0
—
0.2
Lauryl amidopropyl betaine
—
—
—
—
0.2
—
—
—
Cocofatty alcohol +
—
—
—
—
—
—
0.2
—
2.3EO sulfate sodium salt
Toluene sulfonate sodium salt
0.2
0.4
—
—
0.4
0.4
0.4
—
Xylene sulfonate sodium salt
—
—
0.4
—
—
—
—
—
Cumene sulfonate sodium salt
—
—
—
0.4
—
—
—
—
Sodium silicate 1)
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
Polyacrylate 2)
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
Aminooxide phosphonic acid 3)
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
Ethylene glycol
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.03
Water
to 100
Viscosity [mPas]
19
20
22
25
23
20
31
35
Chlorine stability [%-rel.]
82
85
85
85
85
85
74
71
Washing performance [%-refl.]
71
76
78
77
78
78
65
61
Viscoelasticity
+
+
+
+
+
+
−
−
Clouding
+
++
++
++
++
++
++
−
1) Modulus 1.6;
2) Norasol ® LMW 45 N (Rohm & Haas);
3) Sequion ® CLR (Bozetto)
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The invention relates to new bleaching and disinfecting compositions containing—based on the composition
(a) 1 to 8% by weight of alkali metal hypochlorites,
(b) 0.1 to 2% by weight of alkali metal hydroxides,
(c) 0.1 to 2% by weight of betaines,
(d) 0.1 to 1% by weight of hydrotropes and
(e) 0.05 to 1% by weight of sequestrants,
with the proviso that the quantities add up to 100% by weight with water and optionally other auxiliaries and additives. The clear compositions are viscoelastic and show inter alia high stability in storage in addition to excellent washing and bleaching performance.
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BACKGROUND
The invention relates to a tensioning device for a traction mechanism drive which is disposed on an internal combustion engine and has a drive wheel arranged on a drive shaft of a machine, one or more additional driving wheels and a continuously revolving traction means which wraps around the drive wheel and the additional driving wheels. The tensioning device comprises two tensioning arms, having tensioning wheels which are mounted thereon and apply tensioning force to the traction means in front of and behind the drive wheel in the direction of revolution, and has a spring means, which generates the tensioning force, and a tensioner housing, which movably supports at least one of the tensioning arms subjected to the force of the spring means.
Particularly in traction mechanism drives having driving wheels which alternately take up and deliver torque, and having a corresponding alternation of tight strand and slack strand, the tensioning of the slack strand calls for a tensioning device having two tensioning wheels which pretension the traction means in front of and behind the drive wheel of the alternately driving and driven drive shaft. The drive shaft is constituted typically and not necessarily by the shaft of the machine configured as a starter generator, which machine delivers torque for the starting of the internal combustion engine and takes up torque for the generation of current.
While the traction mechanism drives can basically be constituted by belt, chain or link conveyor drives, tensioning devices of the type stated in the introduction are typically known as belt tensioners in an ancillary unit belt drive in a variety of designs. In DE 199 26 615 A1, DE 10 2008 025 552 A1 and DE 10 2006 019 877 A1, for instance, are proposed tensioning devices which respectively have a tensioner housing, which is fastened to the starter generator, and two tensioning arms, which are mounted movably therein and the tensioning rollers of which are forced closer together by an intermediate spring means in order to tension the belt.
SUMMARY
Starting from the above, the object of the present invention is to improve the design of a tensioning device of the type noted in the introduction, particularly with regard to low complexity.
The solution thereto is provided in a mounting of the tensioner housing, which mounting is pivotable about the axis of the drive shaft, being provided on the machine. In other words, the tensioner housing, which is itself rotatably mounted, partakes in the tensioning motion, and the fastening of the tensioning device to the machine, and there to the starter generator or a separate unit carrier, which fastening is necessary in the cited prior art, can be dispensed with for the benefit of reduced component complexity. Moreover, the fitting of the tensioning device into the traction mechanism drive can be considerably simplified by virtue of the fact that the tensioning device and the drive wheel are connected and are screwed as one on the drive shaft.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tensioner housing shall be mounted on the drive shaft or the drive wheel by means of a roller bearing. The friction of the roller bearing, which is considerably less than that of a slide bearing, not only ensures a durable and low-friction mounting of the tensioning device on the rotating drive shaft or rotating drive wheel, but is also accompanied by a correspondingly low damping of the tensioning device during the oscillating pivot motions of the tensioner housing. The inventive tensioning device is consequently not only suitable for the tensioning of traction mechanism drives with quasistatically alternating tight and slack strand, but can also serve for a dynamic decoupling of the generator from the rotational irregularities of the internal combustion engine. For, due to the dynamic oscillating motion of the tensioning device connected in a virtually undamped manner to the generator, a torque equilibrium in the tensioning device about the generator axis is obtained. The traction means vibrations which are generated by the rotational irregularities are thereby reduced.
In the case of the mounting on the drive wheel, it is particularly advantageous if the tensioning device forms with the drive wheel and the roller bearing, which latter is inserted in a circular-ring-shaped recess of the drive wheel radially between a bearing portion of the tensioner housing, said bearing portion running in the recess, and a hub of the drive wheel, a structural unit which can be fitted onto the drive shaft. As mentioned above, the advantages lie, on the one hand, in the very simplified fitting of the tensioning device and, on the other hand—due to the components placed such that they are radially nested one inside the other—in its, in the axial direction of the drive shaft, extremely compact construction. If, moreover, the roller bearing and the outer periphery of the drive wheel, which outer periphery is wrapped around by the traction means, run in a common drive plane, the tilting moment of the tensioning device about its bearing point, given correspondingly low tilting load upon the tensioning device, is minimized. The fastening of the roller bearing in relation to the drive wheel and the bearing portion of the tensioner housing can be realized in a known manner, for instance by means of an interference fit, an axial locking ring or both.
As an alternative to the mounting of the tensioner housing on the drive shaft or the drive wheel, the mounting can be realized also on the (stationary) machine housing, for instance on a bearing journal running behind the drive wheel. This mounting can be realized both as a roller bearing and as a slide bearing arrangement, wherein, in the case of the slide bearing, a defined friction with comparatively high damping of the bearing point is also provided, where necessary.
For the benefit of simplified design, the tensioner housing, moreover, shall movably support only one of the tensioning arms, and accordingly the other tensioning arm shall be fastened in the or to the tensioner housing. In the preferred case that the machine is constituted by a starter generator of the internal combustion engine, the tensioning wheel of the movably mounted tensioning arm shall then be disposed in front of the drive wheel in the direction of revolution of the traction means. During operation of the generator, the tensioning wheel of the movably mounted tensioning arm serves to tension the slack strand. The loads and the risk of self-locking at the mounting of the movable tensioning arm are hereby kept low.
Nevertheless, particularly in the case of a starter generator belt drive, it can also conversely be advantageous to dispose the tensioning wheel, mounted fixedly on the tensioner housing, in front of the drive wheel in the direction of revolution of the belt. In this arrangement of the tensioning wheels, the risk of tilting, which is accompanied by striking acoustics and increased wear, of the belt portion taken up on the drive wheel of the starter generator is significantly less than in the aforementioned tensioning wheel arrangement. For in the housing-fixed tensioning wheel there is no bearing clearance, which promotes tilting of the belt, between the tensioning arm and the tensioning wheel.
Where, alternatively, both tensioning arms are movably mounted in or on the tensioner housing, a relative motion between tensioning arm and tensioner housing can be spread over both tensioning arms and the frictional load on the bearing portions of the tensioning arms can accordingly diminish.
The movably mounted tensioning arm shall have a circular-arc-shaped bearing portion, the spring means shall be configured as a bow spring, and the tensioner housing shall have a correspondingly circular-arc-shaped duct, in which the bearing portion of the tensioning arm and the bow spring are movably accommodated on the circular arc. The tensioning arm, the duct and the bow spring shall run preferably concentrically to the axis of the drive shaft. By a bow spring should be understand, as is known, a helical compression spring, which in its longitudinal direction is curved in the shape of a circular arc. Particularly if the tensioner housing movably supports both tensioning arms, one or both bearing portions of the tensioning arms can be of hollow-cylindrical construction and can receive the bow spring, which is supported therebetween, for the benefit of a maximum possible spring length combined with correspondingly low spring stiffness.
For the purpose of protecting the bow spring from wear, the circular-arc-shaped duct shall be lined, at least in the radially outward direction of the bow spring, with one or more sliders. Expediently, the duct is also provided with sliders on the bearing portion of the movably mounted tensioning arm(s). Through a suitable choice and pairing of materials, a desired friction/damping between tensioner housing and tensioning arm, and between tensioner housing and bow spring, can also hereby be purposefully set.
For the benefit of simple producibility and installability, the tensioner housing can comprise two joined together half shells, which form the duct and preferably have an almost or fully mirror-symmetrical shape. With a view to low manufacturing costs, half shells produced, in particular, as sheet metal formed parts or—for the benefit of a comparatively small mass moment of inertia about the pivot axis—as injection-molded plastics parts are provided. The bearing portion for the mounting of the tensioner housing on the machine can either be produced as a separate part and joined with the half shells or be formed in one piece onto one of the half shells. Alternatively, a tensioner housing having a tubular duct produced in one piece and, according to the design of the bearing portion, having single-part or multipart construction is also conceivable. The term “joining” shall embrace all known methods for the establishment of joining connections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features of the invention emerge from the following description and from the drawings, in which an illustrative embodiment of an inventive tensioning device for a belt drive of an internal combustion engine with starter generator is represented, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows the belt drive and the tensioning device mounted on the starter generator, in simplified overall representation;
FIG. 2 shows the tensioning device in enlarged perspective view;
FIG. 3 shows the components of the tensioning device in exploded representation;
FIG. 4 shows the tensioning device in sectioned representation;
FIG. 5 shows the front half shell of the tensioner housing;
FIG. 6 shows the bow spring with associated slider;
FIG. 7 shows the rear half shell of the tensioner housing;
FIG. 8 a shows the tensioning arm mounted movably in the tensioner housing, with associated sliders;
FIG. 8 b shows the tensioning arm according to FIG. 8 a in cross section; and
FIG. 9 shows the tensioning arm fastened to the tensioner housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows in partially schematic representation the layout of a traction mechanism drive, configured as an ancillary unit belt drive 1 , of an internal combustion engine. The traction means, which is here configured as a Poly-V-belt 2 and revolves continuously in the direction of revolution identified by the arrow, wraps around the drive wheel 3 of a machine configured as a starter generator 4 and two additional driving wheels 5 and 6 , which are disposed on the crankshaft KW of the internal combustion engine or on an air conditioning compressor A/C.
For the starting of the internal combustion engine in the starter mode, the crankshaft sprocket 5 is driven by the starter generator 4 , in a manner which is known per se, so as to drive the starter generator 4 in the generator mode when the internal combustion engine is then started. The drive wheel 3 , which accordingly alternately delivers torque or takes up torque, produces an alternation of tight strand and slack strand, which is synchronous thereto, at the starter generator 4 . In the starting operation of the internal combustion engine, that strand 7 which, in the direction of revolution, runs in front of the drive wheel 3 which is then driving the crankshaft sprocket 5 is the tight strand, and the strand 8 which, in the direction of revolution, runs behind the drive wheel 3 is the slack strand. Conversely, during the generator mode, the strand 7 which, in the direction of revolution, runs in front of the drive wheel 3 that is then driven by the crankshaft sprocket 5 is the slack strand, and the strand which, in the direction of revolution, runs behind the drive wheel 3 is the tight strand.
As mentioned in the introduction, the tensioning of the alternating slack strand calls for a tensioning device having two tensioning wheels 9 and 10 , which apply tensioning force to the belt 2 , in its direction of revolution, in front of and behind the drive wheel 3 . The design of an inventive tensioning device 11 , which according to FIG. 1 is disposed on the drive wheel 3 of the starter generator 4 , shall be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9 .
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of that end face of the tensioning device 11 which is facing away from the starter generator, and FIG. 3 shows the tensioning device 11 in exploded representation, wherein, for the purpose of better illustration, the upper half shell, denoted by 12 a in FIG. 3 , of the tensioner housing 12 is removed in FIG. 2 . The two tensioning wheels 9 and 10 are screwed by means of roller bearings (not represented in detail) to associated tensioning arms 13 and 14 , of which one tensioning arm 13 is disposed movably in the tensioner housing 12 and the other tensioning arm 14 is fastened to the tensioner housing 12 . According to FIG. 1 , the tensioning wheels 9 , 10 are positioned in the belt drive 1 such that the tensioning wheel 9 of the movably mounted tensioning arm 13 is disposed in front of the drive wheel 3 in the direction of revolution of the belt 2 .
The tensioner housing 12 comprises the upper half shell 12 a and a lower half shell 12 b , which latter is facing the starter generator 4 . The half shells 12 a , 12 b , which are produced as sheet metal formed parts in mirror symmetry to each other and are axially joined together by means of welding, are shaped such that they form inside the tensioner housing 12 a circular-arc-shaped closed duct 15 . A spring means in the form of a correspondingly curved bow spring 16 , and a correspondingly circular-arc-shaped bearing portion 17 of the movably mounted tensioning arm 13 , are accommodated in the duct 15 concentrically to the drive wheel 3 and movably in the direction of the circular arc.
The duct 15 is lined in the radially outward direction of the bow spring 16 with a slider, and here a sliding shell 18 of semicircular cross section. The sliding shell 18 , which is injection molded from polyamide, not only serves to protect the bow spring 16 from wear, but also, by means of a suitable material/surface pairing, produces a defined friction/damping behavior in the relative motions between bow spring 16 and tensioner housing 12 . For the same reasons, the bearing portion 17 of the movable tensioning arm 13 is also encased in clamp-like sliders 19 and 20 of polyamide, which are formed of two pairs of identical half clamps 19 a , 19 b and 20 a , 20 b and the peripheral position of which in the duct 15 is a further parameter for purposefully influencing the friction/damping behavior in the relative motions between tensioning arm 13 and tensioner housing 12 .
The sliders 19 , 20 emerge in enlarged representation from FIG. 8 a , wherein the half clamps 19 a , 19 b , 20 a and 20 b correspond to the, in cross section, bone-like shaping of the bearing portion 17 according to FIG. 8 b . Compared to a circular cross section, a turning of the tensioning arm 13 about its curved longitudinal axis, and consequently of the tensioning wheel 9 about its rotational axis, can be reduced, particular when the tensioning arm 13 is extended far out of the tensioner housing 12 and its lever arm in the tensioner housing 12 , which lever arm positively impedes the turning, is correspondingly small. In the present case, an angle of 20° is provided as the traverse angle, which angle is obtained by butting of the cylindrical spring seat 21 on the bearing portion 17 against the complementary, i.e. raised, opposite form of the half shells 12 a , 12 b . This becomes clear from FIGS. 5 and 7 comprising the half shells 12 a , 12 b , which are there shown in enlarged representation.
The securement of the sliding shell 18 and of the sliders 19 , 20 in the tensioner housing 12 is realized in a positive-locking manner by means of bosses formed axially thereon, which bosses, according to FIGS. 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 a , respectively engage in recesses or openings complementary thereto. Thus the bosses (uniformly denoted by 22 ) of the sliders 19 , 20 engage in the openings (uniformly denoted by 23 ) of the half shells 12 a , 12 b , and the bosses (uniformly denoted by 24 ) of the sliding shell 18 engage in the openings (uniformly denoted by 25 ) of the half shells 12 a , 12 b.
From FIGS. 5 and 7 in conjunction with FIG. 9 , it can further be seen that the tensioning arm 14 fastened to the tensioner housing 12 has a mounting spigot 26 , which is press-fitted in a tubular projection formed by half cylinders 27 a and 27 b of the two half shells 12 a , 12 b and, at the same time, is secured by means of bosses 28 against turning in the projection. Both tensioning arms 13 , 14 are produced from as aluminum die castings.
As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tensioner housing 12 is mounted on the starter generator 4 such that it is pivotable about the axis 29 of the drive shaft 30 of said starter generator. In the concrete embodiment, a roller bearing in the form of a deep groove ball bearing 31 is provided for the mounting, which roller bearing supports a bearing portion 12 c of the tensioner housing 12 against the drive wheel 3 screwed to the drive shaft 30 . Only the threaded bore 32 of the drive shaft 30 for the central screw connection (not represented) of the drive wheel 3 , which central screw connection is known per se, is represented.
The tensioning device 11 forms with the drive wheel 3 and the ball bearing 31 a structural unit which can be fitted extremely easily onto the drive shaft 30 and which, with the central screw connection, is attached to the starter generator 4 . As can be seen from FIGS. 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 a , the structural unit can be delivered to the assembly station in the preloaded state of the bow spring 16 , in that the movable tensioning arm 13 in the tensioner housing 12 is fixed in the peripheral direction by means of a locking pin (not represented), which passes through the bores 33 in the half shells 12 a , 12 b and the bore 34 in the tensioning arm 13 .
With renewed reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 : like the two half shells 12 a , 12 b , the bearing portion 12 c of the tensioner housing 12 , which bearing portion is joined on the end face with said half shells and is here likewise welded thereto, is produced as a sheet metal formed part having a cylindrical projection 35 that runs in a circular recess 36 of the drive wheel 3 concentrically thereto. The ball bearing 31 is inserted radially between the bearing portion 12 c and a boss 37 of the drive wheel 3 by means of an interference fit. As a result of the radially internested arrangement of the components, the ball bearing 31 and the outer periphery 38 of the drive wheel 3 , which outer periphery is wrapped around by the belt, run in a common drive plane. Consequently, in addition to the axially particularly compact construction, the tilting moment of the tensioning device 11 about its bearing point, given correspondingly low tilting load upon the ball bearing 31 , is minimized.
In the event of a load change in the belt drive 1 , induced by the momentary operating mode of the starter generator 4 , i.e. when the tight strand is exchanged for the slack strand, the inventive mounting of the tensioning device 11 causes the tensioner housing 12 to pivot on the starter generator 4 about the drive shaft axis 29 thereof. In the case of the present illustrative embodiment comprising just one movable tensioning arm 13 , the force which produces the pivoting flows, for instance, via the tensioning wheel 9 , the tensioning arm 13 , the bow spring 16 , the tensioner housing 12 and the fixed tensioning arm 14 , to the tensioning wheel 10 . The pivot motion can be optimized by the friction parameters, which can be set independently of one another, at the roller bearing 31 and at the sliding couplings between the movable tensioning arm 13 and the bow spring 16 , on the one hand, and the tensioner housing 12 , on the other hand.
REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST
1 belt drive
2 belt
3 drive wheel
4 starter generator
5 driving wheel of the crankshaft
6 driving wheel of the air conditioning compressor
7 strand
8 strand
9 tensioning wheel
10 tensioning wheel
11 tensioning device
12 tensioner housing
13 tensioning arm
14 tensioning arm
15 duct
16 bow spring
17 bearing portion of the movable tensioning arm
18 sliding shell
19 slider
20 slider
21 spring seat
22 bosses of the sliders
23 openings for the slider bosses
24 bosses of the sliding shell
25 openings for the sliding shell bosses
26 mounting spigot of the fastened tensioning arm
27 half cylinders of the half shells
28 bosses on the mounting spigot
29 axis of the drive shaft
30 drive shaft
31 ball bearing
32 threaded bore
33 bore for locking pin
34 bore for locking pin
35 cylindrical projection
36 circular-ring-shaped recess
37 hub of the drive wheel
38 outer periphery of the drive wheel
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A tensioning device ( 11 ) for a traction mechanism drive ( 1 ) which is arranged on an internal combustion engine and includes a drive wheel ( 3 ) arranged on a drive shaft ( 30 ) of an engine ( 4 ), one or more additional driving wheels ( 5, 6 ), and a continuously revolving traction element ( 2 ), which wraps around the drive wheel and additional driving wheels. The tensioning device has two tensioning arms ( 13, 14 ) having tensioning wheels ( 9, 10 ) mounted thereon, which apply a tensioning force to the traction element in front of and behind the drive wheel in the direction of revolution, and is provided with a spring ( 16 ) generating the tensioning force, and a tensioner housing ( 12 ), which movably mounts at least one of the tensioning arms to which the force of the spring means is applied. The tensioner housing is mounted on the engine pivotably about the axis ( 29 ) of the drive shaft.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisional application Ser. No. 61/619,995 filed Apr. 4, 2012, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to the field of lighting. Embodiments of the invention have particular application to LED and/or other solid state lighting sources, but may be applicable to all types of lighting.
BACKGROUND
[0003] As explained below, a number of situations exist where lighting fixtures for illuminating an area or target, must be designed, demonstrated, and/or installed. Configurations could range from relatively simple and small scale to relatively complex and/or large scale (plural fixtures, elevated to substantial heights, with comprehensive lighting coordination). Just as the physics of light are esoteric and subtle, so are the needs and demands associated with efficient and effective design, demonstration, and installation of lighting systems. There is a vast number of available options in lighting (e.g. types of light sources, types of optics, color, color temperature, intensity, efficiency, etc.) and a wide variety of potential applications of illumination schemes for different applications; this presents complexities to lighting designers, manufacturers and installers.
Lighting Schemes
[0004] Lighting schemes (i.e. light, typically from artificial sources applied according to a plan to a target area) attempt to create an ambient effect based on the interaction of artificial lighting with a target area, as perceived by viewers. Examples of effects include:
a. sufficient (but not excess) lighting for a task or activity, such as walking, driving, reading, playing sports, etc.; b. visual perceptions which convey mood, enhance or beautify an area or object, or emphasize or contrast one area or object compared to another; c. displays of light which in themselves have aesthetic appeal; d. avoiding illuminating or over-illuminating certain objects or areas which are in, near to, or outside the target area; e. avoiding or reducing uplighting (light above horizontal, directed skyward); f. avoiding subjective negative effects such as harshness or glare; and g. other desired effects.
[0012] Lighting schemes may be specified, in a first case, according to quantitative and qualitative values, such as lumens at given locations, color temperature, incident angle, etc., or in a second case, the scheme is more subjective (i.e. something like “a generally bright, warm, and cheerful effect, highlighting the architectural features of the area and providing good lighting for night time walking”). Both cases typically require considerable expertise from the lighting designer to provide lighting matching the expectations of the customer. In the second case particularly, the customer typically does not have sufficient knowledge of lighting to be able to provide measurable specifications. The result may be an inability to communicate what is desired to the designer such that the customer can only say “I'll know it when I see it.”
Lighting Design
[0013] Lighting design is the art and science of creating a scheme of lighting which will create the desired effect. Typically a lighting designer attempts to create the scheme of lighting based on a description of the desired effect provided by someone concerned with a target area (“the customer”). The designer then specifies physical components of a lighting system. Specifications can include type (HID, incandescent, LED, etc.), number, size, and placement of light sources, as well as other factors such as varying basic lighting types, using lenses, reflectors, deflectors, etc., and changing the color, color temperature, intensity, and overall light output. Locations for lighting sources will be specified, including positioning relative to landmarks on the site and aiming coordinates relative to mounting location and/or the target area or landmarks. From these specifications, a specific group of components comprising a lighting system will be collected and physically installed in a location. Care will be taken during and following installation to adjust the lighting system in order to meet the original description and specifications.
[0014] After a lighting system has been installed, the customer will evaluate the lighting system with reference to their original request.
[0015] If, as in the first case above, the request was rather detailed and specific, usually the system as designed will meet the expectations of the customer. However during design or installation it may become apparent that lighting sources that exactly meet the desired specifications may not be available. Likewise it may become apparent that ambient conditions may be actually different than described because of error or because of a physical change in the target area. Thus considerable effort may be spent by the designer and installer to adjust the aim of the lighting sources in order to meet specifications. These adjustments must be made during night time hours, which can be quite inconvenient, since sunlight obscures the effect of night lighting.
[0016] In the second, less specific, case above, in addition to the same problems of design and installation, the subjectivity of the specification can cause the customer not to be satisfied with the result. Although the system of lighting may perfectly match the specifications from the designer, the effect of the lighting as perceived by the customer may not be what was originally desired. The customer having previously said “I'll know it when I see it” now “sees it” and can only say “and this isn't what I wanted.”
Lighting Demonstration
[0017] Another concern in the field of lighting is the difficulty of providing a demonstration of proposed lighting. Many more lighting projects might be undertaken if there were ways to show a potential client a realistic simulation or demonstration. For instance, if a live demonstration is attempted, much effort is often spent by a lighting supplier at night, after normal working hours before the lights can even be shown. Lights must be set up and manually aimed, then reconfigured by trial and error to demonstrate live to a customer different lighting schemes. This is difficult, time consuming, and labor intensive.
[0018] Thus, there is need in the field of lighting for improvements (1) in the ability to create lighting schemes which accurately represent what the customer desires and (2) in the ability to adjust aim of lighting systems.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0019] The invention envisions various methods, systems and apparatuses which provide these and other improvements.
[0020] It is therefore a principle object, feature, advantage, or aspect of the present invention to improve over the state of the art and/or address problems, issues, or deficiencies in the art.
[0021] One embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses point-by-point analysis to provide aiming points for fixtures by identifying a reference as well as lighting target locations and lighting installation locations with reference to the aiming point or other fixed reference points. One result of this analysis is the ability to identify points on a target area such as a field, lot, or building, which can be used as targets for aiming fixtures. This can be accomplished using traditional surveying type methods, GPS location, cameras, range finders, etc.
[0022] Other embodiments according to aspects of the invention use multiple lasers to indicate the approximate extent of the light applied from a given lighting fixture to a given area, allowing estimation of light levels at a given isocandela contour (for instance at the 50% beam intensity curve) and approximate placement of lighting fixtures even during daylight hours. The lasers may be installed on lighting fixtures to provide direct aiming, or may be mounted such that their aiming coordinates may be transferred to light fixtures. The patterns from the laser arrays can indicate proper aiming at a desired overlap level at a given isocandela curve from the fixture. Additionally, for applications where avoiding unwanted light is important, lasers may be configured to indicate either zero light intensity, as might be used with a so-called “cutoff” fixture, or at a 10% intensity isocandela curve to ensure that light beyond a target area is limited to an acceptable level.
[0023] Other embodiments according to aspects of the invention uses an apparatus such as a scope or camera which is aligned with a light source (see, e.g., FIG. 5A reference numeral 40 ) to provide a view of the area which would be illuminated by a given isocandela curve from the fixture. This view could be used by itself for aligning a fixture, or it could be optically or electronically aligned with an overall view of the target area such as an image from a camera located at a known reference point.
[0024] In conjunction with the above embodiments, or with the use of separately obtained images of a target area, in other embodiments according to aspects of the invention, software or hardware means could be employed to simulate many factors of a proposed illumination scheme for the target area, thereby providing a useful simulation of proposed lighting as well as technical specifications for fixtures and aiming parameters. Also envisioned are embodiments according to aspects of the invention which use other aspects of the invention to provide or facilitate provision of pricing quotations, placement diagrams, and installation plans.
[0025] Other embodiments facilitate demonstrating lighting techniques and applications by reducing the amount of time spent at night in set up and trial and error, thereby improving the ability to show features and options of proposed lighting systems.
[0026] These and other objects, features, advantages, or aspects of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] From time-to-time in this description reference will be taken to the drawings which are identified by figure number and are summarized below.
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a laser array according to aspects of the invention.
[0029] FIGS. 2A-G illustrate a lighting source, applications, and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using an individual light source.
[0030] FIGS. 3A-E illustrates a lighting source, applications, and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using two or more individual light sources installed in one or more fixtures.
[0031] FIGS. 4A and B illustrate an alignment method and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using a fiberoptic viewing apparatus.
[0032] FIGS. 5A-B illustrate an alignment method and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using a camera viewing apparatus.
[0033] FIGS. 6A-E illustrate an alignment method and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using a camera viewing apparatus and associated display method.
[0034] FIGS. 7A-B illustrates an alignment method and embodiments according to aspects of the invention using a central reference point to create separate aiming points.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0035] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that variations to the embodiments specifically discussed herein are possible.
Overview
[0036] Lighting fixtures often have a projected beam which varies in intensity from the highest intensity (100%) at a central point along the central axis to a point at some angle where the light is diminished to very little usefulness (typically defined as 10% of the central value). At some angle in-between the central point and the 10% extent, the beam will have an intensity of 50% of the central value. When this beam is projected normal to a surface, the points on the surface having that 50% intensity may be described as the “50% isocandela curve” (or “50% curve”). When two lights are aimed such the 50% curve from each light source are partially intersecting, the effect will be illumination that is close to 100% of the value of one fixture across most of the area which is illuminated simultaneously by both lights. This becomes a principle for aiming lights which generally provides good results. Note that these points are determined using a light meter, but are not obvious to the casual observer. This contributes to the impression of even lighting in a given area, but can make precise aiming difficult.
[0037] In general, the present invention relates to methods, apparatus and systems that can be beneficial to the design, demonstration and/or installation of lighting systems. As described in the Background of Invention, conventional practice is to gather information from a customer about what the illumination should be like, design the system based on lighting design knowledge and skills, and either attempt to demonstrate it with simulation before installation or install it. Some of the difficulties with conventional processes have been discussed above. Some of the subtleties include but are not limited to the following. Any such lighting systems have significant capital costs. Supporting structures to elevate the fixtures, in-ground foundations, multiple fixtures and light sources, wiring and other electrical components are required. Thus, installation according to a design which does not result in approval by the customer risks loss to the installer if equipment must be changed. Just the loss regarding having to adjust the installed equipment can be significant. Conversely, if any installer tries to rig up a simulation of a lighting design before installation of it permanently, it is difficult to simulate, especially if the plan calls for elevated fixtures and a lot of them. It is difficult too, on a temporary basis for demonstration, to both have the right equipment and produce an accurate simulation. Still further, there is room for improvement on the front end—namely in designing the lighting plan. There are a number of computerized lighting design programs some of which are commercially available, that let lighting designers input design criteria and help create such things as placement and aiming of fixtures based on the input criteria and parameters like (light levels, color, etc.). However, there are subtle limitations and issues with such conventional programming and processes. For example, most such programs require a high level of lighting knowledge and design expertise to operate and evaluate. Another example is that existing programming does not allow easily understandable simulations or demonstrations of selected designs to the designer or customers, installers, or other interested parties. Still further, there is a need for better tools to assist in such things as not only demonstrating a proposed lighting design in an efficient and easy manner but also to efficiently set up either demonstration or installation of a design or assist in easy and quick adjust of either a demonstration, preliminary, or final installed lighting system. There is a need for improved lighting design tools.
[0038] For a better understanding of the invention, specific embodiments of aspects of the invention will now be set forth. It is to be understood that these specific embodiments are for the purposes of illustrating some of the different forms the invention can take and not by way of limitation to the invention.
First Embodiment
[0039] One embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses point-by-point analysis to provide aiming points for fixtures. The result of this analysis is the ability to identify points on a target area such as a field, lot, or building, which can be used as targets for aiming fixtures. Frequent reference should be taken to FIGS. 7A and B. This example, illustrated through FIGS. 7A and B, pertains to an illumination task for buildings and other objects on a property. The FIGS. 7A and B show an image that could be displayed on screen 650 of, for example, a digital camera, or some display associated with a computer (laptop, PDA, smart phone, desktop, etc.). However, in this example, the methodology is applied to the physical property in the following way.
[0040] An efficient way to set up a demonstration of lighting or install lighting for illuminating the house, the trees to the right of the house, and the statue to the left of the house, would be to establish in real space aiming points on the targets (house, trees, statue) from a fixed reference location ( 710 ). These points 740 - 748 , from known reference position 710 can be found through any of a number of known ways to define the relationship between points 740 - 748 and the reference location 710 . Examples are Cartesian, spherical, or polar coordinate systems for three-dimensions. Other relationships that would define the same are possible. A number of aiming points can be selected according to need or desire. Additional points or measurements could be included, for example, to define a perimeter of one of the objects or the entire area of the target.
[0041] These measurements defining known physical space relationships to the reference 710 can be stored or recorded by any number of means. One convenient way would be with some sort of digital device that allows input. Another way would be use of commercially available equipment such as used in surveying which has integrated with it the capacity to store similar data. Once this is captured and recorded, a physical space framework is defined. One example of information that could be recorded would be a physical description of the location of each point 740 - 748 . For example point 740 could be characterized in the recorded data as the middle belt line of the statue to the left of the house. Point 748 could be defined as the middle of the middle trees to the right of the house. Point 741 could be defined as midpoint between middles of left-most two windows at top of house.
[0042] Such a recorded characterization of actual physical space of the target can be preserved and then recalled for a number of beneficial uses. One would be for the lighting designer. Reference points to the known reference 710 could be used as aiming points for lighting fixtures or in some way correlation points to aiming for lighting fixtures. As indicated in FIG. 7B , the position of the fixtures 720 and 730 , there shown elevated on poles and away from the reference point 710 , is not the same as reference point 710 . But the lighting designer could use those aiming points in the design plan and correlate the lighting fixtures thereto. Another example would be a demonstration of a lighting system. Having the pre-known aiming points 740 - 748 could allow quick setup of a temporary demonstration of lighting allowing the person setting up the demonstration to have pre-known, well identifiable physical aiming points. The quick and easy aiming could be accomplished by estimating with tilt and pan orientation of each fixture to its aiming point. Alternatively, more precise ways could be used such as using some sort of a device as a laser or surveying matching to provide the correct vector to the aiming point.
[0043] In any event, the system of FIGS. 7A and 7B has several benefits over conventional processes. One benefit of the system of FIGS. 7A and 7B is improving accuracy and reproducibility of demonstrations. Since precise aiming points are identified, lighting can be aimed without guesswork. Aiming points are not dependent on an operator's memory of a site, and are normally preserved regardless of time interval between site measurement, demonstration, and final installation. Further, if modifications to the installation are desired, any amount of the original lighting installation might be removed and replaced without requiring a repeat of the initial site measurement. Thus less care might be needed in removing the lighting installed according to the system of FIGS. 7A and 7B , since aiming parameters are easily reproducible.
[0044] Another benefit of the system of FIGS. 7A and 7B is making it possible to simulate proposed lighting for a site while at a location distant from the site. Lighting demonstrations via display can show views of proposed lighting, including variations in intensity, balance, color/color temperature, etc., which can be reproduced with a high degree of fidelity in the actual installation.
[0045] Another benefit of said system relating to demonstration is the ease of performing demonstrations via simulation remotely from both the installation site and from the site performing the analysis and demonstration of the lighting installation. For instance, a customer headquartered in New York might be interested in lighting a location in Texas. After a technician has visited the site in Texas, the information about the site may be transmitted electronically to a site in Iowa where the analysis is performed. The display of the demonstration may be transmitted electronically to the customer in New York. Changes requested from New York could be instantly shown from the remote location. Or local and distance demonstrations could be combined.
[0046] The remote demonstrations could be accomplished through commercially available methods such as internet, dedicated phone lines, video phone service, etc.
[0047] Another benefit of said system is providing the ability to record site information in a standardized format. Even if limited or no use is made of the above features, the description of the site and its features would provide information that could be useful for conventional lighting design.
[0048] Another benefit of said system is the ability to provide information in order to quickly set up temporary or permanent lighting installations. A technician might visit a site, design a lighting system, install and aim the system all during daylight hours. Then a customer could be shown a system on that same night. The system could be further adjusted or could be used as the permanent installation or the model for a permanent installation. This is a significant improvement in timeliness and ability to reliably demonstrate a proposed lighting system, and provides potential for reduction in cost for lighting design.
[0049] Further discussion of the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B follows.
[0050] As envisioned, a reference point at some distance from the target area is identified as to geographical location and elevation. This identification can be absolute, for example based on GPS information, or relative to a landmark at the site, such as by specifying a distance and angle from a particular landmark, or by specifying a distance from multiple landmarks. The reference point location is correlated to the location of the target area and dimensional data is recorded for the site. This data may include measurements of distance, angle, and elevation relative to landmark(s) and relative to the target area. Optical instruments such as rangefinders, transits, theodolites, etc. may be used to find position information. A digital camera or other recording device may be used to capture sight information. In one embodiment, a laser transit 710 , FIG. 7A , is used both to record distance and angular position information as well as to provide a visual “laser dot” aiming point on the target area.
[0051] Information recorded relative to the reference point, as well as visual observations on-site, is used to create a point-by-point aiming plan. This plan specifies individual locations 740 - 748 , FIG. 7A , on the target area as aiming points for individual fixtures. From this information, a lighting plan is devised for the site which specifies fixture locations 720 and 730 ( FIG. 7B ) and also type and number of fixtures. Then for demonstration or permanent installation, the fixtures are installed and aimed at the specific locations on the target area.
[0052] This aiming may be accomplished by using the existing aiming device (for example the laser transit) to recreate the aiming points on the target area. For example, visible laser dots are projected onto the target area. Then, using aiming methods previously discussed, the central axes of the fixtures are aimed to the laser dots as illustrated in FIG. 7B .
[0053] These methods may be implemented also, for example, using a camera to record a digital photo of a target area. Specific features of the target area may serve, by themselves, or in combination with measuring and analysis methods, to provide the aiming points. In other words, something equivalent to saying “the upper right corner of the first window from the left on the top” may be a sufficiently accurate description for the aiming methods previously described, such as using a laser beam which is coaxial with the central axis of the fixture.
[0054] Additionally, since several factors relating to the surface finish characteristics of the target area will have significant influence on the amount of light required to be supplied to the surface in order to achieve a desired visual effect, the point-by-point analysis may also be combined with a visual evaluation and/or luminance readings in order to make adjustments to calculations for the lighting plan. In other words, if the area surrounding point 747 , FIG. 7A is painted a significantly darker color than the other areas on the building, possibly twice as much light will be needed to be provided to that area in order to create the desired visual effect. These observations or calculations may be recorded informally, included in manual calculations, or incorporated into automated calculations or design software.
Second Embodiment
[0055] Variation on the concept of helping define aiming points or assisting in characterizing how lighting would actually apply to a given lighting task are illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 2 A-G, and 3 A-E. Instead of utilizing some reference points with range and azimuth measurement capabilities to then record a description of aiming points or other locations at the physical target, the embodiments of FIGS. 1 , 2 A-G, and 3 A-E utilize one or more laser beams that would project from either a demonstration location, tentative installation location, or permanent installation location for a light fixture to the actual target. Among other things, the lasers can be used to assist in several useful procedures. The procedures include, but are not limited to: visualizing how a fixture's light beam would place on the target; aiming (either from the aiming location for the fixture or from the fixture itself to the target), or helping characterize the light beam pattern on the target.
[0056] In these examples, when a light fixture is referenced, it relates to a fixture having one or more LED or solid state light sources. The LED light source can be fixed in position in the fixture or, as with any of the examples, could be individually adjustable in orientation relative its fixture. Of course, each LED source could be of a variety of different light output characteristics including beam pattern, intensity, color, etc. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the drawings illustrate some fixtures with plural LED sources (four). Of course, it could be one, two, three, four, ten, one hundred, or even more per fixture.
[0057] Another commonality of the embodiments under the second embodiment is the use of a laser beam in association with the light fixture. The laser beam could be a single laser such as is diagrammatically illustrated at reference number 70 in FIG. 2B , such as are quite inexpensive (a few dollars) and purchasable commercially off the shelf and can provide a reasonably straight beam on the order of 500 feet. Alternatively, they can be more expensive lasers certified to be with close tolerance coaxial with their housing. The more expensive certified lasers would take less calibration than the cheaper ones in their functions with the exemplary embodiments. The lasers are mounted relative to a lighting fixture so that their beam projects in a known relationship with some attribute of the fixture (for example with the central aiming axis of the fixture or a light source of the fixture). Alternatively, they could be aimed to help visually define some aspect of a beam pattern from either the fixture compositely or individual light sources of a fixture. An example of an inexpensive laser can be found at U.S. 2006/0245189 (incorporated by reference herein) or, for example, the “Apollo VMP-1200 Laser Pointer, available from B&H Photo and Video (www.bhphotovideo.com/).
[0058] An example of LED fixtures can be found at U.S. 2009/0323330 (incorporated by reference herein).
[0059] In particular, as implied diagrammatically at FIG. 2A (an isolated diagrammatic depiction of an LED fixture), each LED source 50 could be mounted in a mount 60 on fixture 37 where the mount allows adjustability (pan and tilt) of source 50 relative to fixture 37 . The adjustability can be made in a number of ways to set the central aiming axis of each source 50 in a desired direction relative to fixture 37 . Alternatively, it is to be understood that a fixture 37 could be made by any of a number of well known fabrication techniques (e.g. computer numerical control metal cutters or mills), to produce receivers for the holders 60 of the sources 50 such that when the holders 60 are mounted in the receivers in fixture 37 source 50 would be precisely aimed in a predetermined direction. As can be further appreciated and with reference to the foregoing patents, the arrangement of sources 50 on fixture 37 could vary. FIG. 2A shows a radial pattern of four, another conventional arrangement would be aligning plural LEDs in one or more rows on fixture 37 . Examples of adjustable LED's in fixtures are described at U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,916, incorporated by reference herein.
[0060] Another embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses multiple lasers (or other sources of collimated or highly directed light, hereafter simply “lasers”) to indicate the approximate extents of the light applied from a given lighting fixture to a given area, here area 95 , FIG. 2D (e.g. athletic field, parking lot, or the like). FIG. 2E shows two light fixtures 40 and 41 which are aimed at a target area and which have 50% curves 90 and 91 touching. This situation represents a typical aiming pattern. Another aiming pattern might be 10% curves 80 and 81 touching. But in either case, the isocandela curves represent a fixed geometric relationship to the centerline of the light beam as represented by center points 75 and 76 .
[0061] Laser array 10 , FIG. 1 , comprises several lasers 20 which can be precisely oriented angularly relative to the centerline of the fixture and radially relative to a fixed location such as a mounting point 30 . Laser 25 , if used, is installed coaxially with the central axis of the array. Lasers 20 and 25 can be relatively inexpensive lasers that project a highly collimated, narrow beam a substantial distance and could be mounted in a reasonably rigid, robust, and environmentally solid mount. Power could be supplied through power cables 35 which could be connected to appropriate electrical power. FIG. 2E illustrates points of laser light 150 and 151 which approximately outline the 50% curves 90 and 91 . These points of light are generated by laser arrays 10 and 11 which are affixed to fixtures 40 and 41 on poles 100 and 110 respectively such that the central axis of the fixtures, as represented by points 75 and 76 , are coaxial with the centerline of the laser arrays 10 and 11 as represented by laser light dots 155 and 156 . This group of laser dots improves the ease with which lights may be aimed at night. There can be both the center dots 155 / 156 and the radial sets 150 / 151 projected to the target, a well as the light patterns from fixtures 40 and 41 . The users can better identify the 50% or 10% curves of those beams, and their centers.
[0062] As can be seen by the diagrammatic view of the laser array 10 in FIG. 1 , each laser 20 can be in a housing that either can be adjustably positioned in the overall array base 10 or, as previously suggested, the plate or base 10 can be fabricated using precisely controlled fabricating machines to form receivers for each laser 20 such that when lasers 20 are installed in the receivers, they are precisely (within reasonable tolerance) aimed in a predetermined direction from the array base or plate 10 . In this manner, the number of lasers 20 , and their beam directions can be predetermined for each array 10 and assembled without having to calibrate or adjust each one. As further diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 , a power cord 35 could be operatively connected to each laser 20 / 25 and connected to an appropriate source of electrical power such that can be turned on or off as needed with an appropriate switch.
[0063] FIG. 1 reference number 30 diagrammatically illustrates an attachment flange of array 10 for mounting on a light fixture. As can be appreciated, however, the attachment component could be more complex. It could be articulatable or adjustable or otherwise take a number of different forms such as are desired or appropriate for an application.
[0064] FIG. 2F represents the same situation and components as in FIG. 2E . However, the light fixtures 40 and 41 are not illuminated. Laser dots 150 and 151 represent the 50% curve location of the fixtures, assuming that laser arrays 10 and 11 have been aligned with the centerline of fixtures 40 and 41 . This may be accomplished by aligning the central laser beam from the laser array with the laser beam from the fixture, or by other means such as using reference geometry.
[0065] Embodiments according to FIG. 2F therefore allow the fixtures to be aimed relative to the target area and relative to each other, without energizing the light sources, simply by aligning the laser dots as shown. Further, laser arrays 10 and 11 may be installed in a location in place of the fixtures and aimed (see FIG. 2G ). Their aiming coordinates relative to their spatial coordinates may be recorded or preserved and applied to the fixtures which may be installed separately.
[0066] Light sources 40 and 41 are shown installed on separate mounting locations and poles 100 and 110 , but could be installed on a common pole or mounting location. Many fixtures, either on a single mounting location or on multiple mounting locations, could be used. Laser arrays could be dedicated to a single fixture, or could be used on many fixtures by simply mounting and aligning the center lasers of the fixture with the center laser of the array. Alternatively, the mounting provisions for the laser arrays and for the light sources could be designed to sufficient precision such that installing the laser array on a fixture, or installing a laser array on the same mounting location as the intended fixture would give results that were sufficiently accurate.
[0067] A slightly different embodiment that could use the foregoing principles is illustrated at FIGS. 2A-2D . A light fixture 37 (e.g. four hi-power LEDs 50 , each aimable) ( FIG. 2A ) has a single laser 70 mounted so as the laser beam has a known relationship to the central composite beam axis of the four LEDs of fixture 37 ( FIG. 2B ). Operation of laser 70 could help aim the fixture to a projected laser 75 at the target in a manner that its 50% curve 90 and/or 10% curve 80 (the intersection of the 10% intensity point 85 of the composite beam from plural LED's 58 of fixture 37 with the ground) can be applied in a desired manner to the target ( FIG. 2C ). Or, like FIG. 2D , a laser ( 70 and 71 ), like laser 70 of FIG. 2B , could be applied to fixtures 40 and 41 respectively to project a beam center point ( 75 and 76 respectively) to a target to assist in aiming fixtures 40 and 41 , and their respective beam patterns (e.g. 50% and 10% curves, 90 , 91 and 80 , 81 ) for efficient illumination coverage of the target.
[0068] It can therefore be seen that each of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 A-G utilizes a laser that is mounted in a correlated way with some light output characteristic of a light fixture 37 , 40 , 41 , or alternatively is simply mounted in a position where a light fixture would be mounted for the application. The ability to project a single laser beam to some point on a target allows at least the following. First, it allows alignment of the fixture with a predetermined point on the target by communication of when the laser beam dot coincides with a predetermined point at the target. Taking from earlier examples, if it was predetermined that an aiming point 748 , FIG. 7A , of a fixture was the middle tree of the trees in FIG. 7A , the fixture could be adjusted so that laser beam 70 coincides with a midpoint vertically and horizontally on the middle tree to confirm such aiming even from a long distance, tens if not hundreds of feet. This could allow aiming even in bright daylight conditions usually because utilizing sufficiently powered and collimated laser would allow a user at or near the trees to visually see the laser dot on the tree. Other methods for identifying alignment with the laser at a substantial distance away are described in U.S. 2006/0245189.
[0069] If, for example, the beam from laser 70 was calibrated to indicate the center of the beam from its fixture 37 at that particular distance from fixture 37 relative to its target, either the installer or the customer could be given a visual image, even in daylight, of where that light would strike. For pre-aiming of fixture prior to a later demonstration, it allows the fixtures to be set up and ready to go for a later nighttime demonstration.
[0070] See for example FIG. 2C . Laser 70 in fixture 37 is calibrated to fixture 37 to indicate the center of the output pattern beam from fixture 37 when elevated on pole 100 . Thus a single laser beam would provide a perceivable and quite accurate visual marker of center of the beam of fixture 37 . As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is not always possible for the human eye to discern that center. By knowing the exact center 75 , the 50% and 10% curves can be estimated, if needed, even without the light sources of fixture 37 turned on. But, of course, the composite beam 85 of the plural LED sources in fixture 37 , once turned on, will produce the output pattern, in this example on the ground or horizontal surface. The center 75 of the beam, marked by laser 70 , can still be important to demonstrator, installer, or customer.
[0071] One example of use of a single laser beam is illustrated in FIG. 2D . Center of beam for fixture 40 is indicated from laser 70 by its projection to spot 75 . Similarly, spot 76 does the same for fixture 41 via laser 71 . By any number of means and pre-known information, even without the light beams on from fixtures 40 and 41 , if a person can see the center spot 75 and 76 projected on the target area, here a horizontal surface 95 , knowing characteristics of the output patterns of fixtures 40 and 41 would allow the person to aim the fixtures 40 and 41 so that, for example, their 50% curves 90 and 91 just touch but their 10% curves 80 and 81 overlap as illustrated in FIG. 2D .
[0072] The more complex laser assembly 10 of FIG. 1 can be used as illustrated in FIG. 2E in a similar fashion to that of FIG. 2D . Central laser 25 from laser array 10 could be operated alone to indicate center beam 75 . By knowing the output pattern of fixture 40 , the user could adjust fixture 40 so that center spot 75 is at a location on target area 95 such that the 50% curve 90 for fixture 40 would closely correspond to that corner of area 95 (with the 10% curve 80 spilling slightly outside). To help know the correct position, array 10 does so by concurrently projecting from its eight lasers 20 the 50% curve 90 for fixture 40 . The installer would simply call for fixture 40 to be adjusted until those laser dots 150 generally match the corner borders for area 95 . No other measurements are needed. Of course, laser array 10 would be pre-manufactured to produce beams that in turn produce the 50% curve outline on area 95 from the intended placement and elevation of fixture 40 relative area 95 . This can be done in a number of ways, including those that have been previously described. Array 10 would then be calibrated to have center laser 25 to accurately project to the center of the composite beam from fixture 40 (composite meaning the general center of the light output from all the LED sources 50 in fixture 40 ). The radial lasers 20 in array 10 would be pre-manufactured to produce an outline of the 50% curve for the composite beam 40 .
[0073] FIG. 2E shows that the same arrangement for another similar fixture 41 and another similar laser array 11 could allow that fixture to be easily aimed relative to area 95 in a complementary fashion to fixture 40 and array 10 . Fixture 41 would be adjusted such that the 50% curves visibly indicated on area 95 by dots 151 from laser array 11 would allow the installer to simply call for adjustment of fixture 41 until spots 151 appear as basically illustrated in FIG. 2E . This could allow quite accurate alignment of the composite beam of fixture 41 relative to that of fixture 40 for good coverage and even coverage of that portion of area 95 . Of course, further additional fixtures and laser arrays could be added until comprehensive coverage of area 95 is achieved. Likewise, as would be understood by those skilled in the art, a similar aiming process could be used if aiming fixtures towards other types of targets, including but not limited to vertical structures such as houses, trees, statues and the like as illustrated in FIG. 7A . The laser dots would project to a target in a manner that corresponds to how the output pattern for the fixture would project, including, if used, the center of the composite beam.
[0074] It can be seen how the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 A- 2 G can be beneficial in the context of the present application. For example they can be beneficial for designing lighting plans by allowing a designer to aim lights with a desired overlap of isocandela curves, without the use of light meters, even during daylight hours. Thus with limited or no planning, lights can be installed that will evenly cover a target area. In effect, the installation becomes the lighting plan. Once the field has been covered by aiming according to a desired isocandela pattern, the results can be recorded and temporary lighting replaced by permanent lighting; or, the lights as installed can be left as the permanent installation. It can be beneficial for aiming fixtures according to a designing plan by allowing general aiming to be confirmed by the isocandela overlap pattern, or by simply aiming the centerline of the fixture in accordance with pre-designated locations, rather than having to use lightmeters (which can only be used at night and can be very time-consuming) or having to rely on human perception of light levels, which can be both time-consuming and inaccurate. It can be beneficial to demonstrating a lighting plan by allowing the installation of temporary or permanent fixtures in a very timely fashion, without requiring nighttime hours for initial installation. Thus a lighting plan can be conceived, installed, and demonstrated in a single day, thereby saving technician time and providing quick and reliable service to the customer. It can be beneficial to preliminarily or permanently installing lighting fixtures by reducing the time necessary to accurately install lighting fixtures. The temporary installation can be used to prove out the look that will be provided by the permanent installation, or the designer and customer can both have assurance that a lighting plan will work on installation, thereby possibly eliminating the need for a temporary installation.
Third Embodiment
[0075] Another embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses multiple light sources 40 installed in a fixture 300 , FIG. 3A . Laser arrays 10 could be installed on at least some of the light sources 40 and could be permanently or removably installed. Light sources 40 could be pre-aimed with reference to the entire fixture 300 such that the fixture would have a known beam pattern. Such beam pattern could be represented by the output from laser array 310 . Aiming laser 370 could be included to allow laser array 310 to be aimed coaxially with the fixture. In this configuration, the fixture 300 would function identically to the previously described light sources 40 represented in FIG. 2D-2G . FIG. 3B shows fixtures 300 and 301 projecting 50% laser dots 350 and 351 and 10% curves 380 and 381 . Laser dots 350 and 351 correspond to the 50% curves 390 and 391 .
[0076] Fixtures 300 and 301 could also be installed using “fixture laser array” 310 and 311 respectively, see also array 310 in FIG. 3C , as shown, to provide initial aiming. Laser dots 361 of FIG. 3C represent a circular 50% curve representative of the composite beam pattern from the far light sources 40 of fixture 300 , and could be generated from the multiple lasers in fixture laser array 310 . Such a 50% curve would provide some illumination of sidewalk 97 but is not precisely matched to the sidewalk. Light sources 40 , FIG. 3D could then be aimed to more accurately illuminate path 97 . Laser arrays 30 may be used to individually aim light sources 40 as previously outlined. Laser dot patterns represented by laser dots 371 , 372 , 373 , 374 correspond to the 50% curves of the individual light sources 40 . This lighting effectively helps aim and illuminate areas 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 respectively in FIG. 3D (here a non-linear area). FIG. 3E shows the path as illuminated. The 50% curves 341 , 342 , 343 and 344 are evenly adjusted on the sidewalk, and the 10% curves 331 , 332 , 333 and 334 combine together to provide fairly even illumination over the entire area illuminated by fixture 300 .
[0077] Embodiments of FIGS. 4A and B and 5 A and B have similarities to the previous embodiments. By calibrating the alignment of either the lighting in 410 relative to a lighting fixture 40 , e.g. aligning the field of view of sighting end 410 with basically the central aiming or beam axis of fixture 40 , and then pre-manufacturing a reticule that can be placed at the eyepiece 415 and provide an express visual and proportional representation of the composite beam pattern of fixture 40 , a viewer through eyepiece 415 can adjust fixture 40 and essentially move what will be the beam pattern of fixture 40 relative to the actual view of the target area until that beam pattern coincides where the designer wants it to be. The fixture can then be fixed in that orientation for operation. This can be extremely valuable when setting up the fixtures during the daytime when it would be difficult to see how the beam really relates to the target area. And, as indicated, the arrangement of FIG. 4A could be utilized with each fixture either by sequentially mounting it on each fixture as each fixture is adjusted, or, left in place in its calibrated position for each fixture so that multiple fixtures could be adjusted simultaneously ( FIG. 4B ). Instead of the borescope of FIGS. 4A and B, reasonably inexpensive digital cameras, with fiber optic connection to some display, or simply a camera on the fixture, could be used in a similar fashion such that essentially the analogue of a reticule, indicated at the dashed box on display 520 in FIGS. 5A-5B , could be created on the display to indicate the beam pattern that would be produced by the fixture 40 . This would require that the reticule or other indicators of beam pattern be matched to the desire isocandela pattern for a given fixture. This could be easily done in some cases simply by matching the approximate field of vision angle of a particular camera model with the fixture spread. Or a fixed or adjustable reticule could be installed by the same technology used to create accurate rangefinders in cameras, duplicating the desired isocandela pattern. Or a particular camera could be calibrated to a distance and isocandela pattern of a given fixture on site, using some means of marking, even as simple as marking the isocandela pattern on the camera's LCD display. The dash line simulated reticule of FIGS. 5A and B could be applied in any number of ways including by physically marking the display screen 520 (e.g. with erasable ink, with non-erasable ink or paint, with some added template adhered, etc.). Small, relatively inexpensive digital cameras or video cameras, video cables, and small flat screen LCD-type displays are commercially available.
Fourth Embodiment
[0078] Another embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses an apparatus which is coaxially aligned with a light source 40 to provide a view of the area which would be illuminated by a given isocandela curve from the fixture. The apparatus used in this case is similar to a flexible fiber optic borescope (commercially available, such as the Flexview VT Borescope 13552, available from Flexbar Machine Corporation, 250 Gibbs Road, Islandia, N.Y. 11749) having a sighting end 410 , FIG. 4A , which is affixed to and aligned with fixture 40 . Flexible shaft 411 contains an aligned array of optic fibers which allow an image from the field of view of sighting end 410 to be displayed in eyepiece 415 . The area illuminated at the 50% curve is represented by reticule 417 (which can be engraved, embedded, or otherwise positioned at eyepiece 415 ). Thus, when light source 40 is aimed at a target location, the viewer not only sees the relevant part of the target to which the fixture is aimed, but also the reticule of the eyepiece simultaneously shows the viewer the 50% curve of the beam relative the field of view. For example, if a portion of a football field is imaged (image 416 ) within eyepiece 415 , FIG. 4B reticule 417 shows the viewer the basic 50% beam pattern that fixture 40 will cover on that portion of the field. In this example, the 50% curve for that first fixture 40 would cover the back left corner of the end zone and out to about the eighteen yard line (and along the sideline and inwardly about a third the width of the field). When another light source 40 with its own borescope is aimed at the same football field (approximately its 50% curve), it may be aligned such that its 50% curve represented by reticule 427 is aligned next to the 50% curve of the previous light source. The viewer can see how that second beam relates to coverage of the first beam. As shown in FIG. 4B , by manual manipulation of the second fixture (or other adjustment), its aiming to the target can be adjusted until its 50% curve (beam coverage) begins at where the first beam 50% curve left off (the 15 yard line) and continue up the field, using field of view 426 and reticule 427 of the eyepiece 425 of borescope for the second fixture. This process could continue for successive fixtures to aim all of them.
Fifth Embodiment
[0079] Another embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses a digital camera 510 , FIGS. 5A and 5B , having a separate display 520 , attached to a light source 40 such that the display view of the camera, or of a defined area within the viewing display of the camera, corresponds to a desired illumination curve of the fixture such as the 50% curve. Light sources would be aimed and adjusted in a similar fashion to Embodiment 3. The benefits of FIGS. 5A and 5B can be appreciated with further reference to the benefits described regarding the fourth embodiment of FIGS. 4A and B.
Sixth Embodiment
[0080] Another embodiment according to aspects of the invention uses one or more digital cameras 610 , FIG. 6A , similar to embodiment five above. Each camera would be interfaced with a display device, such as a computer 640 with screen 650 . Another camera 670 , mounted on support 675 , is interfaced to display device 640 / 650 (e.g. via cables 615 to a multi-port connector 625 /cable 630 for plural camera inputs). In use, camera 670 is set up in a location which is documented as to geographical position (longitude, latitude, elevation, as well as camera orientation), either relative to one or more landmarks in the target area, or to an absolute GPS location. Display device 640 / 650 shows the target area as seen in daylight, FIG. 6B , then is darkened by mechanical or software means to simulate a night time view, FIG. 6C . A single camera 610 could be used, and transferred from one light source to another, or multiple cameras 610 could be used. As cameras 610 are aimed, their viewing area is illuminated on the display device as in FIG. 6D . Finally, as the remaining lights are aimed, the entire area will appear illuminated on the display device 640 / 650 as seen in FIG. 6E . This is a way to demonstrate on a computer both how the fixtures could be aimed and a simulation of what their night time illumination would look like relative to the target.
[0081] Software or hardware means could be employed to vary the displayed illumination, simulating both changes in ambient light as well as the light applied from the light sources, including brightness, color, or color temperature. Software could be developed based on calculations or camera readings to simulate additional cameras and aiming points. Site geometry could be input into computers to provide additional information for simulating and displaying illumination schemes. Software could include site measurements and parameters to allow for further manipulation and display of options and alternatives as well as to generate light levels, parts lists, and price quotes.
[0082] This embodiment would allow sophisticated pre-aiming of lighting sources during daylight hours, allowing night time demonstrations to be conducted in a few minutes rather than hours, and allowing a demonstration to lead to a firm quote for lighting. The quote would be based on, and could guarantee reproduction or provide documentation of the lighting as demonstrated.
[0083] The combination shown at FIGS. 6A-E can take on a wide variety of beneficial forms. Below are a few examples.
[0084] By any number of well known programming techniques, the system of FIG. 6A could be used beneficially to actually aim fixtures like fixtures 40 with camera 610 in an analogous way as described with FIGS. 5A and B. Camera 670 , in a position that could be a known physical geographic reference position, could produce an image of the entire target area to be illuminated. Individual cameras 610 , calibrated and mounted so as to coincide with the center aiming axis of their corresponding fixture 40 , could have a video feed that could be switched on for computer display 650 such that its field of view would be the only one on video display 650 . By utilizing the simulating reticule as described with regard to FIGS. 5A and B, the putative composite beam from the fixture 40 for that camera 610 could then be displayed to the PC operator who could adjust the fixture or instruct a co-worker to adjust the fixture to aim the fixture to a predetermined aiming point relative the target area (in manners similar to those previously described).
[0085] The next fixture with camera 610 could be aimed in a similar fashion.
[0086] Optional programmable features might be as follows:
[0087] 1. The fixed overall view from camera 670 could be displayed as a fixed background on screen 650 . The field of view of one or more cameras 610 could then be overlaid the base image in a manner in which somehow the more limited camera 610 field of view is independently discerned on screen 650 . This would allow the person at computer 640 to see where each fixture/camera 40 / 610 is being aimed and instruct a desired aiming accordingly. As can be further appreciated, straight forward calculations, if the location of fixtures 40 relative to the actual target area or camera 670 is known, and there is some known relationship between camera 670 and the actual target, it may be possible to calculate or derive the angular position of fixtures 40 relative the actual target and have the computer 640 compute the same. In the reverse, it might be possible for an known lighting plan to call for a given orientation of each fixture and have the computer compute a given aiming direction of a fixture 40 to the displayed and instructed orientation and the computer user could instruct a co-worker or him/herself to adjust the fixture until those values match on the computer screen 650 as three-dimensional or two-dimensional coordinants.
[0088] FIG. 6A-E suggests many other beneficial possibilities regarding any of design, aim, demonstrate, potential illumination designs. One example is taking a digital image of the target area such as is indicated at FIGS. 6B-6E . By programming techniques and programs within the skill of those skilled in the art, a lighting designer could have a menu or inventory of virtual lighting fixtures in a toolbox on the computer. A customer or a designer could darken screen 650 in a manner to simulate nighttime for the target area. The designer or customer could then start trying different lights from the inventory. For example, a first light of a certain light output characteristic (beam width, intensity, color, etc.) could be a distinguishable icon from a light of different output characteristics on the screen or on a menu for the computer user. The user might be able to drag that icon to an aiming location and aim it to an aiming point on the virtual target. The software would automatically calculate how that light fixture would illuminate the target (see FIG. 6D ), where for example two light fixtures have been selected and aimed at different aiming points (corresponding to points 741 and 745 in FIG. 7B ). A computer user (whether designer, customer, or other) can then have a simulation of how that selected lighting fixture might illuminate the target. FIG. 6D also shows selection of another fixture that would illuminate the statue to the left (corresponding to aiming point 740 ) in FIG. 7B . Selection can continue until all aiming points or a first preliminary virtual illumination of the entire desired target ( FIG. 6D ) is accomplished. Of course, the software could, through conventional programming techniques, simulate the illumination on a pixel by pixel basis on display 650 according to how the chosen virtual fixtures would project light from an installation location a distance and angle to the particular surface or object being illuminated, including decrease in intensity from the center of the beam towards its periphery (towards its 50% and 10% curves for example). By conventional programming means, the computer user might even be able to place the curser across the target and the display would display numerical values for such things as intensity at that point, color, etc.
[0089] Below is an example of the basic concepts of software according to this embodiment:
1. Inputs
[0090] The programmer can gather information regarding a number of different lighting sources with different lighting output characteristics, including how they would illuminate surfaces at any of a range of distances away from a virtual position relative the target. Placement by dragging the fixture in the scene of the display 650 would cause the programming to calculate or select from some database data which could then simulate exactly how the light output pattern from the fixture would project on and illuminate.
[0091] The target can be a digital picture taken of the actual target or a simulated rendering. Part of the input would be to somehow characterize the target for example its surfaces (vertical, horizontal, or other), any finish on the surface (paint, color of paint or materials, shiny, matte, etc.). Depending on the software, image recognition techniques could be used to know the boundaries of objects on the target (e.g. the outline of the house, the outline of the statue, etc.).
2. Tools
[0092] Not only then could there be icons representing different lighting fixtures to drag into place and commence this lighting simulation, other tools are possible. Examples might be the ability to place or overlay aiming points onto the target. The aiming points could be pre-calculated or selected and then displayed so that the designer or user could know how many lights and where they should be aimed. Other overlays or additional functions or tools are, of course, possible.
[0093] And, of course, the programming could allow interchangeability of virtual fixtures. The designer or user could try one type of fixture and then try another to see quickly and effectively how the fixture might change the illumination on the target.
[0094] Finally, the software could provide information to the user that could be valuable either for preserving a record of a desired lighting plan including such things as the type of fixtures, their placement relative to the target, and the like. Alternatively, it could produce or store for later recall the lighting plan so that it could be created off-site or quickly on-site and then the lighting plan used to create an actual either temporary or permanent installation of those lighting fixtures in those locations. As described earlier, one example would be that such a virtual simulation could result in a lighting plan given to workers that could then go to the site and put up a temporary demonstration set of fixtures knowing placement, aiming to aiming points, and type of fixtures. During the demonstration, the same programming computer could be used to show the customer how different fixtures might change the illumination and might allow change over of the actual demonstration fixtures right then for the customer. Of course, such a virtual plan on the computer could also be used for installers to go out and install the permanent final version that had been planned with the software.
[0095] As can be appreciated, other functions and features of the software could be implemented.
Options And Alternatives
[0096] The above description includes some of the many possible embodiments, and is not intended be an exhaustive description. For example: Different isocandela curves, beam types (e.g. NEMA types, hard cutoffs, etc.), numbers and types of lasers or other “dot” sources could be used. Other alignment points than centerlines could be chosen. Alignment markings or outlines could be provided by a single laser source manipulated mechanically or by mirrors or other means. A single camera might be able to interface with positioning information from the lights as aimed, given coordinates from potentiometers or other adjustment indicators. Aiming and illumination displays could be transmitted over the internet for live, remote demonstrations. And many other options and alternatives are envisioned.
[0097] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, variations to the embodiments described above are possible and included within the invention, which is not limited by the described embodiments.
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A system and method for assisting in aiming, designing, and demonstrating a lighting scheme for a target space. Aiming points in the actual physical space can be described either with descriptive terms, relative to a coordinate system, or otherwise. Those descriptions can be stored or recorded. The can then be recalled at another time to supply information relevant to aiming lighting fixtures, designing lighting systems for that target space, or demonstrating (either real or simulated) illumination of the target area. In one aspect, the foregoing method can be assisted with an apparatus or system which mounts an aiming module with a fixture or lighting modules or sources on a fixture or both. The aiming module can also project or guide a user as to superposing the light output distribution pattern of a fixture or light source to the target to help locate parts of the beam in the target.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the protection of display devices that are susceptible to damage by electrostatic discharges (ESD).
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Liquid crystal display (LCD) panels are widely used in electronic devices. However, these devices are susceptible to damage by ESD. For this reason, LCD panels are often installed in close proximity to conductive structures.
[0003] It is known to mount an LCD panel behind an aperture in a conductive bezel. An elastomeric grommet-like gasket is mounted in the aperture to protect the LCD panel against mechanical shocks and the ingress of moisture.
[0004] It has been found that electrostatic discharges can propagate across the surface of the gasket to the edge of an LCD panel, damaging it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a display panel installation arrangement which reduces the risk of ESD damage to the display panel.
[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, for instance an instrument, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a personal communication device such as a mobile phone (aka cell phone), comprising a conductive structure having an opening, a display panel viewable through said opening and a gasket having at least a portion thereof sandwiched between the display panel and said structure, wherein the gasket has an aperture extending between the display panel and said structure. The aperture or apertures provide a path to ground that has a lower impedance than the path through the display. Since the apertures are behind the structure, through which the display device panel is visible, they do not detract from the appearance of the device, irrespective of whether there is an additional external cover. The gasket may have a plurality of apertures extending between the display panel and said structure.
[0007] The apertures may be closely spaced, e.g. 2 mm to 7 mm (preferably about 4 mm).
[0008] The may have apertures have cross-sections that are circular or regularly polygonal. However, the apertures could be slits or slots or have other irregularly polygonal cross-sections. The holes may be small, e.g. having diameters of 0.5 to 2 mm, preferably about 1 mm. Thus the small amount of material removed does not have a significant adverse effect of the prevention of moisture and dust ingress and shock prevention properties of the gasket.
[0009] The gasket may have a channel which receives at least a portion of the edge of said structure around said opening. However, the gasket could have an L-shaped cross-section with the upright of the L projecting at least partially through the opening in said structure. The gasket could even be flat.
[0010] The gasket may extend fully or partially around the opening.
[0011] The display panel may be an LCD panel or another display type that is susceptible to damage from ESD.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a mobile phone in which the present invention is embodied;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 with its front cover and keymat removed;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a partial section view of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 along the line A-A;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a grommet-like gasket of the mobile phone of FIG. 1 ;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the gasket of FIG. 4 ; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the gasket of another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Exemplary preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , a mobile phone 1 , according to the present invention, comprises a generally H-section frame 2 with a battery 3 mounted to the back of the frame 2 and a front cover 4 clipped to the front of the frame 2 . A rectangular aperture 5 is provided in the front cover 4 so that an LCD panel 6 can be viewed. The front panel 4 also has an array of holes through which the buttons 7 of an underlying keymat project. A transparent plastic sheet 8 is glued across the back of the aperture 5 .
[0020] A printed circuit board (PCB) 10 is mounted to the front of the frame 2 . An LCD panel mount 11 is fixed to the front of the PCB 10 . The PCB 10 also carries various other electronic components 12 necessary for the functioning of the mobile phone 1 .
[0021] A conductive shield 15 covers the PCB 10 between the frame 2 and the front cover 4 . The shield 15 extends from the front face of the frame 2 towards the front of the mobile phone 1 and across the front of the PCB 10 . The shield 15 bulges outwards in front of the LCD panel 6 and is apertured so that the LCD 6 can be viewed.
[0022] A rubber grommet-like gasket 20 is mounted around the edge of the aperture in the shield 15 . The back face of the gasket 20 is in contact with the front of the LCD panel 6 .
[0023] Referring additionally to FIG. 4 , the gasket 20 is rectangular and relatively flat and has a channel 20 a running around its edge. The channel 20 a receives the edges of the shield 15 , surrounding the LCD aperture, when it is installed.
[0024] Referring additionally to FIG. 5 , a plurality of closely spaced, e.g. 2 mm to 7 mm (preferably 4 mm), circular cross-section holes 20 b are provided through the rear flanges 20 c of the gasket 20 . The holes 20 b are 1 mm in diameter and are arranged in a straight line along each side of the gasket's central opening and are preferable as close to the bottom of the channel 20 as practicable. As shown in FIG. 3 , the holes 20 b are located within the periphery of the front face of the LCD panel 6 . Consequently, they lie sufficiently in the path of an electrostatic discharge propagating across the surface of the gasket 20 towards the periphery of the front face of the LCD panel 6 to prevent it reaching the LCD panel 6 .
[0025] Referring to FIG. 6 , in another embodiment which is substantially as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 , the gasket 20 has its hole 20 b arranged in two staggered lines along each side of its central opening.
[0026] It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the embodiments described above. In particular, the shape and size of the gasket may be varied to suit the shape and size of the display panel. Also, the holes in the gasket may only need to be provided near parts of the display that are particularly susceptible to damage from ESD.
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A display panel is mount behind a conductive structure with a gasket sandwiched between the panel and the conductive structure. ESD protection is provided by holes through the gasket between the panel and the conductive structure.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a novel technique, which is able to enhance an indistinct or noisy digital image, that has been acquired from medical imaging scanners as Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
It may be remarked that earlier investigators have proposed procedures for upgradation of medical image to some extent, such techniques encompassing histogram equalization, adaptive filtering, or filtering approaches using multiple subimage schemata. However, the procedures are generally not adaptable to variable tissue intensities, and hence cannot give optimal enhancement. Moreover, none of the existing image enhancement technique is able to enhance different kinds of image modalities. Recently wavelet-based approach has been used to explore the possibility of selective image improvement, but here there are many more variables involved. In the latter case, the problem is that one has to tune, in advance, to some arbitrary scale-specific or scale-dependent parameters of the wavelets, which may be suboptimal.
The drawbacks and limitations on the existing techniques are that there is usually loss of information as basically a filtering operation is used on the image to filter out energy power residing in the stochastic noise component of the image. These filters lose some content of the image or may cause artifacts, both of which may hamper the diagnosis.
Furthermore, the majority of the above procedures are not tissue-selective nor tissue-adaptive, since, in general, the various structures in the image are enhanced evenly and monotonously together, as mentioned earlier. The existing techniques do not produce variegated contrast level among different regions, however such variegation is much desirable for proper perception of images.
There is actually a topical need of a proper medical image enhancement technique that can operate adaptively on the variegated texture of heterogeneous tissue image. With this desirability in mind, it may be mentioned that the principal of Stochastic Resonance (SR) has been studied by scientists for various applications to physical or biological systems, such as enhancement of sound detection or optical scattering. However, there in no literature available on SR application for medical image enhancement. Of course, the present invention is the first application of SR for diagnostic medical imaging system.
The SR technique of the present invention has proven effective and overcomes certain limitations in the existing techniques as information loss and unwanted artifacts due to filtering. The SR procedure of the present invention administers extra quality to the contrast of an image through the added stochastic fluctuations, and there is minimal power dissipation or information loss in the image.
The SR technique of the present invention is also lesion specific as the image processing operation, namely the stochastic integral transform (SIT), can be adapted locally to enhance the suspicious regions of tissue. The nature of the pixel-adaptive SIT mapping is such that it provides varying contrast in different regions, so that the entire image is neither enhanced equally nor monotonously. Further, the SR technique of the present invention can enhance different kinds of image modalities and has been tested on various lesions and tumours, under different imaging modalities as CT, MRI, etc. and imparts an excellent opportunity to clinicians and radiologists to enhance and diagnose the unclear or latent lesions in an image.
Although some procedures for image upgradation have been proposed, none of the existing techniques promises enhancement without information loss. The SR technique of the present invention enhances the edges of the lesion, delineates the edema segments more clearly, and demarcates the latent structural brain lesions, along with aiding more efficient discrimation of the different zones of the lesion. Furthermore, the SR technique of the present invention is also useful in broad-ranging image processing applications of a general nature.
The SR technique of the present invention enhances medical diagnostic images such as CT and MRI, and also upgrades such images when they are noisy or indistinct. This improvement of the image would help radiologists/clinicians to perform improved diagnosis.
The SR technique of the present invention also provides a general image enhancement technique that can be adapted locally to enhance suspicious regions of tissue.
The SR technique of the present invention also provides varying contrast in different regions, so that the full image is not enhanced equally and monotonously, but there are differential levels of contrast in different regions of the image, thereby leading to increased discriminability.
The SR technique of the present invention also:
counters noise and enhances medical diagnostic images;
delineates edges of a tumour or lesion, the oedema region and the infarction region;
discriminates various structures and zones in the lesion and in the surrounding areas;
is applicable to any imaging modality;
displays increased structuration of the image; and
offers more accurate estimate of the location and degree of the abnormality in the tissue.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
Thiinvention relates to a novel Stochastic Resonance technique of medical image enhancement device b ased on Integral Transform of the image, comprising of the following step-wise elements. Image Transform component for generating specific types of Integral transforms like Radon transform for CT, Fourier transform for MRI. Perturbator component for preparing the stochastic perturbation waveform. Stochastic Resonator component for performing the stochastic resonance on the image transform. Performance monitoring component for characterizing the image enhancement factor of the SR-processed image. Control component for adjusting and controlling the bistability parameters of the double-well system that induces stochastic resonance. Matrix Display component for arranging the provisional display of the array matrix of the SR-enhanced images, as the bistability parameters are varied. Final Image display component for display of the maximally enhanced final output image.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 Image enhancement using the Integral Transform on which the Stochastic Resonance is induced: The Flow diagram.
FIG. 2 Block diagram of the step-wise components of the Image Enhancement Technique:
The initial image P is obtained in the CT or MRI scanner [Schema (A)]; then the initial image P is subject to Image Transform Operation with Stochastic Resonance Induction [Schema (B)] so as to obtain the Final Enhanced image Q.
FIG. 3 Use of the technique to enhance Computed Tomography (CT) imaging:
a) The initial CT Slice showing the lesion to be enhanced, b) The cropped image of the lesion, namely the region of interest (ROI), c) The stochastically-enhanced image, from which the radiological diagnosis is benign falx meningioma. [Photocopies may not reproduce the enhancement properly].
FIG. 4 Use of the technique to enhance Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):
a) The T 1 -weighted MR image, showing the lesion in ROI, b) The stochastically—enhanced image which shows that the lesion is clearly defined, while the distinction between the white matter and grey matter is marked, along with increased clarity of the ventricular contour, mass effect and the proliferative heterogeneity of the lesion, from which the radiological diagnosis is malignant glioma. [Photocopies may not reproduce the enhancement optimally].
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The invented technique is able to enhance a digital image acquired from scanners, as CT and MRI. The novelty is to add optimized noise to an already noisy or indistinct image, so as to enhance the contrast in the image. The addition of small amount of noise to a noisy image induces enhancement of the digital signal and this phenomenon is known as Stochastic Resonance (SR). The inventors administer the SR to the 2D-Radon domain for CT images and Fourier domain for MRI images, and the Inventors perform the image upgradation process by inventing a quantitative formulation that the inventors refer to as ‘Stochastic Integral Transform’ (SIT) ( FIG. 1 ). The inventors further characterize and estimate the degree of the enhancement process by developing the quantitative concept and measurement of the image upgradation index.
This invention reports for the first time the proof-of-principle that the nonlinear dynamics-based principle of stochastic resonance is a useful procedure for image enhancement in CT, MR etc. Ever since the initiation of digital imaging technology about sixty years ago, image processing methodologies have been dominated by communication-based techniques, such as by using various filter which filters the image and reduces the total power in the image. On the other hand, the Inventors have developed a new image enhancement approach using the newer physics-based yet biologically-oriented development in nonlinear dynamics methodology discovered in their laboratory. The procedure improve the quality of an image by administering to the image a zero-mean white Gaussian noise thermodynamically by means of stochastic fluctuation. The invention uses our novel proposition of Stochastic Integral Transform (SIT), which has not been suggested by anyone earlier, and this transformation can be used strategically for improving the accession of imaging signals of the pathophysiolocial system, thereby aiding in improved diagnosis and treatment.
The feasibility and proof-of-principle has been shown as follows. The quantitative procedure with computational algorithms for image enhancement of CT and MR images has been developed and the procedure has been validated using tested images. Testing has been done for several kinds of lesions as parasitic, infective and malignant, like cysticercosis, glioma, meningioma, tuberculoma, astrocytoma, etc. The Inventors estimated the quality of the upgraded image using the Image Upgradation Index parameter whose concept and measurement that they have developed. The mean upgradation index of over all the tested CT images is about 165% and that of MR images 125%. Intended for use by a wide community of users in medical imaging, physicians, radiologists, biomedical engineers, neuroscientists and others, our image processing procedures has been coded using Matlab language, and the same can be extended to stand-alone executable platform independent of Matlab, for the end users. The package is convertible to a directly user-friendly procedure, for use by concerned scientists, clinicians and engineers in the field of imaging, diagnostics, therapeutics and image processing.
Stochastic resonance is a novel concept, whereby the addition of optimal stochastic fluctuation or noise-based perturbation, to a signal-operated system, enhances the signal and the system response. One of the well-known examples of a physical or computational system that undergoes stochastic resonance is that a particle in a double-well potential. Motivated by statistical physics, the inventors consider an over-damped motion of a Brownian particle system in the presence of noise and an external periodic force, with the system having a bistable potential P(x), where P(x) is given by:
P ( x )=( m/ 2)· x 2 +( n/ 4)· x 4
here m and n are the bistability parameters which jointly determine the double well's height and width, that is, the activation threshold and separation between the minima, respectively. Here, we model the image pixel under stochastic fluctuation, by means of a particle under thermodynamic fluctuation noise (Brownian motion). This fluctuation noise enables the particle (or pixel) to transit from one state to the other, i.e. from weak-signal state to strong-signal state. We assume here that the noise is zero-mean Gaussian white noise. The stochastic resonator (SR) of the noise-induced transition of the signal can be taken as:
x ′( t )= dx/td=−P ′( x )+ A+N [1]
where A is the amplitude of the signal, N is a zero-mean input (the stochastic noise with variance s 2 ), and P′(x) is the differential of P(x) with respect to x and is given by [mx+nx 3 ]. Note that x′(t) implies differentiation of x(t) with respect to its variable t, while P′(x) indicates differentiation of P(x) with respect to the latter's variable x. The simulation is discretized in temporal steps of τ using Maruyama-Euler stochastic equation, given by:
x v =x u +δτ( mx u −nx 3 u +A+N )
where x u is the value of x at n th time-step, x v is the value of x at (n+1) th time-step, while δτ is the time interval between the temporal steps. The x′(t) parameter of eq. [1] forms the stochastic resonator (SR) of the system. Note that the initial condition is x 0 =x (0), i.e the value of x at time t=0. After the above, we now apply the stochastic resonator to the image to be enhanced. First, the gray level of given 2-D image I(x, y) is transformed to a zero-mean input, namely to a derived image I*(x, y) where:
I *( x,y )= I ( x,y )− I 0 ( x,y )
Where I 0 (x, y) is the spatial average value of the original 2-D image I(x, y) which is the MRI or CT image that we wish to enhance. Now, we administer the stochastic resonator (SR) to the respective integral transform domain, namely the 2-D Fourier transform domain of the derived image I*(x, y) in case of the MRI scan, or the 2-D Radon transform domain of the derived image I*(x, y) in case of the CT scan, where the Fourier Transform T F and Radon Transforms T R are respectively defined by:
T
F
=
∫
-
∞
∞
∫
-
∞
∞
I
*
(
x
,
y
)
,
ⅇ
-
ⅈ2π
(
k
x
x
+
k
y
y
)
ⅆ
x
ⅆ
y
(
2
)
T
R
=
∫
-
∞
∞
∫
-
∞
∞
I
*
(
x
,
y
)
δ
D
(
x
cos
θ
+
y
sin
θ
-
P
)
ⅆ
x
ⅆ
y
(
3
)
Where k x and k y are the Fourier wave vectors in k-space, and ρ and θ are the polar coordinates, while δ D is the Dirac Delta Function selecting the plane of projection (i.e., δ D =1 if x=0, whereas δ D =0 if x≠0). The Radon or Fourier transform can be generalized as an Integral Transform. Hence the administration of the Stochastic Resonator to the Integral Transform, can be taken to be a noise-activated transform T N , that we name as the Stochastic Integral Transform (SIT), which is given in terms of a double integral over the 2-D plane of the image:
T
R
=
∫
-
∞
∞
∫
-
∞
∞
S
R
I
*
(
x
,
y
)
T
G
ⅆ
x
ⅆ
y
(
4
)
Where SR is the stochastic resonance operator [see eq. (1)], and I*(x, y) is the derived image, while T G is the Generalized Integral Transform, such as 2D Fourier transform T F [given in eq. (2)] or the 2D Radon transform T R [given in eq. (3)]. The stochastic integral transform of the image T N of eq. (4) is then subject to discrete Fourier transform and then backprojection algorithm is applied to obtain the enhanced image. FIG. 1 shows the flow diagram of the above-mentioned scheme.
The step-wise elements of the proposed image enhancement system are ( FIG. 2 ):
1. Image Transform component: This step performs the specific type of Integral Transformation as the case may be e.g. Radon transform for CT, Fourier transform for MRI, etc. 2. Perturbator component: This step prepares the stochastic perturbation waveform. 3. Stochastic Resonator component: This entry performs the stochastic resonance on the image transform. 4. Performance monitoring component: This moiety characterizes the image enhancement factor of the SR-processed image. 5. Control component: This entity can be used to control and adjust the bistability parameters of the double-well system (such as the parameters ‘m’ and ‘n’ which jointly determine the activation height and the separation width of the double well, which induces the stochastic resonance. 6. Matrix Display component: This step arranges for provisional display of the matrix of the various SR-enhanced images, as the bistability parameters are varied. 7. Final Image Display component: Display of the final output image, maximally enhanced.
The inventors present some results obtained using the proposed approach. The values of the parameters ‘m’ and ‘n’ were varied to furnish a matrix of different stochastically activated images. The maximally enhanced image was chosen from the matrix using the characteristic of the perceptual contrast discriminability in the image, namely the just-noticeable-difference in intensity (JND). The proposed algorithm produces adequate contrast in the output image, and results in almost no ringing artifacts even around sharp transition regions, which are a disadvantage in typical conventional contrast enhancement techniques. Some of our experimental results on CT and MRI modalities are shown below.
CT Images:
The proposed method was able to enhance the edges of lesion in CT images. FIG. 3( a ) is the original CT image of a lesion in the frontal region of the brain and fails to show the edge of the tumor. The cropped image or region of interest (ROI) of the original image is shown in FIG. 3( b ). The SR-enhanced image [ FIG. 3( c )] furnishes appreciable clarity in the image, showing clearly the pedicle of the lesion, arising form the midline meningeal septum (falx cerebri).
The enhanced image is also able to better outline the sulcal-gyri architecture in the cortex, and well delineates the two zone sof the oedema region of the white matter, namely the umbral and penumbral zones of edema shown in FIG. 3( c ). The enhanced image also demarcates the edges of the lesion (shown in white arrows) and makes it evident that the lesion's pedicle is attached to the midline dural falx cerebri, indicating the radiological diagnosis as benign frontal falxine meningioma.
MRI Images:
FIG. 4( a ) shows a T 1 -weighted MR image of a lesion in which the ROI is marked in the figure and one cannot distinguish the gray from white matter, while the lesion margin cannot be discerned. In the SR enhanced image in FIG. 4( b ) the lesion boundary is clearly defined, while the white matter-grey matter distinction is marked, and ventricular contour has increased sharpness and clarity. Therein, in the upgraded image, the hyperintense peripheral regions of the lesion, which signify proliferative tissue activity (white arrow), can be noted, along with the hypointense core region that indicate necrotic/anoxic area (black arrow). One can also discern, in FIG. 4( b ), the radiological mass effect of the lesion on the surrounding tissue, the shift being clearly observable in the shrinkage of the posterior border of the ventricle. The SR-enhanced image furnishes a more upgraded view of the heterogeneity and variegation of the intralesional architecture, along with a more distinct boundary between the lesion and extra-lesional brain parenchyma. The enhanced image indicates readily that the radiological diagnosis is malignant proliferative glioma tumor.
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A method for medical image enhancement based on image transform resonance. A novel method for Stochastic Resonance of medical image enhancement device based on the Integral Transform of the image, comprising: generating specific types of integral transforms like radon transform for CT, Fourier transform for MRI with image transform component; preparing stochastic perturbation waveform, with perturbator component performing the stochastic resonance on the image transform, with stochastic resonator component; characterizing the image enhancement factor of the SR-processed image with performance monitoring component; adjusting and controlling the bistability parameters of the double-well system that induces stochastic resonance with control component; arranging the provisional display of the array matrix of the SR-enhanced images, as the bistability parameters are varied with matrix display component; subjecting the final image to the step of display with final image display component.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a technical method to create a three-dimensional air sealable packaging material by using a self-adhesive non-reversible air blockage technique (one way valve) and multi-layered functional polyethylene soft plastic resins. This material can be used in areas such as consumer electronics, glassware, high precision instruments and meters, art crafts, printer cartridges and products that are fragile, have high consumer values and require high safety protection performances. The present invention integrates multiple functions such as for direct load resistance, for anti-vibration, for being sealable, for anti-humidity, and for good shock resistance, provides good protective performance and, yet, is considered environmental friendly packaging material. It can be used in product protection, space void filling, and product area protection or used as protective isolator cushions during shipping. Most importantly, it can also be designed as printable and, hence, can be directly used as sales packaging combining with protective performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Globalization has increased the distance between product manufacturing and the product consumer market, and this trend has pushed the fast development of protective packaging in order to meet long distance protection shipping needs. Traditional Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Expanded Polyethylene (EPE) products are only shipped to users after foam molding or processing at the supplier's factory location. The formed, finished, EPS products are large in size and very inconvenient for transportation and storage. On-site foaming materials developed for convenience of transportation mainly use polyurethane foaming plastic materials to expand around the content article and form the protective mould around it. However, it is expensive to use and requires on-site equipment to process. That it also needs skilled workers as well as the working load makes it impossible for application for large scale product lines such as those for electronic products. Most importantly, the drawbacks of the Expandable Polystyrene products have caused many environmental concerns, and it is becoming the “white pollution” of this century. Considering the fact that protective products made of EPS material are used in a very short time span between manufacturing, shipping, and warehousing for commercial sales and finally to the consumer, EPS products are non-recyclable after use, and it is non-degradable lasting for hundreds of years once it is formed. The large volume of EPS packaging wastes has caused tremendous environmental damage. Incineration causes toxic gas to the atmosphere, and sending to a waste land fill will shorten the usage design of the waste land fill because these EPS products can not be decomposed for hundreds of years. With increasing concerns about environmental pollution issues, the development of this foam plastic material is greatly restricted by governmental regulation and public attentions. At the same time, products available to the protective packaging market are all limited by the large space volume needed to ship and to warehouse these packaging material. Shipping costs and warehouse handling costs have limited the sales of these products to within a short sales diameter distance. Hence, the present invention has focused on creating a marketable product that is easy for long distance transportation, on-site rapid formation, and good protective performance and, yet, that is of great benefit to the environment.
With the rapid development of soft plastic material, more and more industries can benefit from the design and functional expendability by utilizing the properties of this material. Traditional air filling packaging generally uses a heat sealing technique to form simple round shape air bubbles (BUBBLE WRAP), blocks or columns. The bubble wrap can be transported in rolls. However, products in other shapes request the installation of complex heat-sealing equipment on site to produce the product. As the protective effects and the transforming shapes of such products are limited, they are often used as padding or for filling space only. At the same time, air cannot be kept inside for a long time due to the unstable heat sealing quality when produced on site. Therefore, the development of packaging products using air as cushioning media has long been limited.
Literature, such as Walker (1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,211) and Koyanagi (1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,167), has recorded the use of valve structures made of soft plastic material such as rubber or latex. This valve material can be used in designs such as water bags, coffee bean bags and balloon toys. This soft plastic valve can provide a passage for air or liquid to enter but prevents the leakage of air and liquid. On the basis of such theory, using different materials may be applicable in different areas such as life-saving jackets and sealed devices to keep liquids in the bladder. In 2005, Fu Jinfang in “Packaging Engineering” and Liu Gong in “Packaging and Food Machinery” published articles on the feasibility study of using air for cushioning, providing the present invention a very good theoretical basis.
China's Patent Application No. 200510025833.4 published in Nov. 22, 2006 demonstrated an air packaging material and its production method by using a self-adhesive, non-reversible, air blockage technique. Such packaging material, comprising 4 layers of plastic films, formed a space for air storage by heat-sealing at specified locations. Air can be preserved in the space in a long-lasting manner utilizing both the self-adhesive film and the function of air pressure. Air and soft plastic film form a functional material that could be designed to have different functions such as shock-resistance, compression-resistance and moisture blockage.
China's Patent Application No. 200580016507.5 published in Nov. 21, 2007 demonstrated an air packaging device structure with improved shock absorption performance for the protection of products inside the container case. The air packaging device was comprised of first and second plastic films adhered by heating at prefabricated locations to produce a number of air chambers. Each air container has a number of serially connected air chambers. A number of one-way valves established at the entrances of the corresponding air containers allowing allow pressurized air to move forward. The air inlet is publicly connected with the one-way valves. Heat-sealing protrusions are formed at the lateral edges of the air packaging device. The prefabricated points of the air container are adhered to the heat-sealing edges. Thus, the open-mouth container part is created, which will wrap the product inside and which has the padding part in support of the container part when the air packaging device is filled with pressurized air.
The air packaging device published by the above Chinese patent applications is as illustrated in FIG. 1 . Air, through the main channel 1 and the one-way valve 2 , gets into air chambers 3 . The air chambers 3 are roughly the same in diameter, and the maximum load bearing is uniformly distributed throughout the surface area. When the packaged object falls, all the air chambers are impacted simultaneously, which is the same as a flat surface. In this case, the pressure that can be withstood is relatively small, and the cushioning effects are not very satisfactory.
On the other hand, after filling with air, the size of the object that can be contained in the internal space is basically defined. If the article is too big in size, it cannot be placed inside the air packaging device. On the contrary, if the article is too small in size, the article may be subject to motion and shock and may pierce the air packaging device, resulting in the failure of the cushioning protection. In case of articles for packaging with slight differences in size (such as 14 inch and 15 inch laptop computers), two sets of production techniques and moulds are required, leading to greater production costs. Meanwhile, increasing packaging volume will increase transportation costs and will greatly increase the costs for end products in the case of globalized purchase, manufacturing, transportation and sales.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, the present invention provides an air packaging device with greatly enhanced cushioning effects applicable in packaging of articles of various sizes. The packaging device can reduce the volume of the packaged articles and, thus, can greatly cut down transportation costs.
To achieve the above objectives, the present invention takes the technology program as follows:
An air packaging device, includes two layers of thermoplastic films. After two steps of heat sealing, the thermoplastic films form a space to store air, which space includes a number of independent sealed air chambers and one main channel. The main channel has an air inlet. Each sealed air chamber is connected with the main channel by a one-way valve made of at least two layers of films. It is featured that parts or all of the air chambers are installed with two or more one-way valves.
Load carrying capacity increases as the diameter of the air chamber increases, which means better protective effect. Therefore, increasing the air chamber diameter in a limited space can improve the load carrying capacity of the air packaging device. However, the increased air chamber diameter takes a long time to fill with air, which may affect the packaging working time needed. Therefore, installation of at least two one-way valves in an air chamber of a relatively larger diameter will solve the problem of the air filling time.
The sealed air chambers have different main diameters.
Due to the different main diameters of the air chambers, after being filled with air, the air chambers with a larger main diameter and the air chambers with a smaller main diameter on the same surface will take wave-like shapes just like a corrugated paper structure of the packaging cartons, to greatly improve the carrying capacity of the packaging device.
A larger air chamber diameter makes a larger carrying capacity, which means better protective effect. Therefore, increasing the air chamber diameter in a limited space can improve the load carrying capacity of the air packaging device to achieve better protective effects. However, due to the limited space, the main diameters of air chambers in some major areas are increased to improve the load carrying capacity therein while the main diameters of the air chambers in less important areas are reduced correspondingly. Another main purpose to increase the air chamber diameter only in most important areas is to reduce the packaging volume. Increasing cushioning in major areas and reducing the air chamber diameters in areas requiring less protection can effectively reduce the volume to cut down transport costs correspondingly. The volume will be large if all the air chambers are the same in size.
Preferably, the large and small air chambers of the packaging device are alternatively distributed. Such structure, after being filled with air, the large and small air chambers will take on wave-like forms, with only the air chambers of a larger diameter in touch with the article being wrapped. Like corrugated paper packaging, its own load carrying capacity is larger than if in touch with the basic plane formed by air chambers with the same diameter.
Preferably, the packaging device is a rectangle bag with opening at one end.
In this way, two packaging devices are required to wrap both sides of the article. Then, the packaging device is applicable only if one side of the rectangle article is suitable in measurements, making the range of application relatively wide.
Preferably, the packaging device is bag-shaped.
The bag-shaped packaging device is suitable for articles of relatively higher packaging requirements to provide good all-around protection for the articles.
Preferably, the main diameters of the air chambers at both sides of the packaging device are relatively small, while the main diameter of the air chamber at the middle is relatively large.
Preferably, the one-way valves sealed by heat plastic packaging may be used in one or more air chambers of a relatively small main diameter to block the air incoming channel therein.
In this way, on the basis of the original products, adding a working procedure of plastic heat sealing of the small air chambers around the lateral pressurized air chamber will obtain a packaging device for articles in other measurements without the need for a new mould, greatly cutting down production costs. In addition, the working procedures may be adjusted from time to time according to demands, satisfying the actual needs and cutting down inventories.
A packaging device production method, including a first step plastic heat sealing and a second step plastic heat sealing, is featured that the first step plastic heat sealing includes the following steps:
A first heat sealing process produces semi-finished packaging products having air chambers with a number of one-way valves installed, and the semi-finished products are then stored in rolls for future use.
The above semi-finished products undergo a second time heat sealing process by going through a one-step plastic heat sealing machine, further dividing some air chambers with multiple one-way valves into independent, small-diameter air chambers or connected spaces as required.
Using the production method of the present invention, a one-step plastic packaging machine may be employed in preparation to process first step semi-finished products with a number of one-way valves of a large air chamber diameter of various universal standards. When receiving orders, directly process partition lines on the prepared semi-finished products divide the large air chambers into independent, small air chambers. With preparation in spare time, the efficiency of one-step plastic packaging production will be greatly improved when having orders, resulting in greatly improved production of finished products. This will also make it convenient for factories in making production arrangements.
Using the on-site direct forming method can greatly reduce the package volume and, hence, the transportation costs, solving the problem of excessively high costs of long distance transportation of packaging materials. The products are made completely flat prior to use by using flexible plastic materials and prefabricated design. When using the products, such materials will, be formed rapidly by air and will form a protective structure around the article to be protected. Comparing with existing technologies, the three-dimensional air packaging material of the present invention has excellent comprehensive protection functions such as anti-resistance, anti-vibration, anti-compression and cushioning. It can be used for padding packaging of articles, partition boards for local or major areas of articles, and the overall external packaging for articles.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiments referring to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional air packaging device.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional air packaging device and an article contained with the air packaging device in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an air packaging device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention in a state prior to the second step heat-sealing process.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an air packaging device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention in a state prior to the second step heat-sealing process.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air packaging device in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention in a state prior to the second step heat-sealing process.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an air packaging device in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention in a state prior to the second step heat-sealing process.
FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the air packaging device in FIG. 6 after folding and the second step heat-sealing process, illustrating a plurality of heat-sealing lines on the air packaging device.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the air packaging device and an article contained with the air packaging device in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional of the air packaging device and an article contained with the air packaging device in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 a is a perspective view of the air packaging device in accordance with the present invention, with the air packaging device filled with air.
FIG. 10 b is another perspective view of the air packaging device in accordance with the present invention, with the air packaging device filled with air.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an air packaging device similar to the air packaging device in FIGS. 10 a and 10 b.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an air packaging device similar to the air packaging device in FIG. 11 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The air packaging device of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a further deliberation of the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A first step heat sealing refers to forming a plane bag for air storage by heat sealing treatment of two layers of thermoplastic films and a one-way valve. A second time heat sealing process refers to forming a three-dimensional bag for storage by folding a semi-product obtained from the first step heat sealing and, then, further heat sealing along a heat sealing line for after the second time heat sealing process.
FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the air packaging device of the present invention before going through the second step heat sealing process. It differs from the existing technology in: first, the main diameters of the air chambers 3 a at both sides are the same and are larger than the diameter of the air chambers 3 b in the middle; secondly, each side air chamber 3 a is connected with a main channel 1 with two one-way valves 2 , but each middle air chamber 3 b is only installed with one air valve 2 ; and thirdly, the heat sealing line 5 created by the second step heat sealing is the sealing line between the first and second air chambers 3 a at both sides, making the first air chamber 3 a at each of both sides a side pressure chamber for lateral cushioning. During the second step heat process, the end of the main channel 1 of the semi-finished product depicted in FIG. 3 , is closed and wrapped upward, similarly to FIG. 7 , and the upper and lower parts of FIG. 3 along the heat sealing line 5 are heat sealed, to form a bag with an upper opening. When using on site, air is filled into each air chamber 3 a , 3 b through an inlet 8 of the main channel 1 , and, then, the article 50 is wrapped at both ends by two such packaging devices for packaging. Installing two one-way valves 2 in one air chamber 3 a makes it easy to increase the air chamber diameter, and the carrying capacity of the air chamber 3 a is increased correspondingly. The diameters of air chambers 3 a at both sides are larger than the diameter of the air chambers 3 b in the middle, which is similar to the internal structure of alternatively distributed small and large air chambers depicted in FIG. 9 . The contact surface in between the air chamber and the article 50 will take a wave-like form in structure similar to corrugated paper. This will greatly increase the carrying capacity of the packaging device in accordance with physics theory. Meanwhile, the design of the heat sealing line 5 during the second step heat sealing process on the sealing line of the first air chambers 3 a at both sides (i.e. the left and right side pressure chambers 3 a ) and the second air chamber will protect the article 50 in all aspects as the side pressure air chambers 3 a have the lateral cushioning effects.
FIG. 4 depicts a second embodiment of the air packaging device of the present invention before going through the second step heat sealing process. It differs from the first embodiment in using purposely designed heat sealing lines of different shapes. FIG. 3 adopts the round shape heat sealing line 7 while FIG. 4 adopts a figure 8-shaped heat sealing line 17 . The heat sealing line will form one or more closed spaces. The air cannot penetrate into the enclosed air chamber but inflates air chambers 3 a , 3 b around these closed spaces. The sealed space is protected by the surrounding air chambers 3 a , 3 b and is free from external impact, being applicable to articles with parts of relatively higher requirements regarding impact.
FIG. 5 depicts a third embodiment of the air packaging device of the present invention before the processing the second step heat sealing process. It differs from the first embodiment in: the diameters of the air chambers at both sides are larger and are provided with three one-way valves 2 . The increased main diameters of the air chambers at both sides will improve the maximum carrying capacity of the air chambers.
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 depict a fourth embodiment of the air packaging device. FIG. 6 depicts the air packaging device before processing the second step of heat sealing procedure, and FIG. 7 depicts the air packaging device after the second step of heat sealing procedure. They differ from the previous three embodiments in: two small main diameter air chambers 67 , 68 are next to the first air chambers at both sides, namely, the left pressure air chamber 65 and the right pressure air chamber 66 . Between the air chambers 67 and 68 , there are a number of air chambers of the same diameter as the left and right side pressure air chambers 65 and 66 . There is a heat sealing line 69 on the one-way valves of the small diameter air chambers 67 and 68 next to the left and right side pressure air chambers 65 and 66 , sealing off the one-way valves of the air chambers to make it unable to fill with air. After air inflation, its horizontal length is slightly larger than the length when all the air chambers are filled with air, for packaging devices with variations in length such as the 14 inch and 15 inch laptop computers. As large diameter air chambers are on both sides of the small diameter air chambers, it bears on pressure of impact. The cushioning protection of the packaging device will not be affected if the small diameter air chambers are not filled with air. In this way, adding a working procedure of plastic packaging of sealing off the one-way valve of the small air chambers can produce packaging devices of two specifications. As no new moldings are needed, the production costs will be cut down greatly, and the products on the production line can be modified at any time in line with production without excessively more inventories.
The number of the small diameter air chambers can vary according to the actual design. The sealed air chamber can be one or more according to the actual situation.
More importantly, as depicted in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , in case of packaging devices with the same measurements, the one with small-diameter air chambers around the heat sealing line after the step heat sealing process can contain an article 50 of a larger volumetric size than the one contained in the packaging device with equal size diameter air chambers. Adding cushioning in major parts and cutting down the air column size in areas without need of protection can effectively reduce volume and transportation costs. Although the volume reduction of single packaging is limited, the saved transportation costs will be considerable in case of a large batch of products for long distance transportation.
FIGS. 10 a and 10 b depict the air packaging device after being filled with air. FIG. 11 depicts an air packaging device similar to the one depicted in FIGS. 10 a and 10 b.
All of the embodiments of the air packaging device as aforementioned can be made into a wrapping bag with an open end as depicted in the above embodiments. As illustrated in FIGS. 10 a , 10 b and 11 , the concurrent use of two same packaging devices can realize the cushioning protective function. In another example, the upper and lower parts of the semi-finished material are overlapped after the first step heat sealing process and then go through the second step heat sealing process to form a bag depicted in FIG. 12 . In this way, only one packaging device is needed to have the cushioning protection.
The production method of the present invention of air packaging device employs first step and second step heat sealing processes, wherein the first step heat sealing process includes the following steps:
1) Use the first heat sealing process to produce the semi-finished products having air chambers with a number of one-way valves, and the semi-finished products can be easily wound in rolls for future use; and
Have the above semi-finished products undergone a heat sealing process again in a one-step plastic packaging machine, further dividing some air chambers with multiple one-way valves into independent, small-diameter air chambers or connected spaces as required.
Finally, use the second step heat sealing process machinery to form the finished products.
As the air packaging devices are usually produced according to customers' orders without a large number of inventories, the production time will be very short after receiving the orders. At the same time, the production of the heat sealing process is relatively slow. The production time will be long if the materials are processed by the first heat sealing and the second heat sealing process in sequence, making it hard for workers who may have to work extra hours for production deadlines. By the production method of the present invention, semi-finished products may be prepared for universally standard large diameter air chambers with a number of one-way valves. When receiving orders, partition lines may be directly processed on the prefabricated semi-finished products, dividing the large air chamber into independent small air chambers or adding local heat plastic sealing transformations for local protection. Thus, preparations can be made in free time in between orders, and the production efficiency can be greatly improved when the production volume increases suddenly to greatly speed up the production of finished products. This will also make the production arrangement easy for the factory.
Applying the design of the above invention can produce functional packaging materials in various forms with lightproof, waterproof, moisture-proof, anti-wear, anti-compression, and shockproof properties, such as sealed bags and U-shaped bags. Meanwhile, features of plastic films can provide other features including anti-static, conductive, shock-cushioning, anti-wearing, anti-rusting and printable functions. Being different from the traditional air leakage-proof devices, the design of the present invention needs no external mechanical air stop device. Instead, relying on the specially treated internal and external functional films and by a series of simple local heat sealing processes, air can be kept in an enclosed space. According to this principle, a series of products and derivative products in relation to functional self-adhesive, non-reversible air blockage technology to form three dimensional packaging materials can be produced. Any change of product shape and function by changing the heat sealing shape, wrapping pattern, the heat sealing specifications and positions, by different cutting, or by selection of different plastic film features belong to the scope of the present invention, subject to the purpose of the present invention.
Deliberative but not limiting descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention have been made. However, it should be understood that the technical staff in this field may make changes and/or modifications without being away from the related scope of protection as defined in the Claims.
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An air packaging device includes two layers of thermoplastic films, which form a sealable space where air is filled after first and second steps of heat-sealing process. The sealable space includes a number of independent sealed air chambers and a main air passage channel. The main channel has an air inlet. Each sealed air chamber is connected with the main channel by at least one one-way valve each consisting of at least two layers of plastic films. At least two one-way valves are installed inside of the air chambers. This air packaging device increases the cushioning protection where the protection is most needed, but can reduce air chamber dimension at less important locations in order to reduce the volumetric size and, hence, reduce the shipping cost.
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CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] The present application relates to and is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/360,038, filed Jan. 26, 2009, entitled AERODYNAMIC TRAILER SKIRTS, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 61/024,217, filed Jan. 29, 2008, entitled AERODYNAMIC TRAILER SKIRT.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to aerodynamic trailer skirts, and also relates to a resilient skirt and attachment mechanism thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Road tractors are used to pull road trailers on roads to transport cargo. Aerodynamic apparatuses are installed on the road tractor and/or on the road trailer in order to reduce the aerodynamic air drag and improve fuel efficiency.
[0004] Trailer skirts made of rigid materials are installed on both sides of a road trailer to help manage the flow of air around and underneath the trailer. Brackets, also made of rigid material, are affixed to the trailer to secure the skirts positioned thereto. These skirts are secured to the bottom portion of the trailer, or on the sides of the trailer's floor, to ensure proper positioning when the vehicle is moving.
[0005] People who are familiar with the trucking industry know that trailers are subject to hazardous road conditions. The skirts, because of their position under the trailer's floor and their proximity with the road, are significantly vulnerable and might easily enter in contact with surrounding obstacles. The brackets holding the skirts, when put under significant stress, plastically bend and/or break to effect the skirts' position in respect to the road trailer thus reducing the efficiency of the skirts. Moreover, the skirt itself might bend and/or break if they contact a foreign object. This also increases the operation cost and the maintenance time that is required.
[0006] The shape of the skirts, and their respective positions on the road trailer, have a significant effect on the aerodynamics efficiency of the road trailer.
[0007] Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved aerodynamic skirt assembly over the existing art. There is a need in the art for such a resilient skirt assembly that can be easily installed and economically manufactured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is one aspect of the present invention to alleviate one or more of the drawbacks of the background art by addressing one or more of the existing needs in the art.
[0009] Accordingly, one object of one or more embodiments of this invention provides an improved trailer skirt over the prior art.
[0010] An object of the invention provides a skirt assembly adapted to be installed on a road trailer to reduce the aerodynamic drag produced by the movement of the road trailer when pulled by a road tractor. The skirt assembly comprising a skirt panel sized and designed to channel air along the trailer. The skirt assembly, once installed on the road trailer, being substantially vertically disposed under the road trailer between the road trailer wheels and the trailer supports (and could even be extended in front of the trailer supports) with a curved shape defined from the front of the skirt panel to a distance of about between 1.5 meter to 3.5 meters.
[0011] One object of the invention provides a resilient skirt assembly that is adapted to bend when it contacts a foreign object and recovers its original position and shape thereafter.
[0012] One other object of the invention provides a resilient skirt assembly that can be easily installed and economically manufactured.
[0013] Another object of the invention provides a skirt panel adapted to be installed on a road trailer with a rear edge disposed next to the forwardmost road trailer rear wheel to keep a gap therebetween to a minimum. The skirt panel being adapted to forwardly extend next to the road trailer support
[0014] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a skirt assembly made of composite materials offering a significant range of elastic deformation.
[0015] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a resilient strut adapted to secure a skirt panel to a road trailer, the strut being made of a resilient material adapted to sustain significant deformation and adapted to resiliently regain its original position.
[0016] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides strut supports made of non-metallic material.
[0017] One other aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a trailer skirt that is sized and designed to allow a temporary deflection of, inter alia, a bottom portion of the skirt panel.
[0018] A further aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a fastening system for easily securing the skirt panel to the trailer; the fastening system uses a limited number of parts to reduce the assembly time and the weight added to the trailer.
[0019] A further aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a skirt assembly comprising a plurality of support angles adapted to secure the skirt panel to the road trailer.
[0020] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, support angles made of composite material is provided.
[0021] According to an aspect of the present invention provides a resilient strut shaped in one piece.
[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention is provided a resilient strut made of composite materials.
[0023] Another aspect of the present invention provides a resilient strut having a constant section.
[0024] A further aspect of one or more embodiments provides a resilient strut adapted to be connected to the skirt panel at an angle.
[0025] One additional aspect of the present invention provides an opening in the skirt panel adapted to allow access to a fuel tank located underneath the road trailer, the opening being adapted to be optionally provided with a door.
[0026] Another additional aspect of the present invention provides a skirt panel composed of a plurality of skirt panel modules, at least one panel module being adapted to be removed or pivoted about a hinged mechanism to allow access under the road trailer.
[0027] Another aspect of the present invention provides a substantially progressive curvature on the forward portion of the skirt panel.
[0028] One other aspect of the invention provides a method of installing a skirt assembly on a road trailer comprising installing fastening a portion of a skirt panel substantially on the edge of a road trailer floor and securing a forwardmost portion of the skirt panel at a predetermined position on the trailer to define the shape of the skirt panel.
[0029] Another aspect of the invention provides a radius on the skirt panel adapted to mate the shape of the road trailer wheel to reduce the air gap therebetween.
[0030] One another aspect of the invention provides a skirt panel extension adapted to selectively reduce the gap between the road trailer wheels and the skirt panel when the road trailer wheels, disposed on a moveable trailer buggy, are longitudinally moved about the road trailer to change the load distribution of the road trailer.
[0031] Another aspect of the present invention provides an aerodynamic skirt adapted to be mounted to a trailer, the aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to be proximally mounted toward a center of the trailer, the rear portion being adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to the trailer.
[0032] One other aspect of the present invention provides a method of installing a skirt assembly on a trailer, the method comprising securing upper supports to the trailer, securing a skirt panel to the upper supports, and securing struts between the trailer and the skirt panel.
[0033] An aspect of the present invention provides a skirt assembly kit comprising a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on a trailer to route air about the road trailer, a plurality of upper supports adapted to secure the skirt panel to the road trailer and a plurality of struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to the road trailer.
[0034] One additional aspect of the invention provides a support member adapted to secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer, the support member comprising a trailer connecting portion; a skirt connecting portion; and an intermediate portion interconnecting the trailer connecting portion to the skirt connecting portion.
[0035] Another aspect of the present invention provides kit of resilient struts adapted to resiliently secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer, the kit comprising at least two resilient struts.
[0036] A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of using a resilient strut to resiliently secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer, the method comprising providing at least one resilient strut; securing the resilient strut to the trailer; securing the resilient strut to the aerodynamic skirt; and applying a load on the aerodynamic skirt to resiliently bend the at least one resilient strut.
[0037] Other objects and 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.
[0038] Additional and/or alternative advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, disclose preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a road tractor and a road trailer with a skirt assembly secured thereto;
[0041] FIG. 2 is a left elevational view of the road tractor of FIG. 1 ;
[0042] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the road tractor of FIG. 1 ;
[0043] FIG. 4 is a left-front perspective view of a portion of a floor section of the road trailer of FIG. 1 ;
[0044] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the floor section of FIG. 4 ;
[0045] FIG. 6 is a right elevational section view of a portion of the road trailer and the skirt assembly of FIG. 1 ;
[0046] FIG. 7 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the road trailer and the skirt assembly of FIG. 1 ;
[0047] FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the securing mechanism of the skirt to the road trailer's floor;
[0048] FIG. 9 is a section view of a portion of the road trailer's floor with the securing mechanism attached thereto;
[0049] FIG. 10 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the skirt's securing mechanism;
[0050] FIG. 11 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the skirt's securing mechanism;
[0051] FIG. 12 is a rear elevational section view of an alternate embodiment of a portion of the skirt' securing assembly;
[0052] FIG. 13 is a rear elevational section view of an alternate embodiment of a portion of the skirt' securing assembly of FIG. 12 when deflected;
[0053] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a road tractor and a road trailer with a skirt assembly secured thereto and a skirt panel module in the opened position; and
[0054] FIG. 15 is a left-front perspective view of a portion of a floor section of the road trailer of FIG. 14 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0055] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described bellow with reference to the drawings.
[0056] FIGS. 1 , 2 and 3 illustrate a road tractor 10 with a road trailer 20 attached thereto equipped with a pair of skirt assemblies 30 , installed on each side of the road trailer 20 , adapted to deflect and direct the airflow around the road trailer 20 . Each skirt assembly 30 includes a skirt panel 32 , adapted to be disposed on the side of the road trailer 20 , and a plurality of securing members adapted to secure the skirt panel 32 to the road trailer 20 . The securing members are not illustrated on FIGS. 1 , 2 and 3 and will be discussed in more details later in this specification. Once installed on the road trailer 20 , the skirt assembly 30 helps channel the flow of air around the road trailer 20 to reduce the air drag of the vehicle when the road trailer 20 moves on the road, pulled by the road tractor 10 .
[0057] The skirt assembly 30 of the present embodiment is mostly located under the road trailer 20 , between the wheels 12 of the road tractor 10 and the wheels 26 of the road trailer 20 . The skirt panels 32 can alternatively extend forward up to the trailer supports 14 of the road trailer, and be secured thereto, thus preventing complex skirt panel 32 arrangements through the trailer supports 14 . The skirt panels 32 are substantially vertically positioned on each side of the road trailer 20 with a clearance with the ground by illustratively about 15-25 centimeters (about 6 to 10 inches). The air management around the trailer 20 provided by the skirt assembly 30 reduces the air drag created by the road trailer 20 by directing the flow of air around the road trailer 20 . The flow of air would otherwise turbulently move around and below the road trailer 20 to create substantial air drag. The airflow management around the road trailer 20 provided by the skirt assembly 30 helps maintain laminar airflow around the road trailer 20 that helps diminish fuel consumption of the road tractor 10 . The skirt assembly 30 also improves the safety of the vehicle by providing a barrier that can significantly prevent foreign objects to get under the road trailer 20 .
[0058] The skirt panel 32 can also be used to display advertising thereon. Each skirt panel 32 provides additional display area in addition to the road trailer's wall 22 .
[0059] As illustrated, the skirt panel 32 is shaped with an optional progressive height from the forwardmost portion 34 . The skirt panels 32 can alternatively also be installed at an angle, in respect to the vertical, on the road trailer 20 to change the airflow pattern around the road trailer 20 and more precisely adjust the aerodynamics to a specific vehicle shape.
[0060] It can be appreciated from FIG. 3 that each skirt panel 32 is installed directly on the side of the road trailer 20 and, when seen from above, have a front portion 34 that progressively proximally leans toward the center 24 of the road trailer 20 . The recessed front portion 34 of the skirt panel 32 improves the collection of the turbulent airflow generated by the road tractor 10 thus improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly 30 . Additional explanation about the shape of the skirt panel 32 will be provided in further details below.
[0061] FIG. 4 is a perspective image of the skirt assembly 30 installed on the left side of a road trailer 20 from which is only illustrated a series of frame members 23 forming a portion of the road trailer floor frame 22 . A series of angle supports 40 are secured to the trailer to secure the juxtaposed skirt panel 32 thereto. The angle supports 40 could be omitted altogether and the skirt panel could alternatively be attached directly to the road trailer 20 without deviating from the scope of the present application. The rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 is preferably positioned on the edge of the road trailer's wall 28 . It is also encompassed by the present invention that the skirt panel 32 be installed a little in recess about the side of the road trailer 20 to avoid winches, lights, toolbox or ladders located on the side/edge of the road trailer 20 . In contrast, it can be appreciated that the front portion 34 of the skirt panel 32 is progressively positioned and secured toward the center 24 of the road trailer 20 . The skirt panel 32 is secured adjacent to the frame 22 with a series of angle supports 40 secured to both the frame members 23 and the skirt panel 32 . Lower, the skirt panel 32 is secured to the road trailer 20 with a series of intervening resilient struts 42 also secured to both the frame members 23 and the skirt panel 32 . Additional details about the angle supports 40 and the resilient struts 42 are provided later in reference with FIG. 7 through FIG. 11 .
[0062] Still referring to FIG. 4 , it can be appreciated that the upper series of holes 35 disposed on a top portion of the skirt panel 32 is used to fasten the skirt panel 32 to respective angle supports 40 that, themselves, are secured to frame members 23 of the road trailer 20 . A number of connection points between the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer 20 are used to ensure the skirt panel 32 is well secured to the road trailer 20 and will not vibrate or deflect (some deflection can be acceptable under certain conditions) during operation. The series of holes 35 disposed on a lower portion of the skirt panel 32 are adapted to fasten to an end of each resilient strut 42 . Similarly, the other end of the resilient strut 42 is connected to the frame members 23 of the road trailer 20 via a fastener mechanism that will be discussed below in details.
[0063] A curved portion 38 is defined on the rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 and preferably corresponds to the exterior shape of the adjacent wheel 26 of the road trailer 20 . In so doing, it is possible to install the skirt panel 32 close to the wheel 26 without risking any contact therebetween. The skirt panel 32 should be installed as close as possible to the road trailer wheels 26 to maximize its efficiency. It is preferable to leave a distance between the wheel 26 of the road trailer 20 and the skirt panel 32 to avoid any risk of interference therebetween
[0064] The wheels 26 of a road trailer 20 are commonly adapted to be longitudinally adjustable to distribute the mass of the road trailer 20 in a desired fashion. The adjustment of the position of the axels of a road trailer 20 is desirable, for instance, when a heavy load is carried or during thaw and freeze periods. In this respect, and to avoid reinstalling the skirt panel 32 in various positions on the road trailer 20 , it might be desirable to install the skirt panel 32 in respect with the forwardmost possible position of the axels of the road trailer 20 . That would prevent to remove and reposition the skirt panel 32 when the trolley's 16 position is modified.
[0065] The road trailer wheels 26 are mounted on a road trailer buggy 16 adapted to move the wheels 26 along a portion of the road trailer's length to distribute the weight of the road trailer 20 in a desired fashion. The skirt assembly 30 is preferably permanently secured to the road trailer 20 taking in consideration the forwardmost position of the trailer buggy 16 . The gap between the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer's wheels 26 is however increased when the trailer buggy 16 is move toward the rear of the road trailer 20 thus likely reducing the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly 30 . The present invention provides a skirt panel extension module 33 adapted to reduce the gap between the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer's wheels 26 to prevent any aerodynamic efficiency reduction. The skirt panel extension modules 33 are secured to the road trailer in a similar fashion. The skirt panel extension module 33 can be provided in various lengths to fill gaps of various sizes. They can also be provided as skirt panel extension modules 33 kit. An alternate embodiment provides a sliding skirt panel extension 33 that is permanently secured to the road trailer 20 and extendable to the desired length when the trailer buggy 16 is moved.
[0066] A skirt panel extension 33 , illustrated on FIG. 6 , can alternatively be added between the skirt panel 32 and the wheels 26 when the axles of the road trailer 20 are located in a rearward position leaving an increased distance therebetween to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly 30 . A reasonable distance between the skirt panel 32 and the wheels 26 could be between about 15 centimeters and about 30 centimeters although a shorter distance, or even a superposition of the skirt panel 32 (or skirt panel module(s) 33 ) over the wheel 26 , can be achieved.
[0067] FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the road trailer frame 22 . As mentioned above, it can be appreciated from FIG. 5 that the skirt panel 32 is disposed inwardly on the forward portion of the road trailer 20 and is progressively located on the edge of the road trailer's wall 28 toward the rear end of the road trailer 20 . A departure angle support 60 and a cooperating forward angle support 64 are secured to the road trailer to correctly locate the skirt panel 32 on the road trailer 20 . The departure angle support 60 and the forward angle support 64 are installed on the trailer 20 prior to install the skirt panel 32 . The rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 is secured to the road trailer 20 up to the departure angle support 60 and then the skirt panel 32 is bent to reach the forward angle support 64 and secured thereto. That bent locates the skirt panel 32 to the road trailer 20 and defines the shape of the skirt panel 32 with the desired progressive proximal bent. The remaining angle support 62 and resilient struts 42 are installed thereafter to further secure the assembly.
[0068] The rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 is intended to be secured to the road trailer to leave only a minimum gap with the road trailer wheels 26 to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly 30 . The skirt panel 32 extends to the front of the road trailer 20 and defines a curve portion on its front portion 34 . A long skirt 32 appears to be more efficient than a shorter skirt panel 32 and should therefore extend as far as possible to the front of the road trailer 32 . However, for reasons of complexity, the front portion 34 of the skirt panel 32 is likely to stop at the trailer supports 14 . It is nonetheless encompassed by the present invention that the skirt panel 32 alternatively extends in front of the trailer supports 14 .
[0069] In an embodiment of the invention adapted to fit a standard 16.1 meters (53 feet) road trailer 20 the forward end of the departure angle support 60 is located at a distance d 1 from the forward end of the skirt panel 32 . A forward angle support 64 is secured to the frame at a distance d 2 from the side edge of the road trailer 20 . Distance d 1 is about between 1.5 meter and 3 meters, preferably about between 2 meters and 2.5 meters and most preferably about between 2.1 meters and 2.4 meters. Distance d 2 is about between 0.20 meter and 0.40 meter, preferably about between 0.25 meter and 0.35 meter and most preferably about 0.27 meter and 0.32 meters. More precisely, distance d 1 is preferably about 2.29 meters and distance d 2 is preferably about 0.31 meter in a preferred embodiment. Corresponding angle supports 40 and resilient struts 42 are installed to further secure the skirt panel 32 at the desired position.
[0070] A left side elevational view schematically illustrating, on FIG. 6 , the overall size of the skirt panel 32 . Length d 3 of the skirt panel 32 is about between 5 meters and 9 meters, preferably about between 6 meters and 8 meters and most preferably about between 6.5 meters and 7.5 meters. The height d 4 of the skirt panel 32 is about between 0.5 meter and 1 meter, preferably about between 0.6 meter and 0.9 meter and most preferably about between 0.7 meter and 0.8 meter. And the forwardmost height d 5 of the skirt panel 32 is about between 0.3 meter and 0.7 meter, preferably about between 0.4 meter and 0.6 meter and most preferably about between 0.45 meter and 0.5 meter. More precisely, distance d 4 is preferably about 0.76 meter and distance d 5 is preferably about 0.48 meter in a preferred embodiment.
[0071] Alternate embodiments providing a skirt assembly sized and designed to fit road trailers of different lengths can be inferred from the dimensions discussed above. For instance, a skirt assembly can be designed to fit a 14.6 meters (48 feet) road trailer 20 or any other road trailer 20 sizes and lengths.
[0072] As further illustrated on FIG. 6 , the skirt panel 32 is provided with a series of holes 35 used to connect the skirt panel 32 to the road trailer 20 . The series of holes 34 disposed on the upper portion of the skirt panel 32 is used to connect the skirt panel 32 to the frame 22 of the trailer 20 whereas, in a similar fashion, the series of holes 35 disposed on the bottom portion of the skirt panel 32 is used to connect the skirt panel 32 to the skirt connecting portion 48 of the resilient strut 42 that is connected to the frame member 23 of the trailer via the trailer connecting portion 46 of a resilient strut 42 . The skirt connecting portion 48 and the trailer connecting portion 46 are provided with respective series of holes 35 to receive fasteners therein. The holes 35 can be factory pre-drilled or can be drilled during installation to ensure desired customization. Rivets or bolts are placed in the holes 35 to secure the skirt panel 32 to the trailer frame 22 or the support assembly. Other appropriate fastening mechanism variations well known in the art are encompassed by the present disclosure and can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0073] An opening 70 is defined in the skirt panel 32 to allow access to an optional fuel tank disposed on the road trailer 20 to fuel an onboard generator or freezer. Such a fuel tank is commonly disposed under the floor 22 of the road trailer 20 and is most likely hidden by the skirt assembly 30 . The opening is sized, designed and located on the skirt panel 32 to allow access to the fuel tank. A door (not illustrated) can optionally be added to close the opening 70 .
[0074] Turning now to FIG. 7 where is illustrated the resilient struts 42 and angles support 40 assembly with the frame 22 and the skirt panel 32 . The rear elevational view shows that the front portion 34 of the skirt panel 32 is proximally recessed from the left lateral side of the trailer 20 by, illustratively, about 30 centimeters. It can also be appreciated that the skirt panel 32 is held to the road trailer frame 22 via the series of angled support 40 on its upper portion. The lower portion of the skirt panel 32 is connected to the resilient strut 42 at an angle α 1 , which is an angle of about 45° in the present illustrative embodiment and could be different without departing from the present description.
[0075] In one embodiment, the resilient strut 42 has a rectangular section and is made of composite material. Recommended multilayer composite material, or reinforced thermoplastic manufactured by Transtex Composites Inc is used in the present embodiment. The composite material forming the resilient struts 42 of the illustrative example is shaped in a rectangular section to allow the resilient strut 42 to bend when the skirt panel 32 is pushed toward the center of the road trailer 20 (proximally) when, for instance, contacting an obstacle or having a force applied thereon. The resilient strut 42 bends, allowing a significant displacement of the bottom portion of the skirt panel 32 , is adapted to retrieve its original position when the force is removed from the skirt panel 32 . The resilient strut 42 is preferably made of a one-piece material where both ends are slightly angled 44 to evenly contact the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer frame member 23 . In so doing, no additional intervening parts are required between the resilient strut 42 and both the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer frame member 23 .
[0076] The resilient struts 42 of the present embodiment is about 4 millimeters thick and can reach a radius of 20 centimeters without going into plastic deformation or breaking.
[0077] Generally, the thinner the resilient strut 42 is, the shorter will be its maximum radius of curvature. A lateral proximal displacement of about 60 centimeters of the bottom portion of the skirt panel 32 is possible. The lower portion of the skirt panel 32 can even reach, under certain circumstances, a position parallel with the trailer 20 floor. The skirt assembly 30 and the skirt panel 32 will recover their original positions when the force causing the bending is removed. Further, the bending of the resilient struts 42 provides energy absorption in case of impact from another vehicle for example. It can be noted that a distal displacement of the skirt panel 32 is possible. A distal displacement of the skirt panel 32 will occur when a properly directed force is applied to the skirt panel 32 to bend the skirt panel 32 .
[0078] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict with more details the connection mechanism between the resilient struts 42 and the trailer frame members 23 . One of the resilient strut 42 ends is juxtaposed on the lower surface of the road trailer frame 22 . A set of holes, identified with holes axes 54 , are used to fasten two clamps 4 , one on each side of the frame 22 , to secure the resilient strut 42 to the road trailer frame 22 . The clamps 50 are illustratively made of a shaped stainless steel plate material to prevent corrosion.
[0079] FIG. 10 illustrates the connection between the resilient strut 42 and the skirt panel 32 . The end of the resilient strut 42 is positioned to the surface of the skirt panel 32 and secured thereto. Any types of fasteners 56 can be used to fasten both parts together. Rivets are preferably used although a bolt could also fit into the holes 54 performed in the skirt panel 32 and the resilient strut 42 , and illustrated with hole axes 54 to secure the assembly. Glue or resin could alternatively be applied between the resilient strut 42 and the skirt panel 32 to secure the resilient strut 42 and the skirt panel 32 together and is also encompassed by the present invention.
[0080] FIG. 11 shows the assembly between the upper portion of the skirt panel 32 and one of the angled supports 40 . The angle support 40 is disposed next to the edge of the road trailer 20 to position the exterior surface of the skirt panel 32 significantly co-planar with the lateral wall of the road trailer 20 . Again, any types of fasteners can be used to fasten both parts together. Rivets are preferably used but a bolt could also fit into the holes 34 in the skirt panel 32 and the angled support 40 to secure the assembly. Here again, glue or resin could alternatively be applied between the angle support 40 and the skirt panel 32 to permanently secure the angle support 40 and the skirt panel 32 together.
[0081] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate an alternate embodiment where the resilient strut 42 is fixed to the trailer frame 22 and the skirt panel 32 differently. Instead of installing the resilient strut 42 with both ends slightly angled to mate with the skirt panel 32 , both ends of the resilient strut 42 are further angled to contact the skirt panel 32 from the opposite side. This alternate layout assembly reduces the stress on the resilient strut 42 , when the skirt panel 32 is deflected, for instance, under a force F, by expending the radius of curvature of the resilient strut 42 throughout the resilient strut 42 ergo significantly reducing local stress points in the resilient strut 42 .
[0082] In another unillustrated embodiment, the section of the resilient strut 42 has a shape adapted to increase its stiffness. A “U” shape resilient strut 42 can be manufactured. Alternatively, an embossed portion on a planar shaped resilient strut 42 can also be manufactured. Preferably the selected shape should prevent dirt and road debris to keep stuck on the resilient strut 42 . The shape can also be uneven along the length of the resilient strut 42 to provide an uneven flex to the resilient strut 42 .
[0083] As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in view of the present specification, the nature of the material used to build the skirt panel 32 and the resilient strut 42 can vary. These materials are also contemplated to fall within the scope of the invention if they lead to the flexibility and resilience required to build a resilient skirt assembly 30 .
[0084] Turning now to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 , illustrating the road tractor 10 and the road trailer 20 . In this embodiment the skirt panel 32 is constructed with a plurality of skirt panel modules 80 . A skirt module 86 is adapted to be pivoted about hinges 84 to give access under the road trailer 20 . A support member 82 is also provided to maintain the skirt panel module 86 in its opened position. The support member 82 being composed of a suspension means and a damper means.
[0085] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments and elements, but, to the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications, combinations of features, equivalent arrangements, and equivalent elements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the dimensions of features of various components that may appear on the drawings are not meant to be limiting, and the size of the components therein can vary from the size that may be portrayed in the figures herein. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of the invention, provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A support member adapted to secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer is provided, the support member comprising a trailer connecting portion; a skirt connecting portion; and an intermediate portion interconnecting the trailer connecting portion to the skirt connecting portion. A kit of resilient struts adapted to resiliently secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer is also provided, the kit comprising at least two resilient struts. A method of using a resilient strut to resiliently secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer is equally provided, the method comprising providing at least one resilient strut; securing the resilient strut to the trailer; securing the resilient strut to the aerodynamic skirt; and applying a load on the aerodynamic skirt to resiliently bend the at least one resilient strut.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an impeller used in the field of fluid transfer using rotating machinery. The invention more particularly concerns an impeller specifically developed for use with corrosive fluids while maintaining standard performance characteristics.
2. Discussion of the Background
Traditional impellers employ blades to transfer the fluid from an inlet, or suction eye, through the interior of the impeller and then discharged through an outlet. The blades of the impeller can be oriented relative to the axis of rotation of the impeller in a radial direction, a forwardly inclined direction, or a backwardly inclined direction. The forwardly inclined blade design employs a blade which has an exit edge which is forward of the inlet edge of the blade relative to the direction of rotation of the impeller. For example, relative to a fixed rectangular coordinate system located at the axis of rotation of the impeller, but not fixed to the impeller, the exit edge of the blade crosses any one of the coordinate axes before the inlet edge of the blade crosses the corresponding coordinate axis when the impeller is rotated. Likewise, the backwardly inclined blade design employs a blade which has an inlet edge forward of the exit edge of the blade relative to the direction of rotation of the impeller. The backwardly inclined blade design is more efficient than either the radial or forwardly inclined blade designs.
However, backwardly inclined blade designs have a major drawback over the other two types of blade orientation in that the blade stresses are much greater. The larger stresses have tended to require that the material of construction of the blades be restricted to steel due to its high strength, stiffness, and fatigue characteristics. As such, the steel blades allow for blade angles and contours which maintain good flow characteristics and performance characteristic.
The steel blades are adequate for many uses and environments. However, when steel impellers are employed to transmit corrosive materials, the steel impellers corrode. The steel impellers employed to transmit the corrosive fluids work satisfactorily for a short period of time before the corrosive effect of the working fluid corrodes the steel impeller to the point of uselessness. To overcome the problem of corrosion to the material of the impeller, fiberglass reinforced plastic has been employed since fiberglass reinforced plastic has superior corrosion resistant properties as compared to steel.
However, the large stresses mentioned earlier require that either the thickness of the blades be increased or the angle of inclination be compromised. Furthermore, increasing the thickness of the blades increases the mass moment of inertia of the impeller thus requiring increased operational power, limits the number of blades that can be placed on the impeller, and adversely affects blade aerodynamics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an impeller that transmits corrosive fluids while maintaining corrosion resistance and performance characteristics.
In one form of the invention the backward inclined fan impeller takes the form of a plurality of backwardly inclined blades attached to a base. Attached to another side of the blades is a shroud ring. The shroud ring has an opening in its center forming a suction eye. Attached to the center of the base is a conical hub. The blades are made from corrosion resistant material.
Thus, Applicant's invention is superior to the prior art. Applicant's invention provides for a backwardly inclined fan impeller which is able to operate in a corrosive environment while maintaining performance characteristics. Applicant's invention achieves this objective by employing a substantially corrosion resistant fiberglass reinforced plastic as the material of construction in combination with a conical hub, a shroud ring, a base, and blades so as to minimize stresses within the blades while maintaining efficient blade aerodynamics. The impeller is efficient because of the backward inclined orientation of the blades, the relatively thin blade width, and the use of the conical hub and shroud ring to alter the direction of the fluid flow. The blades of the impeller assembly are structurally sound since the blades are integrally connected to both the base and the shroud ring. The prior art fails to disclose the use of such structural features which provide the desired result. Such structural features distinguish Applicant's invention, structurally and functionally, over the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the impeller assembly, the blades are shown in phantom line;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the impeller assembly taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing some of the elements interior of the impeller assembly;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a blade;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a blade;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a shroud ring;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a hub and flange assembly;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the hub and flange assembly; and
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an assembly of a blade to the base and to the shroud ring.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, an impeller assembly 10 has been created which provides for the transmission of corrosive fluids while maintaining conventional performance characteristics. The embodiment of this invention is displayed in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIGS. 3-8 show details of various parts of the impeller assembly 10.
FIG. 1 is a top view of the impeller assembly 10 where the blades 60 are shown in phantom line, the hub assembly 30 is also shown in phantom line, and the conical hub or portion 50 is also shown. FIG. 1 illustrates the placement of eight screws (not numbered) equally spaced around a mid portion of the conical hub 50 so as to secure the conical hub 50 to the base 40 (not shown), and the hub assembly 30 (not numbered). FIG. 1 further illustrates use of backwardly inclined blades 60 which are located equidistant from each other along the base 40 (not shown) creating an annular array of impeller blades. The blades 60 are radially located between the outer periphery 52 of the conical hub 50 and the outer periphery of the base 40 (not shown). The impeller assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 1 rotates in operation in a clockwise direction. Outlets 70 are located between each adjacent set of blades 60.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the impeller assembly 10 taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 clearly shows the conical shape of the conical hub 50. FIG. 2 further illustrates the location of the base 40 on which the conical hub 50 is mounted. Likewise, the base 40 is mounted on the hub assembly 30. The shroud ring 20 connects to each of the blades 60. Suction eye 22 of the shroud ring 20 introduces the corrosive fluid into the impeller to eventually be discharged through the outlets 70. The impeller assembly rotates about a rotational axis A.
FIG. 3 shows a side view of a blade 60 which has an outlet edge 66, a straight connecting edge 64, a free edge 68, an inlet edge 69, and an inclined connecting edge 62. The free edge 68 and inclined connecting edge 62 are located at one axial end of the blade 60. The straight connecting edge 64 is located at the other axial end of the blade 60.
FIG. 4 shows a top view of a blade 60. The top view displays the relative thickness of a blade 60.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the shroud ring 20. The suction eye 22 of the shroud ring 20 is clearly displayed. The corrosive material which enters through the suction eye 22 exits the shroud ring 20 through a flared end 24.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the hub assembly 30. Specifically, the flange 32 of the hub assembly 30 is displayed showing the matching screw-hole pattern that matches the screw-hole pattern shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the hub assembly 30 which shows the flange 32 and the hub 34. The hub 34 is designed so as to receive rotary power from a power source (not shown). The hub assembly 30 is ideally made out of cold rolled steel plate.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an assembly of a blade 60 to the base 40 and to the shroud ring 20. FIG. 8 illustrates how attachment material 80 composed of a mixture of fiberglass and plastic is applied to the blades 60, shroud ring 20, and the base 40.
Components, other than the hub assembly 30, are ideally made from fiberglass reinforced plastic.
The inclined connecting edge 62 of each blade 60 connects to an inner surface of the shroud ring 20 at its flared end 24, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8. Once the blades 60 and shroud ring 20 abut each other the attachment material 80 which consists of a mixture of fiberglass and plastic is applied to the surfaces of the blade 60 and shroud ring 20 so as to overlap the surfaces and blend them together. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 are the connection of the blade 60 to the base 40. The straight connecting edge 64 of each blade 60 is brought into contact with a surface of the base 40. The outlet edge 66 of the blade 60 is placed perpendicularly adjacent to the outer periphery of the base 40 and the inlet edge 69 of the blade 60 is placed adjacent to the outer periphery of the conical hub 50.
Again, the attachment material 80 composed of a mixture of fiberglass and plastic is applied so as to overlap the surfaces of the base 40 and blades 60. Additionally, the attachment material 80 is blended into the corners created by the attachment of the blades 60 to the shroud ring 20 and to the base 40.
In operation, a power source (not shown) transmits rotary power to the hub 34 of the impeller assembly 10. The impeller assembly 10 rotates in a clockwise direction. The corrosive fluid then enters the impeller assembly 10 through the suction eye 22 of the shroud ring 20 due to a pressure gradient. As the corrosive fluid passes through the suction eye 22 it flows towards the conical hub 50, where the flow of the corrosive fluid is altered in a direction substantially 90° from the rotational axis of the impeller assembly 10. The corrosive fluid then flows in a radially outward direction through channels bounded by the base 40, the shroud ring 20, and by adjacent sets of blades 60, so as to form outlets 70 through which the corrosive fluid is discharged. The corrosive fluid discharged from the impeller assembly 10 can be collected in a housing (not shown) so as to transport the corrosive fluid to some other location.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention 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 practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
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A backward inclined fan impeller features a plurality of blades attached to a shroud ring and base for use in transporting corrosive materials. The impeller assembly is substantially corrosion resistant while maintaining adequate performance characteristics. Rotary power actuates the impeller assembly.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to linear to rotary motion conversion in machines such as reciprocating piston internal combustion engines and fluid pumps.
Commonly linear to rotary motion conversion in machines is carried out by a crank and connecting rod. Notwithstanding the many disadvantages of this mechanism, well known in the art, no better solution has yet been found for many applications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Examples of machines which offer an alternative to the crank and connecting rod arrangement are shown in Australian Patents 473864 and 466936, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,032,495 and 3,572,209, European Patent Application 64726, United Kingdom Application 476247 and PCT published Specifications WO86/06134 and WO86/06787.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a practical alternative reciprocating/rotary motion conversion mechanism in a machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One broad form of the invention can be described as a machine having a primary axis and comprising:
a plurality of radially reciprocable pistons disposed radially of said primary axis; and
a circular array of lobed shafts constrained for orbital motion about said primary axis, each shaft being rotatable about a respective secondary axis parallel to the primary axis at a rate being a predetermined proportion of their orbital rate, and the planes of the lobes lying approximately in the radial plane of the pistons, and wherein during the rotation and orbit of the shafts and reciprocation of the pistons each piston maintains substantially continuous contact with at least one lobe throughout each cycle of reciprocation of that piston, and further wherein there is a transition without substantial time delay, between each successive cycle of reciprocation of each piston defined by the period between contact and separation of respective successive lobes and said piston.
Preferably the pistons are arranged in pairs, the pistons of each pair pumping fluid from one to the other in response to piston reciprocation so as to maintain substantially asynchronous reciprocation of the pistons of each pair.
Preferably the machine additionally comprises a main shaft rotatable about the primary axis and in torque transmitting connection with the array of lobed shafts. The main shaft may include a rigidly connected radial web supporting each lobed shaft in a position fixed relative to the web and being equally spaced about a pitch circle of the web. It is an advantage to have two such webs spaced along the main shaft and rotatably supporting the lobed shafts in the annular space therebetween.
Preferably the predetermined proportion of rotational to orbital rates of the lobed shafts is effected by intermeshed planet and ring gears, the plane gears being rigidly concentrically connected one to each shaft and the ring ear being fixed concentrically of the primary axis. The ring gear may be fixed to a casing which rotatably supports the main shaft via suitable bearings.
Conveniently each piston resides in a cylinder cooperatively defining a lower variable volume chamber being a fluid pumping chamber radially intermediate of the piston and filled with a fluid to be pumped between the respective pumping chambers of the pair of pistons in response to piston reciprocation. Each piston and respective cylinder may also define an upper variable volume chamber radially outwardly of the piston between a top of the piston and a radially outer closed end of the cylinders and which may be utilized as a conventional internal combustion chamber.
In a preferred arrangement of the invention each piston includes top and bottom separated piston halves rigidly interconnected by at least one radially aligned rod passing sealingly through an intermediate transverse cylinder wall so as to define the fluid pumping chamber between the bottom piston half and the intermediate cylinder wall, the upper variable volume chamber between the top piston half and the closed end of the cylinder and an intermediate variable volume chamber between the top piston half and the intermediate cylinder wall. The intermediate variable volume chamber may be an induction chamber for effecting and/or controlling air or air/fuel mixture pumping into the combustion chamber as part of an internal combustion process.
The induction chamber may include inlet and transfer ports entering through its cylinder wall and being opened and closed in timed relation to piston movement by the top piston half, in the manner of conventional two-stroke piston controlled port timing.
In one embodiment the lobes of the lobed shafts lie in a common plane and during rotation overlap at their tips with the tips of the lobes of each adjacent lobed shaft. The lobes of each shaft having a transverse indent symetrically opposed to the transverse indent of lobes of both adjacent lobed shafts.
In an alternative embodiment the lobes of the lobed shafts lie in two adjacent parallel planes, the lobes of adjacent shafts being in alternatives ones of said two planes. During rotation the lobes of adjacent shafts closely overlap.
As another preferred feature, each lobe may include a leading edge with a raised portion which is located so as to provide a point, line, or area of initial contact between the lobe and the pistons. Where the lobes include transverse indents each raised portion is radially within the inner most extent of the respective indent.
A further preferred feature provides a resilient initial contact point in each piston so as to cushion initial contact between the piston and the lobes at the commencement of each cycle of reciprocation. Alternatively or in combination with the resilient initial contact point the pistons and/or surrounding cylinders include resilient contact lines or points to cushion each piston at its inner most turning point of its reciprocating travel. Preferably the resilient contact lines and/or points are provided by resilient silicon material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded, partially fragmented, perspective view of the major operating components of an internal combustion engine embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a multiple sectioned axial elevation of the engine shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a three part (3a, 3b, 3c) schematic representation in axial elevation of an operational feature of the engine of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectioned radial elevation of the engine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a single component of the engine having a preferred profile;
FIG. 6 is an axial view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing further preferred features.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The engine of the drawings is of a generally radial configuration having twelve pistons undergoing a substantially conventional two stroke combustion cycle. The bulk of the engine is housed within a casing or block 1 which need only withstand generally radial forces of not substantial magnitude and can therefore be lightweight and of simple design.
The casing 1 includes twelve equally radially spaced and radially aligned cylindrical cavities 2 adapted to receive piston/cylinder assemblies 3 in a close sliding fit. The piston/cylinder assemblies 3 are bolted into position and will be discussed later in detail.
Main bearings 4 are supported at respective axial ends of the casing 1 and rotatably secure the mainshaft 5 with its rigidly attached rotors 6 between the two main bearings 4. The rotors 6 carry a number of lobed shafts 7 parallel to the main shaft 5 and rotating in secondary bearings 8. There are six lobed shafts 7, and, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, each shaft 7 includes three lobes 9, the lobes 9 of adjacent shafts 7 somewhat overlap so that in operation of the device each piston is engaged with a lobe of a shaft 7 at all times during its reciprocation.
The lobed shafts 7 carry planet gears 10 externally of the secondary bearings 8 and attached to the shafts 7 so as to turn as an integral component. Each of the planet gears 10 engages one of two ring gears 11 attached in the radial planes at each axial end of the casing 1. Thus rotation of the main shaft 5 results in the shafts 7 orbiting about the main shaft 5 and proportionately revolving about their own respective axes. The shafts 7 all revolve at the same rotational speed proportional to the speed of rotation of the main shaft 5 as determined by the gearing ratio between the planet gears 10 and the ring gear 11.
End covers 12 sealingly enclose the gear trains consisting in the ring gear 11 and planet gears 10, conveniently support the main bearings 4, and allow the sealed protrusion of one end of the main shaft 5 to provide a power take-off.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a piston/cylinder assembly 3 in place in the casing 1. The piston 13 can reciprocate in the radial direction within the cylinder 14 which includes in unit construction a head portion 15 and cylinder bore portion 16. Seen most clearly perhaps in FIG. 3 the bore portion 16 can be divided into two sections, a radially outer section 17 and a radially inner section 18 divided by a transverse intermediate cylinder wall 19. The piston 13 comprises a top piston half 20 and a bottom piston half 21 rigidly interconnected by three round sectioned rods 22 arranged equally radially spaced about the centre line of the piston 13. The rods 22 pass through sealed apertures within the intermediate cylinder wall 19. Such construction provides three variable volume chambers 17, 18 and 24, chamber 24 being the combustion chamber between the top piston half 20 and the cylinder head 15.
Shown in the drawings of FIG. 3 is the fluid pumping action which maintains the two pistons 13a, 13 b of a cooperative pair in asynchronous reciprocatory motion. The variable volume chambers 18a, 18 b defined between the bottom piston half 21 and the intermediate cylinder wall 19 of each pair of piston/cylinder assemblies 3 (FIG. 1) are filled with a fluid and linked by a fluid interconnection 23. The total volume of the fluid remains constant for incompressible liquids and substantially constant for compressible gases, the volume of one chamber 18b of the piston 13b advancing outwardly is reduced thus pumping the fluid out into the corresponding chamber 18a of the other piston 13a thus forcing an increase in the pressure in chamber 18a causing retraction of its piston 13a. During normal operation of the internal combustion engine this mechanism is not relied upon other than as a safety factor. Normally combustion pressures will force the retracting piston 13a inwardly, causing the connected shaft 7a to revolve and thereby orbit, in turn advancing the other piston 13b of the pair. However during starting and stopping procedures or in the event of certain failures, the pumping action of the first fluid between the two chambers 18a, 18b retains the piston 13 of each pair in their correct 180° out of phase reciprocatory action.
The planetary gear 10 to ring gear 11 ratio is selected in consideration of the number of shafts 7, the number of lobes 9 per shaft 7 and the number of pistons 13 to ensure that during engine rotation as each shaft 7 is in turn orbitally positioned directly radially below each piston 13a, 13b its lobes 9 in turn axially align radially with each piston 13. Thus the shaft 7a shown in FIG. 3(a) is positioned radially directly below the piston 13a while in FIG. 3(c) shaft 7a is positioned radially beneath the piston 13b and has revolved anticlockwise through one third of a revolution (there are three lobes 9 for each shaft 7 in this embodiment). Also as seen in FIG. 3(a), as lobe 9c of the shaft 7b leaves contact with the bottom piston half 21b a lobe 9b of the next proceeding shaft 7a comes into contact, overlapping the departing lobe 9c, with the bottom piston half 21b. Similarly in FIG. 3(c ), lobe 9d replaces the lobe 9a in contact with the bottom half 21a of piston 13a. This point of simultaneous contact of lobes 9 of adjacent shafts 7 occurs at the bottom travel position of the respective piston 13 (equivalent to bottom dead centre in a crank/connecting rod prior art mechanism).
By this mechanism, the pistons 13 are each continuously in contact with lobes 9 of consecutive shafts 7. Also, for each complete revolution of the main shaft 5 each cylinder fires six times (i.e. one for each shaft 7).
The variable volume chambers 17a, 17b enclosed between the intermediate cylinder wall 19 and the top piston halves 20a, 20b is used to pump fuel air mixture into the combustion chamber 24 in a manner similar to the crank case of a conventional two stroke internal combustion engine. The cylinder bore portion 16 includes inlet, transfer and exhaust ports, the opening and closing of the ports being controlled and timed relative to movement of the piston 13 by the sliding surface of the top piston half 20. As with conventional two stroke combustion cycle engines reed valves, multiple porting, acoustical exhaust timing and supercharging amongst others may be incorporated to improve the performance of the engine.
The lobes 9 of the shafts 7 can be profiled to provide an asymetric reciprocation. FIG. 5 illustrates one profile designed to give a slower piston speed on the downward power stroke than on the upward compression stroke. This allows, amongst other things, for better scavenging.
Also shown in FIG. 5 is a resilient insert 25 located in a bottom face at the bottom piston half 21 and positioned to be at the point of first contact with a lobe 9 in order to provide some cushioning if necessary.
The combustion cycle of the engine is seen in FIG. 3a with piston 13b commencing its compression stroke. The combustion chamber 24b has already been at least partially filled with an air fuel mixture which is gradually compressed as the combustion chamber 24b decreases in size, FIG. 3b, as the shaft 7a is rotated anticlockwise by action of the piston 13a in its power stroke. As well as the shaft 7a advancing the piston 13b during its anticlockwise rotation it also causes the rotors 6 to rotate clockwise by the action of its planet gear 10 against the ring gear 11.
During the upward compression stroke of piston 13b the fluid chamber 18b decreases in volume thus pumping its fluid through passage 23 into the corresponding chamber 21a of piston 13a.
Furthermore, the induction chamber 17b increases in volume during the compression stroke of piston 13b. The chamber 17b is connected to a metered air/fuel supply such as a carburettor, via an inlet port (not shown). The pressure drop within the increasing volume 17b causes induction of the air fuel mixture in the manner of a conventional two stroke cycle engine crank case.
The shaft 7a continues to rotate anticlockwise and orbit clockwise under the action of the power stroke piston 13a driving the compression piston 13b to its topmost position at which point the combustible air/fuel mixture has already been ignited and, as with conventional reciprocating piston internal combustion engines, it commences its power stroke.
In the position shown in FIG. 3c the fluid chamber 18b has also reached its minimum volume while the induction chamber 17b has reached its maximum volume. Neglecting fluid momentum the flow of fluid out of chamber 18b and the induction of fuel/air into chamber 17b has now ceased.
The power stroke can be seen in piston 13a, commencing in FIG. 3a. The freshly ignited air fuel mixture causes a sharply rising combustion pressure within the combustion chamber 24a forcing the piston 13a to retract inwardly as in FIG. 3b. The combustion pressure upon the top piston half 20a is transmitted through the piston rods 22a and piston bottom half 21a to the lobe 9a of the shaft 7a. This force produces the torque turning shaft 7a as discussed previously with reference to the compression stroke.
Also during the power stroke the induction chamber 17a decreases in volume and pumps its air fuel mixture out through a transfer port (not shown) leading into the combustion chamber 24b for replenishing the air fuel mixture. The timed control of the air fuel mixture flow into and out of the induction chamber 17a and into the combustion chamber 24a can be controlled by any one of a number of conventional methods including reed valves, piston interaction with port openings, disc valves and supercharging.
The increasing volume of fluid chamber 18a is filled with the fluid pumped from the decreasing volume fluid chamber 18b. Where, for some reason such as combustion failure, or when starting or stopping the engine, where there is not the combustion pressure to cause retraction of the piston 13a then the pressure of the fluid within chamber 18a increases under the pumping action of the reducing volume fluid chamber 18b thus pressuring the bottom piston half 21a radially inwardly and maintaining its contact with the lobe 9a.
FIG. 6 shows the internals of a four lobe variant of the invention. As with the motor already described there is an orbital array of lobed shafts 30 constrained for general reversed rotation relative to their orbital movements effected by planet gears 10 and ring gear 11. In this case there are also twelve pistons 13 but each of the six orbital shafts 30 carries four lobes (rather than three) and therefore rotates at 3/4 the gearing ratio of the three lobal variant so as to ensure matched engagement of consecutive lobes 9 with consecutive pistons 13. The planet gears 10 are disposed at opposite axial ends of the case 1 for adjacent lobed shafts 30 as they would otherwise interfere with one another.
Thus the engine provides a compact multicylinder flat radial engine, the diameter of which is substantially less than that which would be necessarily employed in a more conventional crank and connecting rod mechanism. Because the combustion process itself and the general reciprocating piston and combustion chamber shapes are conventional, optimal combustion chamber shape and gas sealing are readily achievable.
In FIG. 7 a number of alternative features are shown in an alternative embodiment of the invention. These alternatives relate particularly to the lobed shafts 7, the design of the piston 13 and the insertion of certain cushioning devices.
The lobed shafts 7a and 7c shown in FIG. 7 include raised portions 31 which provide initial engagement of the lobes 9 with the resilient insert 25 on the bottom face of the piston 13. The raised portions 31 are radially within the tip of the lobes 9 which overlap one another. In comparison with arrangement of FIG. 4 the lobes 9 of adjacent lobed shafts 7 are co-planar and the tips include symetrically indented portions as shown in FIG. 7a to allow for their overlapped movement. Thus, the raised portions 31 extend the full width of each lobe 9 and a maximum contact area with the resilient insert 25 can be obtained.
Through the majority of the cycle of reciprocation the contact between each lobe 9 and the piston 13 is a substantially rolling contact of the tip portion of the lobe 9 with the hardened steel insert 26. The insert 26 is fixed rigidly to the piston 13 by suitable screws 27 although many other feasible fixing methods are available in the art.
The intermediate cylinder wall 19 includes three annular resilient silicon rings 29. Two of these rings 29 are included in the upper surface of the intermediate wall 19 and cushion the piston 13 at its radially innermost turning point in its reciprocation cycle by virtue of the inner surface of the top piston half 20 engaging the silicon rings 29. Similarly, the third silicon ring 29 in the radially inner most face of the intermediate wall 19 will provide a cushioning at the radially outer most turning point of the piston 13 should the outer most surface of the bottom piston half 21 engage the silicon ring 29. The three silicon rings 29 are conveniently concentric.
A rectangular cross-sectioned silicon ring 28 is provided internally at the bottom of the cylinder 16 to engage with a radially inwardly facing surface portion of the bottom piston half 21. This further silicon ring 28 is sized and positioned so as to provide a final deceleration and initial acceleration of the piston 13 during its transition through the radially inner most turning point of its cycle of reciprocation. During this deceleration of the piston 13 the rubber ring 28 will store the remaining connecting energy of the piston 13 and reapply it so as to commence the radially outward acceleration of the piston 13 as, or slightly before, the raised portion 31 of the lobe 9c contacts the resilient insert 25.
Although the preferred embodiment has been described consisting of twelve cylinders, there is little restriction to the number of cylinders which may be employed, similarly the bore and stroke of the pistons can be any combination of sizes.
An important factor in the performances of an engine is internal friction. Perhaps most importantly in high performance engines is the piston/cylinder friction where lubrication is at a limiting stage. In the engine of the present invention there is substantially no transverse force applied to the piston while in a conventional connecting rod/crank mechanism considerable side force is applied to the piston by the connecting rod, especially at high engine speeds.
All of the moving components of the engine can be made relatively light and with little rotational momentum allowing the motor to rev more easily than a conventional crank/connecting rod engine. The lack of rotational momentum should not compromise its performance at very low engine speeds in view of the large number of evenly spaced firings per revolution of the output shaft.
The size of the engine capacity can be readily increased within a given range by simply removing the cylinders and replacing them with cylinders of an alternative piston bore size. Where a significant change in the engine capacity is desired then, certainly, a larger engine case is required, however the physical dimensions of the engine increase at a fraction of the rate of the engine capacity increase, and it is envisaged that for an engine of twice the width and twice the overall diameter there is available an eight fold increase in the engine capacity.
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A radial cylinder machine comprises a number of equispaced lobed shafts (7) which orbit about the central machine axis inwardly of the pistons (13). The lobed shafts (70) also rotate about their individual axes by virtue of planetary pinions on each shaft (7) meshing with a fixed ring gear. The orbiting and rotating lobes (9) act as cams on the inward faces of the pistons (13) whereby there is inter-conversion of reciprocatory motion of the pistons (13) and rotary motion of the lobed shafts (7). The lobed shafts (7) are mounted on a carrier fixed to a central axis input/output shaft whereby torque may be transferred permitting the machine to act as an engine or pump. There is also disclosed a means of maintaining contact between the pistons (13) and the lobes (9).
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This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/941,566, entitled “Digital-To-Analog Converter With Power Up/Down Transient Suppression And Automatic Rate Switching,” filed Sep. 30, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,821.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to switched capacitor digital-to-analog converters, and, more particularly, to switched capacitor digital-to-analog converters with power-up/down transient suppression for use in audio systems.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of digital sources of audio information are known. These include compact disk players, digital audio tape, digital transmissions and the like. Stereo digital-to-analog converters are also known, which convert the output from such digital sources into analog information for playback. It is common, when dealing with such stereo digital-to-analog converters, that they have a single ended output ranging between a ground or return value and a supply voltage level with a nominal or quiescent value, V q , when no signal is applied. It is common in single ended output systems to use a D.C. blocking capacitor to provide a ground centered signal for subsequent processing.
Single-ended digital-to-analog converters (DACs) powered from a single supply can suffer from large transient signals appearing at the outputs when initially powered on. Such DACs present an analog output centered on a nominal quiescent operating voltage, V q . The transient occurs when power is applied to the part, and the analog outputs are required to move from ground to V q . If this transient occurs rapidly, it can be approximated as a step function, which has energy at all frequencies. On power-up, such a system can suffer an annoying “POP” at the speaker as the DAC initially charges the D.C. blocking capacitor to V q .
A similar click or pop can occur when the system is powered off. On entering the power-down state, the charge on the D.C. blocking capacitor remains. When power is removed, the residual charge on the D.C. blocking capacitor discharges rapidly across the load resister resulting in a loud pop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, digital-to-analog converters provide power-up pop/click transient suppression utilizing a digital transient generator which operates to replace the pop or click, which would otherwise occur, with a smooth transition.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a digital-to-analog converter suppresses a pop or a click which would otherwise occur when the DAC is powered down using a current source and a positive feedback amplifier.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a digital-to-analog converter automatically switches from a base rate mode to a high rate mode by detecting the ratio of the master clock to the left/right clock.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects, features and advantages of the system of the present invention will be apparent from the following description in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary stereo system using a digital-to-analog converter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a portion of the system of FIG. 1 including an exemplary eight pin digital-to-analog converter in more detail.
FIGS. 3A-3C collectively represent a timing diagram showing an exemplary relationship between LRCK and SCLK and one arrangement of SDATA.
FIG. 4 is a table showing exemplary relationships between MCLK and LRCK as a function of sample rate and mode.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an exemplary power-up sequence for an eight pin digital-to-analog converter shown in FIG. 2 .
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an exemplary power-down sequence for an eight pin digital-to-analog converter shown in FIG. 2 .
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary eight pin digital-to-analog converter.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an exemplary interpolator shown in FIG. 7 .
FIG. 9 is a block/schematic diagram of an exemplary switched capacitor digital-to-analog converter (DAC) shown in FIG. 7 .
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary analog low-pass filter and optional amplifier shown in FIG. 7 .
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of one embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 to avoid a power-on transient pop.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 to avoid a power-on transient pop.
FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for operating the circuits of FIGS. 11 and 12.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 to avoid a power-on transient pop.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for operating the circuit of FIG. 14 .
FIG. 16 is a block diagram of an exemplary extension to FIG. 7 to avoid a power-off transient pop.
FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of one implementation of a constant current source shown in FIG. 16 .
FIG. 18A is a schematic diagram of a preferred constant current source shown in FIG. 16 .
FIG. 18B is a schematic diagram of a preferred positive feedback amplifier shown in FIG. 16 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary stereo system using a digital-to-analog converter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
A digital audio source, such as a CD player or digital audio tape player provides output signals to an eight pin digital-to-analog converter 110 where the digital signals from the digital audio source 100 are converted into respective analog outputs, one for a left channel and one for a right channel, which are respectively fed to off-chip filters 115 L and 115 R. The output of those filters are fed to power amplifiers 120 L and 120 R respectively and from there to respective speakers 130 L and 130 R for reproduction for listening. The portion of the circuitry shown in the dashed box in FIG. 1 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2 .
Referring to FIG. 2, the eight pin digital-to-analog converter 110 and the off-chip filters 115 L and 115 R correspond to the same components shown in FIG. 1 . The audio data processor 105 is part of digital audio source 100 shown in FIG. 1 . The external clock 106 is similarly provided from the digital audio source 100 in this particular implementation. An external clock can, of course, be provided separately. The audio data processor 105 provides three signals to the eight pin digital-to-analog converter 110 . The SDATA signal coming in on pin 1 from the audio data processor 105 constitutes the actual sample values to be reproduced at the audio outputs.
Pin 2 receives one of two signals from the audio data processor 105 . If an external serial clock (SCLK) signal is utilized, it is applied to pin 2 and used to write the serial data (SDATA) signals into a receiving buffer. If an external SCLK signal is not received over pin 2 , an SCLK signal will be generated internally. If pin 2 is not utilized for an SCLK signal, then it may be utilized for switching in or out a de-emphasis circuit selectively utilized to improve signal to noise ratio.
The left-right clock (LRCK) comes in over pin 3 . The LRCK alternates between an indication that the SDATA belongs to the left channel and that SDATA belongs to the right channel. This signal is utilized to route incoming data to the proper channel. The master clock (MCLK) comes in over pin 4 of the digital-to-analog converter 110 and pin 7 receives a capacitor smoothed power supply. The power return or ground connects over pin 6 . Pins 8 and 5 constitute the left and right audio output signals AOUTL and AOUTR, respectively. The signals on pins 8 and 5 are filtered by off-chip filters 115 L and 115 R, respectively from which the left audio output and right audio output are taken.
FIGS. 3A-3C collectively represent a timing diagram showing an exemplary relationship between LRCK and SCLK and one arrangement of SDATA. The LRCK is shown in FIG. 3 A. It alternates between a state indicating the left channel and a state indicating the right channel on a regular basis. FIG. 3B shows the SCLK data utilized to receive the SDATA. FIG. 3C illustrates two 24-bit packets of SDATA information being received for the left and right channels, respectively. Notice that the number of bits that can be sent during a left channel or a right channel can be greater than the 24-bits shown. A number of different formats for SDATA are possible. In the examples shown in FIG. 3C, the 24-bits of information from SDATA are shown to be left justified within the left channel and right channel windows, respectively. One common alternative format is to right justify the SDATA information within the left and right channel windows. Whatever the particular alignment of the SDATA information within the left channel and right channel windows is, a digital-to-analog converter accommodates it.
FIG. 4 is a table showing exemplary relationships between MCLK and LRCK as a function of sample rate and mode. The switched capacitor digital-to-analog converter described herein accepts data at standard audio sampling rates including 48, 44.1 and 32 kHz in a base rate mode (BRM). Sampling rates of 96, 88.2 and 64 kHz can be accommodated in a high rate mode (HRM).
Audio data is input via the serial data input pin (SDATA) the left/right clock (LRCK) defines the channel and delineation of data and the serial clock (SCLK) clocks audio data into the input data buffer. Different versions of the chip can accommodate different serial data formats. The master clock (MCLK) is used to operate the digital interpolation filter and the delta sigma modulator.
MCLK must be either 256X, 384X or 512X the desired input sample rate in base rate mode and either 128X or 192X in high rate mode. The LRCK frequency is equal to F s , the frequency at which words for each channel are input to the device. The MCLK-to-LRCK frequency ratio is detected automatically during the initialization sequence by counting the number of MCLK transitions during a single LRCK period and used to set the mode. FIG. 4 reflects several standard audio sample rates and the required MCLK and LRCK frequencies and illustrates the mode utilized to accommodate those.
The serial clock SCLK controls the shifting of data into input data buffers. Both external and internal serial clock generation modes are supported. Chip 110 will enter the external serial clock mode when 16 low to high transitions are detected on the DEM/SCLK pin during any phase of the LRCK period. When this mode is enabled, the internal serial clock mode and de-emphasis filter cannot be accessed. The chip will switch to internal serial clock mode if no low to high transitions are detected on the DEM/SCLK pin for two consecutive frames of LRCK.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an exemplary power-up sequence for an eight pin digital-to-analog converter 110 shown in FIG. 2 . When the user applies external power 500 , chip 110 enters the power-down mode 505 . In the power-down state, power is still available to the chip, but the interpolation filters and delta sigma modulators are reset and the internal voltage reference, one bit switched capacitor digital-to-analog converters and low-pass filters are powered down. The chip 110 remains in the power down mode until MCLK and LRCK are present. Once MCLK and LRCK are detected, MCLK occurrences are counted over one LRCK period to determine the MCLK/LRCK frequency ratio. Power is then applied to the internal voltage reference ( 510 ) and transient suppression begins. Finally, power is applied to the DAC's and switched capacitor filters and the analog outputs will ramp to the quiescent voltage V q .
The ratio MCLK divided by LRCK ( 515 ) is used to determine mode. If the ratio equals 256 or 384 or 512, the base rate mode is selected ( 520 ). If the ratio is 128 or 192, high rate mode is selected ( 525 ). Either sequentially or simultaneously pin 2 of chip 110 is checked to determine whether 16 or more low to high transitions are detected on the DEM/SCLK pin during any phase of an LRCK ( 530 ). If they are, external clock mode will be selected and access to the de-emphasis filter will not be permitted ( 555 ). If 16 or more low to high transitions are not detected during that interval ( 530 -N), pin 2 will be assigned to activate or deactivate a de-emphasis filter in response to the logic state applied to pin 2 , and the internal serial clock mode will be selected ( 535 ) thus freeing pin 2 for use in activating the de-emphasis filter.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an exemplary power-down sequence for an eight pin digital-to-analog converter as shown in FIG. 2 . When the user removes at least one of MCLK or LRCK ( 600 ) the chip enters the power-down mode ( 610 ). At that time, power-down transient suppression begins as described more hereinafter ( 620 ). Finally, the user removes power completely ( 630 ) and the system shuts down.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an exemplary eight pin digital-to-analog converter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the digital audio data (SDATA) comes in over pin 1 and is applied to serial input interface 700 . The input interface 700 also receives LRCK over pin 3 and uses LRCK to determine whether or not the SDATA arriving will be directed to interpolator 740 L or 740 R. If an external SCLK is utilized, it will arrive over pin 2 and be applied to the serial input interface 700 as shown. As shown in FIG. 7, there are two audio tracks, a left and right audio track. The left track consists of interpolator 710 , delta sigma modulator 720 L, switched capacitor digital-to-analog convertor 730 L, analog low-pass filter 740 and optional amplifier 750 L. The right track is substantially identical and the left and right channel devices are distinguished by an L suffix or an R suffix, respectively. The left channel output AOUTL is provided at pin 8 of the chip. The right channel output AOUTR is provided at pin 5 . If an external SCLK is not utilized, pin 2 of the chip is utilized to control the application of de-emphasis using block 760 . Connections for de-emphasis are not shown in detail but are well known in the art. Pins 7 and 6 provide the power for the chip (VA) and the return (AGND), respectively. Supply voltage VA is utilized to provide voltage references ( 770 ) for DACs 730 L and 730 R.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary interpolator in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 7 . As shown in FIG. 8, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 800 receives the incoming actual sample values for the channel with which the interpolator is utilized. The ALU is associated with, either internally or externally, an output register 810 . The interpolator provides a plurality of calculated intermediate samples in between each input sample. A number of interpolations algorithms can be used. The actual and interpolated values are passed to the delta sigma modulator.
Any of a number of different well-known circuits may be utilized for the delta sigma modulator.
FIG. 9 is a block/schematic diagram of an exemplary DAC in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 7 . The DAC is, in a preferred form, a switched capacitor DAC. The DAC translates the bit data into a series of charge packets. The magnitude of the charge in each packet is determined by sampling of a voltage reference on to a switched capacitor 900 , wherein the polarity of each packet is controlled by the one bit data ( 905 ). This technique greatly reduces the sensitivity to clock jitter and provides low-pass filtering of the output. Reference voltage 1 is connected to the switched capacitor 900 over switch 915 when both data and clock are high or reference 2 is connected when data is low (and clock high). Thus, reference 1 and reference 2 are selectively applied to side A capacitor 900 depending on the logic state of data line 905 , while side B of capacitor 900 is held at voltage level V q by switch 930 . When clock 910 is low, the B side of capacitor 900 is connected to one input of an integrating amplifier 945 by switch 940 and the charge is transferred to integrating capacitor C fb . While side A of capacitor 900 is held at V q by switch 935 . During one clock cycle, capacitor 950 removes a charge Q=C 950 ×V out from C fb . The charge is transferred to C fb by capacitor 900 is Q=C900×V ref . Thus the DC gain of the switched capacitor filter is C 900 C 950 .
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary analog low-pass filter and optional amplifier in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 7 . As shown in FIG. 10, an analog low-pass filter consisting of resistor 1000 and capacitor 1010 is in the feedback path from the output of amplifier 1020 to a summing junction input. This arrangement serves to smooth the output and attenuate out of band noise.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of one embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 to avoid a power-on transient pop in accordance with the invention. Modulator 720 , DAC 730 , low-pass filter 740 and optional amplifier 750 for the left and right channels can be the corresponding items illustrated in FIG. 7 . Note, however, that for purposes of transient suppression, the modulators can be any type of modulator and the DACs can be any types of DAC. As shown in FIG. 11, an output clamp 1100 can be activated to place the output pins at a ground potential under control of digital control 1120 . A digital transient generator 1110 is utilized to generate a replacement function for what would otherwise be a loud pop at the output. The generator 1110 starts with a value, preferably as close to ground as possible. This value is applied over the respective left and right multiplexers or selectors 1330 L/ 1330 R to a respective left or right DAC 730 L/ 730 R. This places the output of amplifiers 750 L/ 750 R as close to ground as possible. Thus, the clamps 1100 can be opened and there will be no signals to create a loud pop in the output of audio system. The digital transient generator 1110 then increases the value in a gradual manner from ground to V q thus readying the audio channels 720 , 730 , 740 and 750 to receive incoming signal. When the output of amplifier 750 is at V q , the digital control 1320 switches the multiplexer/selector to apply the output of the delta sigma modulator 720 to the DAC 730 . As indicated above, if delta sigma modulation is not utilized, the output of the digital transient generator will be in a format suitable for the modulation and DAC utilized.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 in accordance with the invention to avoid a power-on transient pop. The embodiment of FIG. 12 operates substantially identically to the circuit shown in FIG. 11, except that the output from the digital transient generator is inserted before the delta sigma modulator 720 , rather than after. Thus, the multiplexers are inserted between the interpolator and the delta sigma modulators rather than between the delta sigma modulators and the DACs as shown in FIG. 11 .
FIG. 13 is an exemplary flow chart of a process for operating the circuits of FIGS. 11 and 12 in accordance with the invention. First, the digital control 1120 clamps the outputs to ground ( 1300 ). Then it sets the digital transient generator to a value as close to ground as possible or convenient ( 1310 ). The multiplexers are switched to connect the digital transient generator so that the digital transient generator produces a value at the output which approximates the ground potential to which the output is clamped ( 1320 ). Thus, with the output clamped to ground and the digital transient generator set to provide an output value equivalent to ground, when the output clamps are released ( 1330 ) there is no pop in the speakers or the output of the audio path. The digital transient generator can then be driven from ground to voltage V q along a desired functional path ( 1340 ) and the multiplexer switched back to the normal signal path ( 1350 ).
FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of extensions to FIG. 7 in accordance with the invention to avoid a power-on transient pop. In this embodiment, interpolators 710 are utilized to perform the function of digital transient generator 1110 shown in the other embodiments. As shown in FIG. 8, the preferred interpolator includes an arithmetic logic unit 800 and an output register 810 . The ALU 800 can do more than just calculate interpolated values. It can perform a variety of mathematical operations.
FIG. 15 is an exemplary flow chart of a process for operating the circuit of FIG. 14 in accordance with the invention utilizing the interpolator as a digital transient generator. As before, the digital control 1120 causes the outputs to be clamped to ground using switches 1100 ( 1700 ). The interpolator output register is then set to an exemplary −130% of the expected signal swing above or below V q ( 1510 ). This places the output of the interpolator as close to ground as possible. This results in the signal propagating through the audio channels being at approximately ground. Therefore, when the clamps are removed ( 1520 ), there will be no pop on the output. The ALU of the interpolator(s) is then placed into an add mode ( 1530 ) and a predetermined value (e.g. a unit value) added repeatedly to the value in the output register until the output value equals the reference output level, V q ( 1540 ). In this way, the interpolator(s) function to bring the output level from ground to V q without the unpleasant pop of the prior art.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram of an exemplary circuit used as an extension to FIG. 7 in accordance with the invention to avoid a power-off transient pop. FIG. 16 illustrates one embodiment of circuitry utilized to implement step 620 of the process shown in FIG. 6 . As described previously, the output pins AOUTL and AOUTR, respectively pins 8 and 5 , are set at a nominal V q upon power-up. Thus, the off-chip filters 115 , shown in FIG. 2, are charged essentially to a nominal V q level. In the power-down state, the charge would normally remain on the off-chip filters 115 and until power was removed by turning off the device. The discharge from the off-chip filters on turn off can result in a pop analogous to that experienced during power-on. To avoid this, when the circuit enters the power-down state, a current driver, such as a constant current source ( 1600 ) begins draining current from the output pin to discharge the off-chip filter. The current drain could operate by itself to discharge the DC blocking capacitor. However it is preferred that the current drain work together with a supplemental circuit, such as the positive feedback amplifier 1810 shown, to accelerate the current flow begun by the current drain. It is not necessary that the supplemental circuit have positive feedback, but it is desirable.
FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary constant current source shown in FIG. 16 in accordance with the invention. Almost any constant current source will do. However, the FET shown in FIG. 17 is a convenient way to implement the source.
FIG. 18A is a schematic diagram of a preferred constant current source shown in FIG. 16 in accordance with the invention. FETs 1800 A, 1800 B, 1810 A and 1810 B form a reference current generator which controls the current flowing in current drain 1820 to render it substantially constant.
FIG. 18B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary preferred positive feedback amplifier shown in FIG. 16 in accordance with the invention. When the device is put into a power-down state, device 1820 begins discharging the large off-chip capacitor. This flow is reflected in device 1800 C and used in 1830 A, 1830 B, 1840 A and 1840 B to drive 1840 C to accelerate the discharge. Thus, the output voltage decreases slowly at first, then accelerates due to positive feedback.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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Power-up and power-down transient suppression are provided for an audio digital-to-analog converter with a single ended output to prevent annoying pops which accompany switching an audio system on and off. Power-up suppression is achieved by clamping an output signal to ground, driving the audio channel to ground, releasing the clamp and driving the audio channel gradually to its quiescent (zero signal) value. Power-down suppression is provided by using a positive feedback amplifier to accelerate current drain initiated by a constant current source used to bleed off the charge on output capacitor. The audio digital-to-analog converter sets operational mode based on ratios of a master clock to a channel selection clock. The techniques disclosed apply readily to the outputs received from CDs, CD-ROMs, DAT and other digital recording media.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an adsorbent for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, and more particularly, to a process for decontaminating a heavy metal contaminated stream of water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the area of water treatment, such as ground water or industrial waste water treatment, there is an ever-increasing need to remove undesirable and even toxic contaminants, particularly heavy metal contaminants, from water. Many industrial processes utilize aqueous solutions of heavy metals, such as lead, in manufacture of batteries, and chromium or copper in electroplating solutions.
Unfortunately, the removal of such heavy metals from the aqueous solutions used in these processes has proven to be not only difficult but expensive. Prior art processes have utilized quite expensive adsorbents, such as activated carbon, activated sludge, various types of natural clays, carbon aerogels, coirpith carbon, natural zeolites and even date pits. Likewise, heavy metal removal can be accomplished through expensive ion exchange resins.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2009/0184054 to Crawford et al., incorporated by reference herein, discloses an adsorptive bed having hydrous iron oxide and calcium carbonate materials. The adsorptive bed is useful in water treatment applications for removing metal contaminants, particularly for removing arsenic-containing ions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,513 to Zadera, incorporated by reference herein, discloses treating high sulfate content water in a multistage process to remove sulfate and hardness. Sulfate concentration is reduced in the first stage of the process by addition of calcium hydroxide. Calcium concentration is reduced in the second stage of the process by reaction of carbon dioxide or bicarbonate and calcium and hydroxide ions from the first stage of the process, forming insoluble calcium carbonate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,704 to Salem et al., incorporated by reference herein, discloses an automatic feedback control system for a water treatment apparatus, such as a recirculating solids contact clarifier, that maintains steady-state operation of the clarifier by accurately measuring the concentration of suspended solids at designated portions of the clarifier and automatically adjusting clarifier variables to maintain optimum conditions despite changes in the inlet flow rate, composition or temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,210 to McLaughlin, incorporated by reference herein, discloses treating wastewater contaminated with heavy metals in a multi-stage process. In a first stage, wastewater is treated with an effective amount of calcium oxide and/or calcium hydroxide in the form of lime to adjust the pH so that various metals in the water become insoluble. Gypsum formation may also occur if sulfate ions are present in the wastewater. In a second stage, an effective amount of sodium carbonate is added in the form of soda ash to allow formation of calcium carbonate. In a third stage, a coagulant, preferably a polymer, is added to facilitate the formation of a sludge comprising heavy metals, gypsum and calcium carbonate. In a final stage, the pH of the resulting effluent may be adjusted with a suitable acid, such as hydrochloric acid, to attain acceptable discharge requirements. The sludge formed is substantially stable and dewatered and has low toxic metal leaching characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,200 to Zeijlstra, incorporated by reference herein, discloses a process for the removal of heavy metal ions, particularly chromium, lead and/or zinc ions, from aqueous liquids by precipitation wherein the aqueous liquid containing the heavy metal ions and an aqueous liquid containing a base which precipitates the heavy metal ions in the form of their hydroxide or basic salt are added simultaneously to an amount of water at a pH between 5 and 10 and a temperature between 60° and 100° C. and the pH and the temperature are maintained in the specified ranges during the precipitation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,827 to Grant et al., incorporated by reference herein, discloses treating solutions such as for example drinking water, ground water and extracting solutions contaminated with heavy metals and radioactive species, singly or in combination, by first treating the contaminated solution with silicate and ammonium hydroxide solution precipitants. Then the contaminated solution is separately treated with an acid which gels, polymerizes and/or precipitates the contaminant-containing silica matrix to form an easily dewaterable and separable solid. The solid contaminants are readily removed from the cleansed solution by filtration means. The process utilizes a novel combination of steps which maximizes contaminant removal, minimizes waste volume, and produces a treatable waste solid. The preferred precipitants are sodium silicate, and ammonium hydroxide. The preferred mineral acid is hydrochloric acid.
However, none of the above-discussed references discloses or suggests a relatively inexpensive but highly effective adsorbent composition for removal of heavy metal contaminants from contaminated water streams. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a method for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, comprising collecting metal salt precipitates from a water softening process, drying said precipitates, contacting water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals with said precipitates, and collecting water having a reduced concentration of said heavy metal(s).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a groundwater treatment system for forming adsorbent precipitates according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an electroplating system including a batch adsorption unit for removing heavy metals from contaminated waste water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an adsorbent composition for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, and more particularly, to a process for decontaminating a heavy metal contaminated stream of water.
Generally, the groundwater is used as drinking water in many places without any treatment and is problematic due to its hardness. The main source of hardness in water is high concentrations of Ca and Mg salts. It is well-known in the art to treat groundwater to remove the dissolved salts in a process often referred-to as “softening”. One such process is known as the cold lime-soda ash process. Briefly, to soften water by this process, lime (calcium hydroxide) is added to the water to precipitate the calcium bicarbonate as calcium carbonate and the magnesium salts as magnesium hydroxide. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is added to the water to react with the calcium chloride and calcium sulfate originally present in the water as well as that formed by the reaction of lime with magnesium chloride and sulfate. The reaction of sodium carbonate with these salts forms calcium carbonate. Thus, the hardness (calcium and magnesium salts) originally present in the water is partially removed as the slightly soluble compounds, calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, precipitate out.
Usually a coagulant such as alum, sodium aluminate, ferric sulfate or suitable polymer is employed in the treatment to assist in the separation of the turbidity, precipitates and other solids formed from the water. If sterilization and reduction in organic matter are required, chlorine is also used in the treatment. By suitable modification in the chemical treatment, silica reduction can be obtained.
The precipitates from the cold lime-soda ash process are typically discarded as waste. However, the present inventors have determined that these metal salt precipitates can be advantageously employed as adsorbents for heavy metal contaminants in industrial process wastewater.
Thus, according to the present invention, in order to remove the hardness of water for recycling ( FIG. 1 ), well water 100 is pumped P into a cooler 102 and aerated, which results in precipitation of ferrous/ferric oxide. The percentage of Fe remaining in water after this step is very low (1.39%). The water is then passed through a sand filter 104 to remove suspended solids and the purified water from the sand filter is passed to a precipitation chamber 110 for treatment with lime (Ca(OH) 2 ) 106 , Soda (Na 2 CO 3 ) 108 and Sodium Aluminate (Na 4 Al 2 O 5 ) 107 at a ratio of about 27/70/3 of the respective components to remove hardness and silicates. This chemical treatment process results in the precipitation of Ca and Mg salts such as CaCO 3 , Mg(OH) 2 , MgCO 3 and a complex of Sodium-Aluminum-Silicate by chemical reactions. Since the solubility constant of these salts is very low, they precipitate and settle in the bottom of the precipitation chamber 110 as solid waste, which are removed at 111 . Those of skill in the art recognize that the softened water exiting chamber 110 can be forwarded to a reverse osmosis system 115 to further purify the water, which is subsequently stored in a fresh/drinking water tank 120 .
This solid waste material (a mixture of Ca and Mg salts and complex of Sodium-Aluminum-Silicate) from the precipitation chamber is collected as a paste, dried in an oven at 60-75° C. to remove moisture and ground into particulate having high surface area. The ground precipitates are then used as adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions, such as Cu, Cr and Pb, from industrial wastewater to obtain clean water for the development of landscape and industrial cooling. It has been observed that up to 90%, even up to 100% of these metals can be removed with this technology, which is much less expensive as compared to other conventional technologies used for wastewater treatment for the removal of heavy metals.
The solid waste material obtained from this process can be applied to different industrial units. Some major industries facing heavy metal contamination problems are those conducting electroplating processes FIG. 2 , such as chrome (Cr) and copper (Cu) plating, as well as manufacturers of lead (Pb) batteries. In an electroplating process, the electroplating solution is stored in tank 200 , and forwarded through pump P to the electroplating bath/tank 210 . Contaminated wastewater is withdrawn from tank 210 through line 212 via another pump P and forwarded to batch adsorption unit 215 , which contains the ground precipitate adsorbents collected from precipitation chamber 110 ( FIG. 1 ). The ground metal precipitate adsorbents are mixed in the contaminated wastewater and stirred at a temperature and time sufficient to result in thorough contact between the wastewater and the adsorbents. Advantageously, the pH in the batch adsorption unit 215 is maintained at a pH above 4, preferably between pH 4 and pH 5, such as about pH 4.5. Subsequently, the treated water is forwarded to a filter 220 , and sent downstream for various suitable uses.
The main advantages of this invention is that it will remove the hazardous metals from the waste effluents from different industries and render it suitable for landscape irrigation or recycling in the same industrial units for cooling purposes. Also if the treated water is intended for land disposal, the associated environmental hazards will be minimized. In addition, another advantage of this invention is that the adsorbent is very inexpensive, but unusually and unexpectedly effective in removing heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The removal method is effective in removing heavy metals including lead, chromium, copper, zinc, cadmium and combinations thereof. We have found that heavy metal contamination industrial wastewater is reduced by more than about 90%, even as much as about 100%.
EXAMPLE 1
Well water was collected and softened in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 , by passing it through a sand filter, cooling it to a temperature of about 30° C. and subsequently passing it into a precipitation chamber. A solution of sodium aluminate (0.5 g/L) was added with stirring to reduce silicates, followed by the addition of lime (5 g/L) and soda (13 g/L). Stirring was continued at a temperature of about 30° C. and at pH between about 9-9.5. A precipitate was collected in the form of a wet paste and dried in an oven at a temperature between about 60-75° C. Water evaporated from the process was condensed and diverted back to the drinking water tank. The dried paste was crushed into particulate having a cumulative pore surface area (for pores between about 17 and 3000 angstroms) of about 30 m 2 /g, a cumulative pore volume of about 0.0703 cm 3 /g, and an average pore diameter of about 93 angstroms, as calculated by the BJH adsorption method.
EXAMPLE 2
A solution typical of contaminated wastewater from a battery manufacturing process was produced having a concentration of Pb ions of about 2127 mg/L, and was contacted with the dried particulate collected in Example 1 in a batch process as illustrated in FIG. 2 , at a temperature of about 30° C. and at pH between about 4-4.5. After treatment the water was analyzed and found to contain 0 mg/L of Pb ions, an essentially 100% removal efficiency.
EXAMPLE 3
A solution typical of contaminated wastewater from a copper electroplating bath was produced having a concentration of Cu ions of about 1800 mg/L, and was contacted with the dried particulate collected in Example 1 in a batch process as illustrated in FIG. 2 , at a temperature of about 30° C. and at pH between about 4-4.5. After treatment the water was analyzed and found to contain 0 mg/L of Cu ions, an essentially 100% removal efficiency.
EXAMPLE 4
A solution typical of contaminated wastewater from a chromium electroplating bath was produced having a concentration of Cr ions of about 1460 mg/L, and was contacted with the dried particulate collected in Example 1 in a batch process as illustrated in FIG. 2 , at a temperature of about 30° C. and at pH between about 4-4.5. After treatment the water was analyzed and found to contain 0 mg/L of Cr ions, an essentially 100% removal efficiency.
The foregoing examples have been provided for the purpose of explanation and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Also, although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
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A method for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, comprising collecting metal salt precipitates from a water softening process, drying said precipitates, contacting water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals with said precipitates, and collecting water having a reduced concentration of said heavy metal(s).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to sheet receiving apparatuses for reproducing machines. These devices commonly take the form, for example, of output trays or sorter collators.
There are presently a number of copiers capable of copying on both sides of a sheet, a process known as duplexing. Duplexing may be carried out manually by restacking the copy sheets after copying on the first side, and then placing them in the sheet feeder supply tray for copying on the second side, or it may be carried out automatically by various means as, for example, the use of an auxiliary feeder tray such as in the Xerox "4000" copier.
One of the problems which occurs with many copying machines, as well as other kinds of reproducing machines when they do simplexing which involves imaging on only one side of a sheet or duplexing as above-noted, is the generation of improperly collated sets of copy sheets in the output tray. For simplex copying proper collation can be obtained by properly orienting the output tray so that if sheets 1 through 10 are copied serially in the order 1 through 10, they will appear in the output tray in that order. Similarly, numerous sorter collator type devices have been devised which are capable in a simplex mode of operation of providing properly collated sets of copies.
When one performs duplex copying with the above-noted output tray or sorter the resulting copies of the documents 1 through 10 are improperly collated and appear in the order 2, 1, 4, 3, etc., instead of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., as desired.
One approach at solving this problem is set forth in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 5, Oct. 1971, at page 1453. In accordance with the above-noted bulletin a duplexing copier is provided which incorporates a sorter collator which has feed paths which ensure that the sheets having printed matter on one side are deposited in collator bins with the printed matter facing down and sheets having printed matter on both sides are deposited with the last side copied facing up. This is accomplished using a sorter collator having two rows of back-to-back bins. One row for receiving sheets copied on one side, and the other row for receiving sheets copied on both sides. Diverters are used to direct the sheets to the appropriate transports for deposition in the selected row and bin depending on whether they were simplex or duplex copied. While this approach would appear to overcome the above-noted problem, it does so at a substantial sacrifice in space since the two rows of back-to-back bins are required as well as separate transports for each row of bins.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,937, granted Feb. 1, 1972, to Schutz, there is disclosed a collator that can be adapted to accept sheets fed from either of two sides of the collator thus retaining or inverting in the receiver the uppermost side of the sheets as fed to effect a desired sheet orientation in the receiver. While the approach of this patent is more compact than that of the previously noted IBM bulletin, it is not as useful since the machine would have to be turned around in order to change the orientation of the sheets in the bin.
A variety of sorter collator devices have been proposed such as those presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,561,754, granted Feb. 9, 1971, to Gaffron; 3,685,819, granted Aug. 22, 1973, to Deutsch; 3,721,435, granted Mar. 20, 1973, to Zanders, and 3,788,640, granted Jan. 29, 1974, to Stemmle wherein the sorter bins are moved or pivoted to facilitate loading thereof. In each of these devices and other devices of a similar nature, the bins are not moved to change their orientation so as to provide for proper collation of either simplexed or duplexed copy sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention a sheet receiving apparatus for a reproducing machine is provided which includes at least one sheet receiving means. The receiving means includes first and second members for supporting sheets therein. The device further includes means for positioning these supporting members in a first orientation wherein the sheets in the receiving means are supported by the first member or in a second and different orientation wherein the sheets in the receiving means are supported by the second member.
The sheet receiving device may comprise, for example, the output bin of a copying machine or document handling system or it may comprise a sorter collator for use with a reproducing machine. In accordance with preferred embodiments a sorter collator is provided which includes a plurality of bins which can pivot to change between orientations depending on whether simplex or duplex reproducing is being carried out.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved sheet receiving apparatus.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus as above including positioning means so that either simplexed or duplexed copy sheets can be received in proper collated order.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a process for collating simplexed or duplexed copy sheets.
These and other objects will become more apparent from the following description and drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a xerographic reproducing machine employing a sheet receiving apparatus in accordance with this invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a sheet receiving apparatus in accordance with this invention positioned to receive properly collated sets of duplexed copy sheets.
FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 wherein the bins have been positioned to receive properly collated sets of simplexed copy sheets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a xerographic reproducing machine 10 incorporating a sheet receiving apparatus 11 in accordance with the present invention. The reproducing machine 10 will be described briefly, however, it should be apparent that the apparatus of the present invention may be used with any desired reproducing machine and is in no way limited for use with a xerographic type machine or with this specific xerographic configuration.
As shown, the automatic xerographic reproducing apparatus 10 comprises a xerographic plate 12 including a pnotoconductive layer 13 on a conductive backing and formed in the shape of the drum, which is journaled in the frame of the machine by means of shaft 14. The xerographic plate 12 is rotated in the direction indicated in FIG. 1 to cause the drum surface 13 to pass sequentially through a plurality of xerographic processing stations.
For the purpose of the present disclosure the several xerographic processing stations in the path of movement of the drum surface 13 may be described functionally as follows:
A charging station A in which a uniform electrostatic charge is desposited on the photoconductive layer 13 of the drum.
An exposure station B wherein a light or radiation pattern of an original document to be reproduced is projected onto the drum surface to dissipate the charge found thereon in the exposed areas to form a latent electrostatic image.
A development station C at which a xerographic developing material having toner particles possessing an electrostatic charge opposite to the charge found on the drum surface in the latent image areas are applied to the moving surface 13 whereby the toner particles adhere to the electrostatic latent image to make visible the image in the configuration of the original document to be reproduced.
A transfer station D in which the xerographic powder image is electrostatically transferred from the drum surface 13 to the final support material.
A drum cleaning and toner collecting station E wherein the drum surface 13 is first treated with corona and then wiped with a doctor blade to remove residual toner particles remaining thereon after image transfer.
For further details concerning the xerographic processor shown in FIG. 1, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,576 granted Aug. 14, 1973, to Gerbasi.
The processor depicted in FIG. 1 was selected because it resembles functionally the Xerox "4000" copier arrangement which is adapted to automatically provide simplex operation which comprises single sided copying or duplex operation which comprises copying on both sides of the copy sheet. For simplex copying, a copy sheet is fed from the sheet feeder supply tray 20 to the transfer station D wherein the powder image is transferred from the drum to the first side of the copy sheet. The sheet is then transported to a roll type fuser 21 which fuses the image to the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is transported along paths 22 and 23 to a suitable output device such as an output tray or a sheet receiving apparatus 11 as in accordance with the present invention as shown.
For duplex copying, transfer of an image to the first side of the sheet proceeds as previously noted, however, the sheet is transported to an auxiliary tray and sheet feeder 24 along path 25 instead of to the output device 11. To transfer an image to the second or opposing side of the copy sheet, the sheet is fed from the auxiliary tray 24 through a transport path 26 which takes it back to the transfer station with a proper orientation for receiving a powder image on its opposing side. Following transfer of the second image to the opposing side of the sheet, the second image is fused by means of the roll fuser 21 and then the sheet is transported to the output device 11 along paths 22 and 23.
A copy sheet copied on only one side (simplexed) will be oriented in the output bin shown with the first or imaged side 30 up or exposed. By this it is meant that the opposing side 31 or second side of the sheet is supported against the first side 40 of the output bin 41. The exposed side of the sheet is then the one upon which succeeding copy sheets will be deposited.
If a ten page report were being copied by the apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, in a simplex fashion, the resulting stack in the output bin 41 of the sheet receiving apparatus 11 would not be properly collated, namely, the sheets would be in the order 10, 9, 8, etc., instead of 1, 2, 3, etc. To obtain a properly collated set it would then be necessary to take the top sheet of the resulting stack and place it on the bottom, then the next topmost sheet would be placed on top of the previous sheet, and so on until sheet No. 1 is reached and a properly collated set is provided. Alternatively, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter, if the output bin 41 had an appropriate orientation as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1, then the sheets would have been deposited in the bin in a properly collated fashion.
Now turning to the situation of a duplexed copy for a bin orientation as shown in FIG. 1, it should be evident that if the copies are copied in numerical order that the resulting stack in the output bin will be properly collated in the correct order.
It is apparent from the foregoing, therefore, that a sheet receiving apparatus of given orientation for use in conjunction with a reproducing machine is not adapted to properly collate both simplexed and duplexed copies. The reorienting of the bin 41 or bins in the sheet receiving apparatus 11 of this invention to provide an appropriate orientation for proper collation of copy sheets represents one of the principal aspects of the present invention.
Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 2, and 3, a sheet receiving apparatus 11 in accordance with the present invention is disclosed. The apparatus shown comprises a sorter collator, however, it should be apparent that if only a single bin 41 were employed instead of the plurality of bins as shown, the device could just as easily comprise an output bin or tray for the reproducing machine. This invention is meant to encompass both single bin devices as well as sorter collators having plural bins.
The sheet is received by the apparatus 11 through an entrance chute 42 which is coordinated with any desired transport device 23 of the reproducing machine 10 from which the sheets emanate. In the apparatus 11 shown a vacuum type belt transport 43 is employed to transport the sheets in a first plane past a plurality of sheet receiving bins 41. The use of a vacuum transport 43 in a sorter collator is known as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,906, granted Nov. 27, 1973, to Fagen et al.
The sheets are directed into the desired bins 41 by either one of two deflector members 44 and 45 for each bin depending on the bin orientation. The specific configuration of the deflectors 44 and 45 shown is merely exemplary, and any desired type of deflector could be employed as, for example, that set forth in the previously noted U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,906. The deflectors 44 and 45 are controlled by a sorter control system 46 which may be of any desired design. The sorter control systems of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,709,480, granted Jan. 9. 1973, to Schulze et al, and 3,709,492, granted Jan. 9, 1973, to Baker et al are exemplary of the many prior art control systems available for use in accordance with the present invention. In essence, the control system employs an electrical controller which sequentially actuates the deflector members 44 and 45 to distribute the sheets in the respective bins 41 depending on the number of copies being made.
The deflector members 44 and 45 are operated as two sets depending on bin 41 orientation. One set comprising the deflectors 44 of each bin 41 are operative when the bins are in the orientation shown in FIG. 3. The other set comprising deflectors 45 of each bin 41 are operative when the bins are oriented as shown in FIG. 2. The use of two sets of deflectors as shown allows succeeding sheets to be fed into the bins 41 without substantial interference from sheets already in the bins.
While two sets of delfector members 44 and 45 have been described herein, in order to provide the greatest freedom of access for succeeding sheets as they are fed into the bins 41 this does not form as essential part of the invention and indeed any desired means for deflecting the sheets into the bins could be employed including singular deflecting elements which are adapted to feed the sheets into the bins in either orientation.
As shown in FIG. 3, the deflecting members 44 and 45 are actuated by means of rotary solenoids 47 controlled by any desired conventional control system 46. Switches 48 and 49 are provided for rendering operative the first 44 or the second 45 set of deflector members respectively. The switches 48 and 49 are engaged by a cam member 50 carried by the bottom member 51 of the bins 41. If the first switch 48 is actuated then the first set of deflector members 44 is operative during the sorting and collating operation. If the second switch 49 is activated then the second set of deflector members 45 is operative.
In the apparatus 11 the deflector members 44 or 45 at the start of a run are all positioned to direct a sheet into the bins 41. After a first sheet is fed into the first bin in line, the deflector member associated with that bin swings out of the way so that the next sheet will be directed by the second deflector member in line into the second bin and so on until the desired number of bins have been filled. When the next set of copy sheets is to be distributed the previously noted sequence is repeated beginning with the first bin.
The bins 41, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprise substantially vertically oriented bins. The use of a vertical bin type sorter is shown, for example, in previously noted U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,492. The bins 41 are each defined by a first and a second parallel side members 40, and a bottom member 51. The side members 40 are pivotably connected at their bottom ends 60 to the bottom member 51. In the embodiment shown, the bottom member 51 is common to each of the bins 41, however, each bin could have its own separate bottom member is desired. The side members 40 are pivotably suspended at their top ends 61 to allow them to swing between a first orientation as shown in FIG. 2 and a second orientation as shown in FIG. 3. If one were to pass a plane 70 through the suspension pivot 61 of a side member 40 such that the plane is normal to the plane of initial sheet travel which is defined by the plane of the vacuum transport 43, then in the first orientation the side members 40 will be disposed on one side of the plane 70 and in the second orientation the members 40 will be disposed on the opposite side of the plane 70.
The first orientation of the bins 41 shown in FIG. 2 is the same as the orientation for the bins shown in FIG. 1 and, therefore, this orientation is well adapted for the copying system shown for receiving and properly collating duplexed copies. In the first orientation of FIG. 2, the copy sheets as they are fed into the bins 41 are supported by a first side member 40 with a first side of the copy sheet being exposed.
Referring to FIG. 3, the bins 41 are in a second orientation for receiving and properly collating simplexed copies from the copying system of FIG. 1. In the second orientation each of the copy sheets is supported by a second side member 40 which is opposed to the first side member such that the opposing side of the topmost sheet is exposed.
Referring to FIG. 2, pivoting of the bins 41 is accomplished by means of a motor drive 80. A motion imparting wheel 81 is driven by the motor 80 though gear 83. A rod 84 is pivotably connected to the bottom member 51 and is pivotably connected in an eccentric fashion to the drive wheel so as to provide the desired pivoting action for the bins 41. Rotation of the wheel 81 in the clockwise direction will cause the bins 41 to pivot to the orientation shown in FIG. 3, and a further clockwise rotation of the wheel 81 will cause the bins to pivot back to the orientation shown in FIG. 2.
Actuation of the motor 82 for controlling the bin orientation may be accomplished by any desired means. In this regard the previously noted switches 48 and 49 can include portions 48' and 49' which act as limit switches to stop the rotation of the motor at the appropriate bin orientation. Starting the motor to change bin orientation could be easily accomplished by further switches 85 and 86 or any other conventional means.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is adapted for automatic operation of the motor drive 80. By tying the switches 85 and 86 respectively to the selector switches (not shown) for simplex and duplex operation of a reproducing machine, the bins 41 will automatically position themselves in the appropriate orientation for proper collation. The switches 85 and 86 are latching type switches which remain closed upon their actuation until the AC power source 87 is disconnected from the motor by the limit switch 48' or 49'. The limit switches 48' and 49' are normally closed type switches which are opened by the interception of cam 50. The switches 85 and 86, and the power source 87 are connected to the switches 48' and 49' and to the motor 82 through terminals T1-T6.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, the bins 41 are positioned for collating duplexed copies. The machine 10 may be conditioned for simplex copying, e.g., by actuating an appropriate switch (not shown) such as the "clear special features" switch on a Xerox "4000" copier. If switch 85 is actuated simultaneously, e.g., by ganging it with that switch, then the bins 41 will be pivoted to the orientation of FIG. 3. Closing switch 85 connects the power souce 87 to the motor 82 through the normally closed switch 48'. The motor is stopped by cam 50 contacting switch 48' which disconnects the power to the motor. To return to duplex copying the machine 10 is conditioned by actuation of another switch (not shown) such as the "two sided copying" switch on a Xerox "4000" copier. If switch 86 is actuated simultaneously by ganging it with that switch, then the bins 41 will pivot back to the orientation of FIGS. 1 and 2. Closing switch 86 in this instance connects the power source 87 to the motor 82 through the normally closed switch 49' until cam 50 contacts switch 49' to open it and thereby disconnect the power.
The sheet receiving apparatus of this invention has been described by specific reference to output devices for reproducing machines. They could be employed as output devices for both the copy sheets or original documents from a suitable document handling device. However, the invention is not limited solely to output type devices and, for example, the sheets could, if desired, be fed from the bin or bins of the output device by any desired means such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,563, granted May 25, 1971, to Bassett. If such means are provided for feeding sheets out of the bins then the bins can comprise input devices for desired apparatus as, for example, a document handler or a downline stack handling device such as sheet stacker and stapler.
The supporting members 40 and bottom member 51 for the bin 41 or bins in accordance with this invention may comprise wire forms as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,492, or they may comprise plate type elements as desired. They may be formed of any desired materials such as metals or plastics.
The process in accordance with the present invention comprises providing a reproducing machine adapted to operate in a first simplex mode of operation for imaging on one side of a sheet or in a second duplex mode of operation for imaging on both sides of a sheet, followed by positioning a sheet receiving device in a first orientation wherein sheets received by the receiving apparatus are supported with a first side exposed or in a second and different orientation wherein sheets received by the receiving apparatus are supported with their opposing sides exposed. The apparatus is positioned in the first orientation when the machine is in the simplex mode and thus positioned in the second orientation when the machine is in the duplex mode. In the preferred mode of operation the positioning step is carried out by pivoting the bin or bins of the sheet receiving apparatus. In the most preferred case the process is carried out automatically, namely, utilizing an automatic duplexing type reproducing machine such as the Xerox "4000" copier. For automatic operation conditioning the PG,16 reproducing machine for simplex or duplex copying would automatically position the bin or bins of the sheet receiving apparatus in the appropriate orientation for simplex or duplex collation. This could be accomplished by tying actuation of the motor 82 to the actuation of the simplex or duplex mode selector switches as previously described.
The patents and copying machines specifically referred to above are intended to be incorporated by reference into the present application.
It is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with this invention, a sheet receiving apparatus and process which fully satisfies the objects, means and advantages set forth hereinbefore. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
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A sheet receiving apparatus for a reproducing machine includes at least one sheet receiving bin. The receiving bin includes first and second sheet supporting bin side wall members for supporting sheets therein which are pivotally mounted for their upper ends along the path of a sheet transport. When the supporting members are in a first orientation sheets in the bin are supported by the first member, and in a second and different orientation sheets in the bin are supported by the second member. The apparatus is particularly useful as an output bin or as a multibin collator. Automatically pivoting the bin or bins from one orientation to the other provides proper collation for simplexed or duplexed copies respectively.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a circuit that, while useful in other devices, is useful primarily in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. Since CMOS circuits are commonly employed in battery powered equipment it is desirable that a battery condition monitor be incorporated to indicate when the battery voltage has dropped below a particular level which indicates that replacement or recharging is in order. Also, when an A-C line rectified power supply is employed, its output can decline due to the loss of one or a few cycles of excitation. The lowered supply voltage state is commonly called brownout because the next stage, or blackout, will occur when the voltage has fallen to a point where the circuits will not operate. Typically, a switching circuit is employed and its switching level set to sense a brownout level prior to the blackout level. Most of the prior art battery condition indicators show when an arbitrary voltage level is reached and this level is chosen to be sufficiently above the blackout level that when all manufacturing tolerances are considered the circuit performance is reliable in all cases. This results in a relatively high switching level. It would be more desirable to set the switching level lower and in response to the circuit function itself. If the switching level is set to be just a small increment over that level at which the circuits function, manufacturing tolerances will have no effect and a true brownout level is indicated. This would be equivalent to an adaptive reference level keyed to circuit performance rather than an arbitrary value.
Another consideration relates to fluctuations in battery or supply voltage which manifest themselves as noise on the supply lines. Such noise can result from the operation of associated circuitry or the switching on and off of other devices connected to the same supply. It is desirable that the brownout detector be as immune to such noise as possible and yet be able to respond when a true dropout has occurred.
Since the devices described here may relate to battery operation, it is also desirable that current consumption be minimized To this end, it is desirable that the brownout detector itself be operated at the lowest possible current. Accordingly a shut-off feature is desirable wherein the detector can be turned off or reduced to a state of insignificant current consumption when it is known that no indication is needed. This would be the case, for example, just after battery replacement or recharging. Here it is known that the equipment will operate normally for at least a known period of time. Or, a mask option may be used to manufacture a chip with the brownout detector permanently disabled or enabled, at the customer's choice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,639, issued Oct. 20, 1987, to Silvo Stanojevic, and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It discloses a threshold detector circuit that is designed to monitor a power supply voltage and produce an output signal when the voltage drops below the threshold. In this circuit, bipolar elements are employed and a well-known bandgap temperature compensated voltage reference provides the desired threshold. Hysteresis is added to the bandgap circuit to improve noise immunity.
Matsuura patent 4,024,415, issued on May 17, 1977, and discloses a CMOS battery voltage detecting circuit. The threshold voltages of a complementary pair of transistors provide the critical value of a voltage detector. However, the circuit shown suffers from the fact that there is no way that current can flow through the complementary pair in the FIG. 2 embodiment, and erratic performance would result. In the FIG. 3 embodiment, resistivity operated field effect transistors (FETs) are employed to force separate and independent currents through the complementary pair elements.
The teaching in the above two patents is incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to create a stable power supply brownout detector.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a CMOS power supply brownout detector circuit, based upon the sum of P and N channel transistor thresholds, that has improved noise immunity.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a CMOS power supply brownout detector circuit with a current shutoff feature that can be invoked to reduce power supply current drain when the brownout condition is not imminent or when the circuit function is not needed by a customer.
These and other objects are achieved in a circuit configured as follows. In the CMOS preferred embodiment an output buffer is driven from an inverter transistor which has its gate operated at a potential that is the sum of N and P channel transistor thresholds below the supply potential. Thus, when the supply is normal the gate of the inverter transistor is high and its drain is low, which is the normal circuit indication. This condition is repeated by the output buffer. When the power supply potential goes into brownout there will be a level at which the sum of thresholds will not be sustained and the gate of the inverter falls below its conduction threshold. Thus, the drain will go high so as to signal the brownout condition. The circuit includes a transistor that develops an operating current which is mirrored in the sum of thresholds holds circuit and into a transistor that operates the inverter transistor. A capacitor created from the gate of a transistor is connected across the inverter input thereby to reduce ther sensitivity to noise present upon the power supply line. Other circuit elements permit the brownout indication to be under an ENABLE command and the entire circuit can be switched off when the brownout detection capability is not desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional elements of the circuit of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic-block diagram of the circuit of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic-block diagram of the circuit of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1, a V CC power supply is connected + to terminal 10 and - to ground (or V SS ) terminal 11. The circuit has an output terminal 12 which is normally low when the power supply is at full voltage. The function of the circuit is to provide an output indication in response to the power supply brownout voltage level. In the case of a battery power source, the circuit is to provide an output indication when the battery must be replaced or recharged. Also, when an A-C line rectified power supply is employed, its output can decline due to the loss of one or a few cycles of excitation. The actual level in the power supply voltage decline, or brownout, is desirably based upon the lowest voltage that will still provide normal circuit functioning. In CMOS this will typically be at the complementary transistor sum of thresholds. Actually, the level will be at some increment above the sum of threshold values so that nearly optimum CMOS gate potentials are supplied with an additional increment for providing switching headroom. In actual operation, the lowest level at which the circuit provides a brownout output is close to one threshold above the sum of P and N transistor thresholds.
Buffer 13, which supplies the signal at output terminal 12, is driven by pull down element 14 so that a substantially rail-to-rail output is available. A pull up element 15 is also coupled to the input of buffer 13 and when operating supplies a current I 3 to pull down element 14. A noise reduction capacitor 9 is connected across the input to pull down element 14. A voltage dropping element 16 is coupled between the positive supply rail and the input to pull down element 14. In normal operation it conducts I 2 which activates the pull down which holds the input to buffer 13 low. I 2 normally flows in current mirror pull down element 18 which acts to cause I 2 to flow in element 16. Element 18 responds as a current mirror to current sink 20, which receives I IN from current set 21. Thus, I 2 is related to I IN . Current sink 20 also operates pull down current mirror 21 which pulls current I 1 out of current source 22. Pull up current mirror 15, which supplies I 3 , is in turn operated from current source 22. Thus, I 3 is also related to I IN . As long as I 2 flows output terminal 12 will be held low and normal circuit operation proceeds.
When V CC declines, for example, the power supply battery voltage declines or the A-C power supply voltage drops, a point will be reached where the voltage drop across element 16 cannot be sustained and I 2 will drop. This will allow the conduction in pull down current mirror 18 to dominate and pull the input to pull down 14 low. This will overcome the pull down function and allow pull up current mirror 15 to pull the input to buffer 13 high, thus, signaling a power supply brownout. It can be seen that the brownout level indiction is determined in large measure by voltage drop element 16.
The elements described in FIG. 1 are described in block diagram form that can be implemented using almost any form of IC construction. However, the preferred embodiment is in CMOS form. FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram showing the preferred circuit.
Buffer 13, which provides the output signal at terminal 12, is driven by N channel inverter transistor 14 to provide a substantially rail-to-rail output signal. The signal at the drain of transistor 14 switches from low to high as the supply voltage of the source declines through brownout. P channel transistor 15 serves as the load element for N channel inverter transistor 14.
N channel transistor 16, in combination with P channel transistor 17, provides the circuit voltage reference that determines the circuit switching level. Both of transistors 16 and 17 have their gates returned to their drains and they are connected in series. In normal circuit operation N channel transistor 18 will sink a small controlled current, I 2 , through transistors 16 and 17 which will conduct and attempt to maintain a conduction threshold voltage drop across them. Thus, transistors 16 and 17 will attempt to maintain the gate of transistor 14 at the sum of N and P channel transistor thresholds, V TPN , below the supply rail potential. As long as V CC -V TPN is in excess of the threshold hold of transistor 14, the potential at the drain of transistor 14 will be low and the logic output at terminal 12 will be zero.
The small controlled current, I 2 , is produced as follows. P channel transistor 19 is constructed as a narrow, long-channel channel device that displays substantial "on" resistance. The source of transistor 19 is returned to +V CC and its gate is grounded so that it is conductive. I IN will flow in N channel transistor 20, which has its gate and drain connected to the drain of transistor 19 and its source returned to ground. N channel transistor 18 is connected as a current mirror to transistor 20. If transistors 18 and 20 are matched, I 2 will equal I IN .
N channel transistor 21 is also connected as a current mirror to transistor 20 and thereby conducts I 1 . Since I 1 flows in P channel transistor 22, which has its gate and drain commonly connected to the drain of transistor 21 and its source returned to +V CC , it too will conduct I 1 . P channel transistor 15, which is the load for transistor 14, is connected as a current mirror to transistor 22. Then, assuming that transistors 22 and 15 are matched, I IN will attempt to flow in transistor 15. When transistor 15 dominates the drain of transistor 14 will be pulled high and when conduction in transistor 14 dominates its drain will be pulled low.
When I 2 exceeds I IN , as would be the case when V CC exceeds the switching threshold, the gate of transistor 14 will rise so that it dominates and pulls its drain low. Furthermore, to ensure that the circuit is stable, transistor 14 is made stronger than transistor 15. Accordingly, assuming that I IN =I 1 =I 2 =I 3 , the circuit trip point is exceeded and transistor 14 will dominate to keep its drain low.
Buffer 13 will then pull terminal 12 low so as to indicate an adequate supply voltage or an absence of brownout.
It can be seen that VTPN is the critical switching element. A sufficient reduction in current must occur in transistors 16 and 17 in order to overcome the built-in circuit threshold so that terminal 12 is forced high.
As a practical matter, the signal at terminal 12 can act as a flag to signal power supply brownout. If desired, terminal 12 can be connected to other circuits, not shown, to automatically shut down critical elements that could react adversely in the presence of brownout.
Transistor 9 has its gate connected to the gate of transistor 14 and functions to provide a capacitance that bypasses the inverter switching signal produced by transistors 16 and 17. This capacitance will shunt high frequency noise and thereby reduce the sensitivity of the circuit to noise or rapid fluctuations of the V CC level. As a practical matter, any form of capacitor could be employed for this function. However, in the interest of avoiding off chip IC components an on-chip approach was chosen. While any form of on-chip capacitor, such as two metal plates, poly-metal plates, poly-to-poly plates or conventional MOS plates, could be used, a MOS transistor gate capacitance was employed because it provides the highest value of capacitance per unit area. An N channel transistor structure was chosen to form capacitor 9. Both the source and drain of transistor 9 are connected to ground and the gate is connected to the gate of transistor 14 so that transistor 9 will be turned on when transistor 14 is turned on. This is the normal circuit state so that a channel is normally present in transistor 9. This ensures a reliable gate capacitance wherein the induced channel serves as the other capacitor plate. The very thin gate oxide ensures a suitable capacitor value. In the preferred embodiment of the invention transistor 9 has an area of only 225 square microns so that a relatively small IC chip area is required.
FIG. 3 is a block-schematic diagram showing additional circuit details. Where similar circuit elements are present the same numerals are applied. Normally, and in brown-out, the circuits of FIGS. 2 and 3 operate identically. However, the details of buffer 13 are set forth and an output disable circuit incorporated. Also, means for shutdown of the brownout detection circuit are added. In the shutdown mode the circuit draws only diode leakage current, thus, conserving battery power.
N channel transistor 25 and P channel transistor 26 form the output stage of buffer 13 and operate as a conventional CMOS inverter gate to drive terminal 12. This inverter is in turn driven by N channel inverter transistor 23. P channel transistor 24 serves as the load for transistor 23. It can be seen that the two cascaded inverter stages allow transistors 23-26 to function as a high gain buffer that has a rail-to-rail output capability.
Terminal 12 drives a NAND gate 27 which in turn drives inverter 28 so that the circuit output, present at PWRLO pin 29 is a repetition of the signal at terminal 12. The second input of NAND gate 27 is an enable signal that is applied by way of ENBO pin 30. When pin 30 is high NAND gate 27 and inverter 28 function as a noninverting buffer and the signals at terminal 12 are repeated at pin 29. However, if pin 30 is low the output at pin 29 is disabled. This disable feature is useful in circuit applications where software control is employed.
Transistors 31 through 34 have been incorporated into the circuit to perform the shutdown function and they are operated by switch 35 and inverters 36 and 37. Whereas, the gate of transistor 19 was shown grounded in FIG. 1, in the FIG. 2 configuration the gate of transistor 19 can be operated by switch 35 and inverter 36. Switch 35 can be implemented in the form of a single pole double throw physical element. Alternatively, it can be implemented in the form of a CMOS device under the control of software. Alternatively, it can be operated by means of an IC metallization, diffusion or other circuit option.
When operated as shown in the ON position switch 35 will return the input of inverter 36 to the +V CC rail so as to force it high. This will result in a logic low at the gate of transistor 19, which is thereby turned on to function as described in connection with FIG. 1. When switch 35 is in its OFF position the input to inverter 36 is low and the gate of transistor 19 returned to +V CC . In this state transistor 19 if off and I IN goes to zero. It, therefore, reduced I 1 and I 3 to zero. In the off state it can be seen that the gate of N channel transistor 31 is high so as to turn it on. This results in pulling the gates of transistor 18 and 21 low so that they cannot conduct. This reduces I 2 (and I 1 and I IN ) to zero.
In the OFF state of switch 35, it can be seen that the input to inverter 37 is high so that its output is low. This will turn on P channel transistors 32-34. Transistor 32 will pull the gate of transistors 15,22 and 24 high so as to turn them off. Thus, I 3 , I 1 and the drain current in transistor 23 all go to zero. Transistor 33 will pull the gate of transistor 14 high so it will clamp the gate of transistor 23 low to ensure that it is off. Transistor 34 will pull the gates of transistors 25 and 26 high so as to turn transistor 26 off and transistor 25 on. This will reduce the output stage current to zero and clamp terminal 12 low. The overall result is the cessation of any current flow in the circuit. Since gates 27, 28, 36 and 37 all employ CMOS gates that are not switched, they too will not draw any appreciable current.
EXAMPLE
The circuit of FIG. 2 was constructed using conventional CMOS elements. The following device sizes were employed:
______________________________________COMPONENT W/L (MICRONS)______________________________________ 9 15/1516 25/517 60/519 5/10020, 21, 18, 14, 23 10/1025 30/326 40/331, 32, 33, 34 3/3______________________________________
The circuit operated over a V CC range up to about 6 volts. The brownout trip level was observed to be 3.1 volts in the test vehicle. Clearly, this level was self-adjusting to the threshold values of the transistors being produced in the CMOS process. A typical V TPN value was found to be about 2 volts.
The invention has been described and a preferred embodiment detailed. When a person skilled in the art reads the foregoing description, alternatives and equivalents, within the spirit and intent of the invention, will be apparent. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the claims that follow.
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An integrated circuit which will produce a switched output when the circuit power supply drops a predetermined level below which reliable IC operation is not assured. This reduced power supply condition is referred to as brownout wherein the switching is related to the active devices. A preferred CMOS circuit is disclosed. The switching level is related to the N channel and P channel transistor sum of thresholds which makes the CMOS circuit process adaptive. The circuit is provided with a transistor gate oxide capacitor for improving noise immunity while achieving maximum utilization of IC chip area. In addition, output enable and circuit shutdown capabilities are detailed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to automatic washers, either of the front-loading or top-loading types, and more particularly to an improved washing system and control therefor.
[0002] Automatic clothes washers generally include fluid handling systems for filling a washer tub with a wash fluid consisting of a water and detergent solution, tumbling or agitating a wash load of fabrics for a period of time, then draining the wash fluid from the tub. A portion of the washing part of the cycle may include a spray treatment or pretreatment of the fabrics while the basket is spinning. A subsequent rinse with fresh water and draining of the rinse water are also provided. All or part of the rinse cycle may include a spray rinse of the fabrics while the basket is spinning at high speed.
[0003] Spray treatment of fabrics during the wash cycle therefore is known. Spray treatment may be desirable in a clothes washer because of known benefits such as improved washing performance and reduced energy and water usage. An example of a clothes washer having spray treatment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,251 for example, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In this example, however, a probe sensor provides a signal for the purpose of maintaining a predetermined water level during recirculation. Alternatively, a pressure dome or temperature thermistor may be used to detect the water level and a determination may be made for the level of water to be used in the following swirl portion of the cycle. However, there is no determination made of the amount of fabric load contained within the washer using the on or off times of the inlet valve or valves or the information provided by the pressure sensor.
[0004] There are known disadvantages to spray treatment as well. One undesirable condition which has been found to occur during a spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle is ‘suds lock’. When this condition occurs, contact of the fluid with the spinning basket acts to further increase the amount of suds which thus raises the height of the sudsy fluid toward the basket. The eventual result of this unstable process is that suds build up beyond the bottom of the basket and climb between the sides of the basket and tub. This large amount of suds acting between the spinning basket and the fixed tub produces a significant drag force on the basket. This drag force is large enough to cause the clutch to slip and thus causing the basket to slow down considerably. This slipping of the clutch due to excessive suds between the spinning basket and the tub is called ‘suds lock’.
[0005] Certain combinations of environmental factors have been found to increase the likelihood of suds lock. Such combinations of very small loads or no load, very large doses of detergent, liquid detergent, type of detergent and soft water have been found to increase the formation of suds during the spray pretreat cycle. Also, if the means by which the amount of water controlled during the spray pretreatment cycle is not robust, suds lock may be more likely. To guard against both worst case conditions or machine degradation over time, a control for sensing suds lock and controlling the machine based on suds lock information is desirable.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,666, assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses a high performance washing process for vertical axis automatic washers which includes the recirculation of wash fluid prior to the agitate portion of the wash cycle. That patent describes, as a particular embodiment of the invention, to load a charge of detergent into the washer along with a predetermined amount of water, preferably prior to admitting a clothes load into the basket to assure that the concentrated detergent solution will initially be held in a sump area of the wash tub so that the detergent will be completely dissolved or mixed into a uniform solution before being applied to the clothes load. It is also suggested that the addition of an anti foaming agent may be desirable. No particular arrangement is provided for mixing the detergent and water to provide a uniform solution, nor is any particular means described for assuring that the amount of wash liquid within the tub during the spin wash portion of the wash cycle is an appropriate amount which is slightly in excess of the saturation level for the clothes load.
[0007] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,219,370 and 5,233,718, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, disclose variations on a high performance washing process for vertical or horizontal axis automatic washers which include the recirculation of wash fluid prior to the agitate portion of the wash cycle or other washing or rinsing steps. The primary means for controlling water input into the systems is to detect water level using a liquid level sensor. It is suggested that a pressure dome sensor may be used to detect an oversudsing condition, however this would be performed in conjunction with usage of the liquid level sensor, which is not provided for in the present invention. These patents allow for the possibility of indirectly inferring the water level in the tumble portion of the cycle based on the sensed level of detergent liquor in the pretreatment portion, unlike the present invention which determines the amount of clothes load and possibility of suds lock.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a control for sensing the state of the washing machine during a pretreatment cycle having a combined spray and high speed spin. During such a pretreatment cycle the washer is susceptible to the possible occurrence of a suds lock condition, which may be detected and handled by the present invention. This can be accomplished by a variety of sensing techniques, through which the possible or imminent occurrence of suds lock can be determined or inferred, including sensing the condition of the wash liquid or the washing machine components. A suds lock condition may even be anticipated and avoided by the present invention. Further, by knowing that a suds lock condition is occurring or is likely to occur, the spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle can be preterminated and the rest of the cycle can be continued. Alternatively, adding of water may be discontinued. By following a suds lock condition immediately with a deepfill of the tub of the automatic washer, suds buildup within the basket can be minimized.
[0009] By using the same technique of measuring suds lock, the size of the load can also be ascertained. This information can thus be applied to control the rest of the cycle. For example, the automatic deepfill water level and relative agitation rate can be altered according to the sensed size of the load. In the present invention, the load size is determined regardless of the types of fabric materials contained in the load. As well, in certain load conditions such as large loads, the deepfill portion may be slightly altered in order to optimize and maximize the wash performance. This may be performed not only as a result of detecting the load size but also as a result of user control inputs.
[0010] Furthermore, the control may be used to detect special conditions, for example unusually wet laundry at the outset of the wash cycle or failure in some aspect of the wash cycle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partially cut away automatic washer containing recirculation hardware embodying the principles of the present invention.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an automatic washer portraying in fluid circuit form the recirculation hardware and control arrangement embodying the principles of the present invention.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the process for controlling the spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle based on monitoring the condition of suds lock occurrence.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 4 a is a block diagram of an automatic washer containing recirculation hardware using flow rate information to control the amount of water added during the spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 b is a block diagram of an automatic washer containing recirculation hardware using height of water in the tub sump information to control the amount of water added during the spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 5 is a plot displaying the typical form by which the inlet valve is controlled based on measured information.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the general process for determining whether suds lock has occurred based on criteria and suds lock measure information.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 7 is a block diagram that shows the components which make up the drive system and the corresponding means for measuring the existence of suds lock through each component.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 8 is a block diagram that shows the measuring of the existence of suds lock through measuring the height of suds in the tub/basket.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 9 is a plot displaying the process by which the inlet valve is controlled based on measured information for the special case of having too much added water in the system at the start of the cycle.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 10 is a plot displaying the process by which the inlet valve is controlled based on measure information for the special case of never satisfying the measure due to some failure condition in the machine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] [0022]FIG. 1 a washing machine is generally shown at 10 which has a tub 12 with a vertical agitator 14 therein, a water supply 15 , a power supply (not shown), an electrically driven motor 16 operably connected via a transmission 20 to the agitator 14 and controls 18 including a presettable sequential control device 22 for use in selectively operating the washing machine 10 through a programmed sequence of washing, rinsing and extracting steps. A water level setting control 18 is provided for use in conjunction with control device 22 . A fully electronic control having an electronic display (not shown) may be substituted for control device 22 . The control device 22 is mounted to a panel 24 of a console 26 on the washing machine 10 . A rotatable and perforate wash basket 28 is carried within the tub 12 and has an opening 36 which is accessible through an openable top lid 30 of the washer 10 . Tub ring 37 is positioned overlying wash basket 28 and tub 12 .
[0023] The invention disclosed herein is not necessarily limited to implementation in a vertical axis washing machine as shown in the figures. Inasmuch as the invention is a washing machine having a unique control and recirculating spray wash arrangement, the invention may be equally applied in a horizontal or tilted axis washing machine. Moreover, in the specific application of the invention in a vertical axis washing machine, the invention may be practiced in a variety of machines which may include different motor and transmission arrangements, pumps, recirculation arrangements, agitators or impellers, or controls.
[0024] A sump hose 40 is fluidly connected to a sump (not shown) contained in a lower portion of tub 12 for providing a wash fluid recirculating source. Pressure dome 42 receives the recirculating fluid which exits via recirculating spray nozzle hose 48 which is fluidly connected to recirculating spray nozzle 32 . A pressure sensor or transducer 46 detects fluid pressure within pressure dome 42 and provides an output signal via lines 47 to the control, the signal varying dependent upon the sensed dynamic pressure. A second air dome 50 having a deepfill pressure sensor or transducer optionally provides a second pressure signal indicating static pressure to the control via lines 52 .
[0025] As described herein, a pressure sensor may be a pressure switch having predetermined pressure levels that, within certain limits, will provide one or more signals to control 22 that a certain pressure has been achieved. Depending on the presence or absence of such signals, the control will receive and store or process such information, as is well known. Alternatively, a transducer may be used to sense pressure and provide a signal of varying frequency or voltage to control 22 indicating the pressure levels detected.
[0026] In FIG. 2 a schematic diagram further describes an example of a washing machine incorporating the present invention. Hot water inlet 11 and cold water inlet 13 are controlled by hot water valve 17 and cold water valve 19 , respectively. Valves 17 and 19 are selectably openable to provide fresh water to feed line 60 . A spray nozzle valve 21 is fluidly connected to feed line 60 for selectably providing fresh water to tub 12 when desired. This fresh water is delivered by fresh water spray nozzle 31 via fresh water hose 33 . Valves 17 and 19 are openable individually or together to provide a mix of hot and cold water to a selected temperature.
[0027] Upon opening one or both of valves 17 and 19 , fresh water is selectably provided to a series of dispenser valves via feed line 60 . Valve 62 selectably provides fresh water to detergent dispenser 63 , valve 64 selectably provides fresh water to bleach dispenser 65 , and valve 66 selectably provides fresh water to softening agent dispenser 67 .
[0028] As further shown in FIG. 2, the washing machine includes a wash liquid recirculation system. In order to recirculate wash liquid for the recirculating spray wash, tub sump 41 collects wash liquid and is fluidly connected to pump 23 by sump hose 40 . Pump 23 is selectably operational to pump liquid from tub sump 41 via pump outlet hose 25 either to recirculating hose 27 or drain hose 29 depending on the position of bidirectional valve 30 . Recirculating hose 27 provides recirculating wash liquid to pressure dome 42 , the wash liquid exiting the pressure dome 42 via recirculating spray nozzle hose 48 and being emitted to the wash basket 28 via recirculating spray nozzle 32 .
[0029] Pressure dome 42 provides a head of pressure varying dependent upon the amount of wash liquid contained in the recirculating wash system by maintaining a captured dome of air in communication with the recirculating wash liquid. The pressure dome 42 provides a channel for the captured air to keep in contact with pressure sensor 46 via pressure line 45 .
[0030] Pressure sensor 46 provides optionally either an on/off or a varying or dynamic signal to control 22 via lines 47 , the signal varying dependent on the sensed pressure of the recirculating wash liquid. Control 22 also optionally receives a static pressure signal from deepfill transducer dome 50 via lines 52 for signaling the level of wash liquid within wash tub 12 , however the invention disclosed herein may be practiced without use of a deepfill pressure dome. Control 22 is further operable to receive input signals via lines 49 , including signals from valves 21 , 62 , 64 and 66 providing on and off times for these valves.
[0031] By sensing the air pressure within pressure dome 42 , the amount of recirculating wash liquid in the washing machine may be inferred. This information is useful to determine the amount of free water in the washing machine during a recirculating wash. Thereby, the amount of clothing in the washing machine may be inferred, which information is useful in order to minimize water and energy usage during a spray pretreatment cycle, stain cycle or other recirculating wash cycle, and further during later or other portions of the cycle. Also, the suds lock condition, or absence thereof during portions of a cycle may be determined. Suds lock may be prevented by limiting recirculating wash liquid to slightly in excess of clothes saturation.
[0032] A basic process for the new control scheme of the spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle is shown in the block diagram 100 in FIG. 3. The process begins at the commencement of spray treatment 102 by starting monitoring of the suds lock algorithm 104 . The process simply either completes the full cycle if suds lock does not occur or skips through the rest of the pretreatment cycle and onto the next step 106 in the case that suds lock should occur. This process 100 is independent of the method by which the existence of suds lock is determined.
[0033] Several methods can be applied in order to ascertain the existence of suds lock. FIG. 4 a displays a block diagram 108 of the automatic washer containing recirculation hardware where a measure based on the flow rate of the wash liquid recirculation line is used to ascertain when water is added to the recirculation system. The flow rate can be measured in one of a number of known ways. A flow washer 68 contained in detergent dispenser valve 63 controls the flow rate within a predetermined range for a variety of predictable inlet water pressures. Limiting flow in this manner allows the flow rate to be inferred based upon the on time of the inlet valve. A flow meter may also be used. Finally, the deep fill rate may also be discerned.
[0034] This intermittent process is due to the dry clothes load absorbing water into the load and thus the system requiring more water to regain the necessary flow rate. A similar approach shown in a block diagram 110 in FIG. 4 b to determine when water needs to be added to the system can be performed by any of various techniques capable of measuring the height of the wash fluid in the sump portion of the tub. Alternatively, a pressure sensor may be used to determine whether one or more predetermined pressure levels have been reached. In either case, if the control determines that the necessary wash fluid amount recirculating within the washer is satisfied, the control discontinues adding water by intermittent opening of the water inlet valve.
[0035] Detecting Load Size During Pretreatment Portion of Cycle Using either of these means shown in FIGS. 4 a or 4 b to control the process of adding water to the system, an alternating pattern of the times for the addition of water to the system and not adding water to the system can be gained. FIG. 5 shows such a typical pattern or profile 112 relating to the on and off periods of the inlet valve for the spray pretreatment portion of the automatic wash cycle, based on whether the water level or water pressure detecting means is satisfied. Preferably, the control determines the necessary amount of wash liquid as that amount which is slightly in excess of the saturation level for the clothes load.
[0036] Accordingly, as the pretreatment portion of the cycle proceeds as shown in FIG. 5, the control continually monitors the inlet on or off times or both on and off times, or the pressure or water level signals which are used to control the inlet on, off or on and off times. This information, as discussed later herein, may be used to determine whether the clothes washer is experiencing a suds lock condition or some other abnormal condition if the information is outside a certain expected range. As well, however, this information may be used to determine the load size being washed, so that the pretreatment cycle and later portions of the wash cycle may be altered and preferably optimized or adapted to effectively complete the cleaning and rinsing of the clothes, but no more in order to avoid suds lock.
Pretreatment Cycle Control Based on Load Size Measurement
[0037] By using the measure of load size during the pretreatment cycle, the rest of the pretreatment cycle can be optimized based on the load size information. After the desired water level or pressure is detected as initially satisfied by the control 22 , the washing machine is allowed to continue the normal pretreatment cycle where water is added to the system as requested by the control system for a first predetermined time. The control then identifies the load size in a manner as previously discussed. The inlet valve may be shut off regardless of whether water is called for by the control system when a second predetermined time is reached. This second predetermined time may be defined based on the load size measure. At this time, the pretreatment step is completed and the machine proceeds through the rest of the cycle. The process of not adding water will aid the system in avoiding suds lock which increases the performance of the cycle.
[0038] In another example of optimizing the rest of the pretreatment cycle based on the load size information, the control system determines the total water fill times at preselected intervals. Depending on the total water fill time, a preselected overall cycle time for pretreatment is performed, during which water may be added. The cycle is further optimized by taking into consideration the water level and cycle selected by the user, so that the washer may perform not only according to the load size detected but in accordance with the demands of the user.
Total Cycle Control based on Load Size Measurement
[0039] From the various means of determining load size during the pretreatment portion of the cycle, this information can be applied to control other portions of the cycle. In previous washers, the load size or water level input on the console is the input used to control the amount of water added to the system in the deep fill and the relative agitation rate based on the type of cycle chosen. In the present invention, the load size determined from the pretreatment step can be applied in a similar way to determine water amounts and control the agitation performed during the rest of the wash cycle. For example, the load size information can be used to determine the agitation length and rate, to determine the deep fill wash length, spin time and speed, the deep fill or spray rinse length, spin time and speed, or the number of rinses.
[0040] An automatic washer incorporating the present invention may preferably include traditional user control inputs such as cycle, water temperature and water level. Although the input by the consumer may be taken into consideration to affect the cleaning cycle, the control selectively processes the previously mentioned inlet on, off or on and off, water level or pressure information independently of such user input to determine the size of the clothes load. It is noted that the type of clothes, particularly the variety of materials providing the makeup of the clothes is not of critical importance once the pretreatment cycle is completed, since the load size information gained during the pretreatment cycle is all that is needed to continue the wash process. However, the user input may be considered as part of an algorithm such that the performance of the washer, for example the length of wash time, is not greatly different than consumer expectations for a selected input.
[0041] In another example of optimizing the rest of the wash cycle based on detected load size, it is a known problem in a vertical axis washer to turn over a large clothes load approaching 17 pounds during a deep fill wash. One difficulty is that after filling the washer to the maximum level and beginning agitation, the large items in the load such as sheets, tablecloths or towels may be displaced above the waterline by the agitator, which physically lowers the water level in the tub. The lowering of the water level in the tub can be anticipated by control 22 or detected via a pressure sensor 46 or 50 and compensated for by adding water to return to the maximum level.
[0042] Alternatively, to address the aforementioned problem, a delayed fill may be used. When the user selects a heavy duty cycle along with maximum water level, for example the water level in the deep fill wash is initially brought to a level slightly below the maximum. The clothes load will be partially submerged, with a portion of the load remaining dry or at most partially saturated on the surface. At this water level, the agitator is allowed to commence turning and will easily pull the dry clothing from the top of the load, moving the clothes down the center of the basket and up the outside in the normal motion. After an initial preselected period, long enough to allow the load to be fully wetted and largely submerged, the washing machine may be filled to the maximum level followed by additional agitation or while continuing to agitate. The preceding process assures that normal rollover of the wash load is achieved as quickly as possible despite the large load.
Suds Lock Measuring
[0043] [0043]FIG. 6 displays a block diagram 118 of the general process for determining whether suds lock has occurred based on selected criteria and suds lock measure information. This diagram is independent of chosen measurement technique. Several sets of criteria are satisfactory for the case of using information about the inlet water valve cycling information measurement of suds lock. The following table contains several functional criteria:
TABLE Suds Lock Criteria Table for Inlet Water Valve Based Measures. Suds Lock Measure Suds Lock Criteria Case (1) t on (0) 10-20 sec. Case (2) t on (0)/(t on (1)) N Case (3) t on (0)/(t on (1) + t on (2)) N Case (4) t on (O)/(t on (1) + t on (2) + t on (3)) N
[0044] The optimum value for N is approximately 2. The algorithm also incorporates a minimum time, t min — check , which to start checking for suds lock to occur. This time could be set between 0 sec and 40 sec. In addition to satisfying the suds lock criteria, there also is a time t on — min which sets a minimum time of addition which it must be above to be considered as suds lock condition. Typical ranges for this are between 2 to 4 sec.
[0045] Other ways exist for detecting suds lock in the washing machine. FIG. 7 displays a block diagram 120 that shows the components which make up the drive system and the corresponding means for detecting the existence of suds lock through each component. For the basket, the means for detecting the existence of suds lock 122 may be summarized as follows.
[0046] A first suds lock detection method is by measurement of the basket RPM (by magnetic, optical or ultrasonic means) after the basket is brought up to normal operating speed. When basket reduces RPM by 70% from the steady state value, suds lock has occurred.
[0047] A second suds lock detection method is by measurement of the basket or tub acceleration after the basket is brought up to normal operating speed. Vibration of the basket or tub should be fairly constant or increasing during the spray pretreatment portion of the cycle unless suds lock occurs.
[0048] For the drive system, the means for detecting the existence of suds lock 124 may be summarized as follows.
[0049] A first suds lock detection method is by measuring the temperature of the clutch. When a suds lock condition occurs, the temperature of the clutch will increase significantly during suds lock condition. A second suds lock detection method is by measuring torque on drive components. When a suds lock condition occurs, a significant drop in torque will occur.
[0050] For the motor, motor control and supply power, the means for detecting the existence of suds lock 126 , 128 and 129 may be summarized as follows. A first suds lock detection method is by measurement of motor RPM using a tachometer which is built into the motor. When the basket reduces RPM by 70% from steady state value, suds lock has occurred. A second suds lock detection method is by measurement of the current or wattage going to the motor measured at motor. When current or wattage increase by a given percentage, suds lock has occurred.
[0051] A third suds lock detection method is by measurement of total current or wattage going to the entire machine, since motor current is by far most significant component. When current or wattage increase by a given percentage, suds lock has occurred. A fourth suds lock detection method is by measurement using an opto coupler for obtaining information about drop in the torque draw of the motor. A fifth suds lock detection method is by measurement using a ferrite core sensor for obtaining information about the drop in the torque draw of the motor. In the latter two methods, when torque drops by a given amount, suds lock has occurred.
[0052] In addition to measurements which can be made on the drive system, measurement of the height of the suds in the system can be made. FIG. 8 displays a block diagram 130 illustrating the components which are to be observed, that is the tub or the basket, and the means for detecting the existence of suds lock through each component. Specific embodiments of such techniques to measure the height of the suds during a spray pretreatment portion of the wash cycle may include a) providing a conductivity strip along the side of the basket; b) ultrasonic measurement, or c) optical measurement. Feedback provided to the control in each case indicates an oversuds condition, from which it may be inferred that suds lock has occurred.
Special Conditions
[0053] In addition to the occurrence of suds lock, there are a few special conditions which can as be detected by the control. Although other detection means may be used, in these examples the control monitors the inlet valve on time over a prescribed check time. One such condition occurs when the machine is started in pretreatment portion of the cycle with much more water than necessary. FIG. 9 displays the process by which the inlet valve is controlled based on measure information for the special case of having too much added water in the system at the start of the cycle. This condition can occur for the reasons that the user starts the machine into normal deepfill (without prefill), then stops the machine after a good amount of water has filled the machine (over 2 gallons) and the machine is switched and restarted in pretreatment cycle; the user puts a very soggy clothes load into the machine or the user physically adds water into the machine with the load.
[0054] For all these conditions, the time by which the machine calls for water will be very small. Thus by monitoring the time by which the control system calls for water with respect to some length of checking time, this condition can be ascertained. If such a case should occur, the pretreatment cycle may be ended and the rest of the cycle is continued.
[0055] Another special condition can be detected by the primary means of monitoring the inlet valve on time over a prescribed check time. One such condition may occur when the washing machine is in the recirculating spray pretreatment portion of the cycle and the machine continuously calls for water without stopping.
[0056] [0056]FIG. 10 displays a graphic depiction 140 of the process by which the inlet valve is controlled based on measured information in the special case where the recirculation flow in the system at the start of the cycle is not satisfied for some finite period of time. In addition to sensing this condition based on the recirculation flow being not satisfied, additional information can be gained from the deepfill pressure transducer for the air dome 50 in the tub.
[0057] For the case where the deepfill pressure transducer does not sense the existence of a sizable amount of water in the tub, a variety of machine conditions may be a cause. Under the category of washing machine component failures, the failures can include a sizable leak in the tub or the recirculation or drain hose system; one or more bad inlet valves not adding water to system, or a recirculation diverter valve failed or stuck in the drain direction. Under the category of non-washing machine component failures might be a long fill due to very low line pressure.
[0058] For the case where the deepfill pressure transducer is sensing the existence of a sizable amount of water in the tub, the following machine conditions may be a cause, all of which are washing machine component failures. The failures can include a bad recirculation pressure switch, a pump or motor failure, a severe recirculation line clog or the recirculation pressure hose is disconnected.
[0059] In case of such failure, the control 22 will end the cycle and indicate the failure condition to the consumer.
[0060] As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the contribution to the art.
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This invention relates a control for an automatic washer incorporating a spray pretreatment or stain care cycle. In order to manage the occurrence of the condition of suds lock, the state of the washing machine related to the suds lock condition during spray pretreatment is determined by one or more of a number of methods. With this information concerning the state of the spray pretreatment process, the occurrence of suds lock can be ascertained and the cycle can be controlled accordingly to minimize negative effects resulting from a prolonged suds lock condition. Additionally, with certain information related to the occurrence of suds lock, steps can be taken during the spray pretreatment portion of the cycle to avoid the condition of suds lock altogether. Using the same primary process for measuring suds lock, load size can also be ascertained. Information about load size can be used to control the wash cycle.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of enhancing the corrosion inhibition of well-tubing while using an acid-in-oil emulsion downhole in a hydrocarbon recovery or delivery system and, more particularly, provides a method for acid stimulating a carbonate formation while simultaneously protecting the well-tubing more efficiently.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Acid-in-oil emulsions are typically used to stimulate or enhance hydrocarbon production in existing carbonate reservoir rock formations, such as limestone, dolomite or calcareous-magnesium. Typically, the emulsified acid enters the formation and where employed successfully creates a barrier causing the acid to release slowly at a distance from the well-bore. The reaction of the released acid with the formation rock takes place simultaneously at different places inside the formation, resulting in channels that are joined together to form continuous wormholes. When pumping the acid-in-oil emulsions through steel tubing and piping, a corrosion inhibitor is usually added to reduce the corrosive effects of the acid. In operation, the corrosion inhibitor coats the steel surfaces as the emulsion is pumped into the well-bore and the surrounding rock.
In current practice, the oil emulsion consists of two phases. They are the internal phase formed of acid with corrosion inhibitor added to it, and the external phase formed of oil with an emulsifier. The currently employed ratio used in the field is 30% oil and 70% acid. Acid-in-oil emulsions are prepared by mixing the oil with an emulsifier and then gently adding the acid which has been mixed with the corrosion inhibitor to the emulsified oil phase. The oil is known as the disperse phase and the mixture of acid and corrosion inhibitor as the inner phase.
Thus, the corrosion inhibitor which is dissolved in the acid phase is encapsulated by the oil which contains the emulsifier. The corrosion inhibitor, accordingly, is disposed internally with the emulsion droplet which limits its ability to readily disperse on the metal surfaces to create a protective film.
Groote, U.S. Pat. No. 1,922,154 was the first to disclose the use of emulsified acid in the oil industry. Groote discloses removal of formation damage from carbonate rocks with an aqueous acid solution emulsified in a suitable medium that effectively protects the metallic parts of the well from damage by the acid in the solution, while the solution is being pumped into the well. Groote employed hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and a mixture of the two acids to prepare his emulsion. Crude oil and coal tar distillates, such as naphtha and carbon tetrachloride were used as dispersing fluids. Sulfonic acid was used as the emulsifying agent. The feature described in the '154 patent put the pairing the emulsion as similar to current oil field practices. Approximately 2% to 5% of the emulsifying agent is added to crude oil which forms continuous phase and the acid containing the corrosion inhibitor is added to the mixture at a ratio of 33.3% acid to 66.7 parts of crude oil by volume ratio.
Bland, U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,886 discloses the transfer of a corrosion agent downhole by encapsulating it in three phases to release it at the target zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,009 discloses a method of delivering and releasing a corrosion inhibitor downhole by a pumpable composition consisting of multiple phases.
Martin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,596 discloses a method of mixing corrosion inhibitor consisting of incorporating thiophosphates consisting of both oxygen and sulfur, pyrophosphates, containing both oxygen and sulfur or a mixture into an oil phase of an emulsion.
French, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,901) discloses a method of mixing a corrosion inhibitor, adding it to a discontinuous phase (kerosene) and pumping this discontinuous phase to the well annuals before mixing with a continuous phase (produced water) inside the well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method to enhance hydrocarbon recovery when acidizing a well-bore in a carbonate formation and to inhibit the corrosion of oil well-tubing by using an acid-in-oil emulsion.
By the method of the present invention, an acid is added initially to an emulsified oil so that only the acid is contained within the oil. The corrosion inhibitor is then added to the acid-in-oil emulsion and mixed with it so that it forms the external phase, with the acid in the emulsified oil forming the internal phase. The disposition of the corrosion inhibitor in the external phase of the emulsion enhances its ability to contact and dispense on the metal surfaces of the oil-well tubing in a much more efficient manner as the emulsion is delivered by pumping downwardly into the formation. Thus, when a droplet of the acid-in-oil emulsion of the present invention is viewed in cross-section, the innermost phase is the acid which is encapsulated by the oil and the corrosion inhibitor forms the external phase.
Accordingly, the corrosion inhibitor of the present invention must be immiscible with the acid, but, instead, will mix with the entire emulsion from the outside to form an external phase. The corrosion inhibitor functions by adsorbing onto the surfaces of the coil tubing and the well tubing providing a protective barrier between it and the acid. The presence of the corrosion inhibitor in the external phase of the emulsion expedites the adsorption of the corrosion inhibitor onto the steel surfaces to protect the well tubing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for delivering a corrosion inhibitor to the steel surfaces of downhole tubing to protect them from attack by acids which are pumped downhole during an enhanced hydrocarbon recovery operation.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the adsorption of the corrosion inhibitor onto the metal surfaces of the coil tubing and the well tubing more efficiently.
These and other objects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following drawings and the following detailed description of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an acid-in-oil emulsion in accordance with the prior art;
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the acid-in-oil emulsion in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a graph demonstrating the separation of the emulsion with an internal corrosion inhibitor in accordance with the present invention, when compared with an external corrosion inhibitor and in the absence of a corrosion inhibitor; and
FIG. 4 is a graph comparing the emulsion viscosity at room temperature of an internal corrosion inhibitor in accordance with the present invention, with an external emulsion inhibitor and in the absence of an inhibitor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the method of the present invention, an emulsifier which can be ionic or non-ionic is employed. For example, it is preferred to employ alkoxylated amines, glycols, alcohols, substituted phenols, long chain amides, or sulfonic acid, or, indeed, any suitable emylsifying agent, which when added to crude oil or a coal tar distillate, such as naphtha, gasoline, kerosene or carbon tetrachloride, and suitably mixed, will form an emulsion. The quantity of emulsifier employed should provide a relatively stable, non-separating emulsion.
An acid, such as hydrochloric acid, or a mixture of hydrochloric acid with formic or acetic acid is then mixed with an oil-containing emulsifier to form an acid-in-oil emulsion. Thus, the acid is contained or encapsulated within the oil.
Thereafter, a suitable corrosion inhibitor, such as primary, secondary or tertiary monoamines; polyethoxylated amines; diamines and amides and their salts; and imidazolines may be used provided they are miscible with the acid employed, whether HCl or mixtures thereof with acetic or formic acids, and which will, when mixed with the emulsion, form the external phase of the emulsified oil.
FIG. 1 depicts a single drop in cross-section of a representative acid-in-oil emulsion according to the prior art. The oil forms the external phase while the corrosion inhibitor which is disposed internally of the drop mixes with the acid in the internal phase of the emulsion, thus preventing the corrosion inhibitor from dispersing on the well-tubing to build-up a corrosion protective coating.
The acid-in-oil emulsion of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2 in cross-section as a discrete drop, has the acid in the internal phase encapsulated by the oil, and the corrosion inhibitor forms the external phase surrounding the acid-in-oil emulsion. The oil phase, in effect, forms a barrier between the corrosion inhibitor and the acid to avoid contact between them. Thus, the emulsion prepared in accordance with the method of the present invention allows the corrosion inhibitor to mix with the emulsion from the outside. The corrosion inhibitor is thus able to disperse directly onto the well tubing by forming a corrosion protective film thereon.
In the experiments in accordance with the present invention plotted in FIGS. 2 and 3 , 4 gpt of U-080 emulsifying agent (Schlumberger), which is an anionic based surfactant consisting of a mixture of propan—2 (30%-60%), fatty amides (10%-30%) and an alkylamine salt (30%-60%), was mixed with diesel oil at room temperature.
The acid component consisting of 15 wt. % hydrochloric and 9 wt. % acetic acid was gently added to the emulsified diesel oil at a shear rate of 4000 rpm. The ratio of the acid phase to the hydrocarbon phase in the acid-in-oil emulsion was 70% to 30%.
To the acid-in-oil emulsion, 6 gpt of a corrosion inhibitor manufactured by Schlumberger known as A-272 was added. The corrosion inhibitor is an organic acid inhibitor which is cationic based. It contains alkylaryl pyridinium quaternary 40%-70%, alkylthiol 7-13%, methanol 15-40% and ethoxylated alcohol 10%-30%.
A significant advantage of the emulsion of the present invention is its stability over time when compared with the prior art. As can be seen in FIG. 2 , the emulsion with the corrosion inhibitor disposed in the inner or internal phase, as taught by the prior art, begins to separate after 30 minutes at a temperature of 248° F. and is completely separated after 100 minutes.
By contrast, when the corrosion inhibitor forms the external phase of the emulsion, in accordance with the present invention, its stability is enhanced since the corrosion inhibitor spreads or disperses on the downhole metal surfaces. In this instance, the breakdown of the emulsion only begins after 60 minutes and takes 140 minutes for complete separation at 248° F. The foregoing is evident from FIG. 2 .
When there is no corrosion inhibitor included in the emulsion in the prior art, the breakdown of the emulsion, i.e., its separation, begins after 140 minutes and only 20% is broken down after 180 minutes. Of course, the well tubing and other metals surfaces are not protected from acid attack. This can be seen in FIG. 2 .
FIG. 3 demonstrates that the viscosity of the emulsion in accordance with the present invention at a low shear rate is comparable to an emulsion where the corrosion inhibitor is present as an internal phase in accordance with the prior art, and at a high shear rate it is comparable to an emulsion without a corrosion inhibitor being present.
It is evident from the foregoing specification that modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification shall be regarded in an illustrative sense, rather than a restrictive sense.
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An acid-in-oil emulsion having a corrosion inhibitor as the external phase has been found to prevent downhole corrosion when acidizing carbonate formations to enhance hydrocarbon recovery.
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This application is a division of Ser. No 08/601,567 filed Feb. 14, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,958.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to brush handles and more particularly to a toothbrush handle having a finger-gripping portion which is capable of deformation by the fingers of the user.
Recent toothbrush designs have been marketed which provide various gripping features to the toothbrush handle in an attempt to produce a better "feel" to the user, while maintaining the structural capability of the brush to provide the necessary pressure to the bristle end of the brush. These handle configurations have taken the form of grooves or other formations on the handle of a unitary structure or, in some instances, a two-part handle is provided wherein a thin layer of soft pliable material is provided on the more rigid portion of the handle to achieve the design objective. In many constructions a thin layer of elastic material in the range of 2 mm is formed onto a rigid handle which results in an aesthetically pleasing handle having little or no ergonomic value to the user.
In the two-part construction, wherein a separate soft and more pliable material is applied to a more rigid handle member, it is often necessary to compromise the requirement to provide a quantity of soft material necessary to allow deformation by the fingers of the user while retaining the rigidity of the more rigid handle of the brush without producing a handle having an unusually large thickness. A relatively thick toothbrush handle would in many instances be unacceptable to the user, in particular where a brush is being provided for use by children or those with smaller hands.
It also must be considered in providing the combination of a soft finger-gripping material to the gripping portion of the toothbrush, that a sufficient structure of the rigid material must be maintained to enable the user to apply pressure to the bristle portion of the brush without damage to the handle, over a period of usage. A necessity therefore has risen to provide a two-element brush in which the flexibility over the length of the handle is controlled while maintaining a desirable thickness to the gripping portion about which the hand of the user envelopes.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a handle for a toothbrush or other such appliance which comprises a gripping surface having a finger-deformable portion to present a more desirable "feel" to the user.
A further object of the invention is to provide an article of the type set forth above having a greater thickness of finger-deformable material over the handle length than in devices of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush of the type described which contains a deformable finger-gripping portion while maintaining that rigidity in the handle necessary to apply a desirable pressure to the toothbrush bristles.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an article such as a toothbrush handle which is simple in design and easily manufactured while maintaining the objectives set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objects and other objectives which will become apparent as the description proceeds are accomplished by providing a toothbrush comprising an elongated handle having a pair of opposed surfaces with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from one of the surfaces adjacent one end of the handle. A gripping means is disposed adjacent the opposite end of the handle, the gripping means comprising an elongated cavity formed on the other of the opposed surfaces along a portion of the elongated handle, and at least one and preferably a pair of flanges extend outwardly from adjacent each of the edges of the cavity and into the gripping element to provide a desired rigidity to the elongated handle during the brushing process.
The flanges are generally disposed entirely within the gripping element and the inner surfaces of the flanges may be an extension of the inner surface of the cavity. The flanges also may be inwardly offset from the outer edge of the elongated handle.
A plurality of slotted opening may be provided in the base of the cavity in which construction the gripping element will be formed having portions extending into the slotted openings.
While the invention is disclosed embodied in a toothbrush handle it may be incorporated in an appliance handle of any type comprising an elongated body member having a pressure-applying surface disposed at one end and a gripping portion adjacent the other end thereof. In an appliance structure of this type the body member has an elongated cavity formed therein extending axially along the gripping portion at the opposite-facing surface of the that of the pressure-applying surface. The cavity generally is provided with a pair of flanges extending outwardly therefrom and adjacent each of the elongated edges thereof. A gripping element is formed in the cavity having the pair of flanges extending therein to provide a rigidity to the gripping portion of the brush handle during use of the appliance.
In its broadest aspect the invention may be adapted to any dental appliance or the like having a pressure-applying surface disposed at one end and a gripping portion adjacent the opposite end thereof. The gripping portion generally comprises a layer of soft thermoplastic elastomer having a thickness in the pressure-applying direction of 2 mm to 15 mm and a Shore A hardness value in the range of 5 to 30.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view intended to depict a typical toothbrush of the prior art having a soft gripping portion provided thereon;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1 showing details of the prior art toothbrush of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a toothbrush constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the opposite side view being a mirror image thereof;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the toothbrush of FIG. 3 showing details of the structure;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, similar to FIG. 3, showing a portion of the structure of FIGS. 3 and 4 in detail;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 4 showing further details of the portion of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a right sectional view taken along the line VII--VII of FIG. 5 showing details of the cavity formed in that portion of the toothbrush structure;
FIG. 8 is a right sectional view taken along the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 5 showing additional details of the structure; and
FIG. 9 is a right sectional view taken along the line IX--IX of FIG. 5 showing details of that area of the toothbrush portion depicted in FIGS. 5 through 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a typical prior art toothbrush 90 is shown to comprise a semi-rigid handle member 91 with the bristles 92 disposed on one surface and a gripping layer 93 disposed on the opposite surface from that of the bristles. The gripping layer 93 may be formed of a number of available materials, the objective being to provide a finger-gripping area which is more pleasing to the user and which prevents slippage of the handle in the user's grip during the brushing operation.
As best shown in FIG. 2, the handle member 91 is provided with a pair of shoulders 94 and 95 to receive and retain the gripping layer 93. As is evident from FIG. 2 the amount of deformable or pliable material in the gripping layer 93 must be sufficient to allow a soft feel by the fingers of the user, while the material which is chosen must also have the wearability necessary for reliability during daily use. In contrast, the handle member 91 must be of sufficient rigidity and strength to provide pressure at the bristles 92, while the deformation of the handle over its length should be controlled during the brushing operation. A handle structure having excessive deformable material would present a large gripping area difficult for manipulation by those with small hands such as children, while a handle which is insufficient in rigid material would lack the rigidity at the proper locations necessary to provide proper brushing pressure. The result generally is a compromise over the optimum desirable-for each of these features.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the present invention provides a toothbrush 10 having an elongated handle member 12 comprising bristles 14 extending from the lower surface thereof. A gripping means in the form of a gripping element 16 is formed on the opposite surface from that of the bristles, the gripping element having a plurality of grooves 17 formed on its surface to enhance the gripping quality of the element. The handle member 12 is generally manufactured of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, which in the present structure has a Shore R hardness value in the area of 97 to 100. The gripping element 16 is formed by an injection molding process onto the handle member 12, and in the present embodiment is a thermoplastic elastomer material which may have a hardness value in the area of 5 to 30, and preferably in the area of 20, measured on the Shore A scale, the hardness value being chosen to give a soft flexible feeling under finger pressure. While a chemical bond exists between the gripping element 16 and the handle member 12, a plurality of slotted openings 18 are provided in that surface of the handle member 12 from which the bristles 14 extend, and in the injection molding process the material of the gripping element 16 flows through the openings to better retain the gripping element onto the handle member as well as to provide additional gripping surfaces for the user's fingers. An elongated opening 20 is provided at the opposite end of the handle member 12 from that of the bristles 14 and, as with the slotted openings 18, the material from the gripping element 16 is injected into the slotted opening 20 and aids in retaining that portion of the gripping element 16 onto the handle member 12.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 9, the handle member 12 is shown to be provided with a cavity 22 extending from adjacent the end of the handle member opposite the bristle location to a point past the mid-length of the handle member. The cavity 22 has a pair of upwardly extending flanges 24 and 26 formed on either side thereof, the inner surface of each flange being an extension of the inner surface of the cavity 22. The flanges 24 and 26 are offset inwardly from the outer surfaces of the handle member 12 and by forming the outer surface of the gripping element 16 as an extension of the outer side surfaces of the handle member 12 the flanges 24 and 26 are completely contained within the gripping element 16.
As will be evident from viewing FIGS. 7 through 9, both the size of the toothbrush handle in its entirety, the handle member, and gripping element, may be formed in keeping with the objectives of the invention. The need for a handle size which is easy to manipulate, the desirability of a quantity of soft flexible material to provide a soft gripping element 16 and the varying rigidity over the length of the handle member 12, are easily controlled by increasing or decreasing the height of the flanges 24 and 26, generally maintaining a height of 2 mm to 15 mm of soft material in the gripping element. Furthermore, this combination may be accomplished at any point along the length of the toothbrush or appliance to create a particular rigidity and softness at any point along the length of the brush handle while maintaining a brush having a desirable feel and appearance.
Thus, in either FIGS. 7, 8 or 9, should a more rigid section be required, the flanges 24, 26 may be increased in height. Should more flexibility be required the flanges may be decreased in height. The amount of material in the gripping element 16 may be increased or decreased to produce the proper feel as the more rigid handle member is proportionately increased or decreased to maintain a required overall thickness, the overall desired rigidity at any point being attained by increase or decrease of the flanges 24, 26.
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A toothbrush has an elongated handle with bristles disposed at one end extending outwardly from one surface of the handle. The handle is formed of a semi-rigid plastic material having a pair of flanges disposed on the surface opposite that of the bristles for controlling the flexure at various points along the handle length and a softer material is formed onto that portion of the handle containing the flanges to provide a soft grip for the user.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Operating mechanisms for casement windows or like swinging closures are known in the prior art in many forms, and these mechanisms vary in comparative simplicity and cost, strength and convenience of operation. Commonly, casement window operating mechanisms are not universal in the sense that right and left hand window sashes require the use of non-identical right and left hand operating mechanisms, which obviously increases the cost of window installation.
One of the objectives of this invention is, therefore, to provide practical, convenient, compact, sturdy and economical operating mechanism for casement windows which is universal or non-handed.
The prior art also teaches numerous locking arrangements for casement windows many of which are separate from the sash operating mechanism and therefore do not come into play automatically when the sash moves to a closed position. At least one prior United States patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,151, issued to Evers, discloses a locking arrangement which includes a component carried by the sash and a coacting component carried by the sash operating linkage or mechanism which is not universal. This requires not only right and left hand sash operating mechanisms but right and left hand locking components on the sash and mechanism which engage automatically when the casement window is closed.
A further important object of this invention is to improve on the locking arrangement in the above-noted Evers et al. patent by providing directly in the universal or non-handed sash operating mechanism interengaging locking elements which come into play automatically to securely lock the sash regardless of whether a right or left hand installation is involved.
Additional features of the invention reside in the provision of a highly compact, smooth-acting and durable mechanism which is easy to operate and offers a high mechanical advantage during the final sash closing movement where resistance forces impeding closing are the greatest.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the interior side of a casement window equipped with operating mechanism embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and showing the window in a partly open position.
FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the window closed and locked in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a window operating and locking mechanism embodied in the invention.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of an operator link and attached window locking tab.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a coacting stabilizer link having locking projections.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 8--8 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 9 is a similar view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 10 is a side elevation of a gear operator taken in the plane of line 10--10 of FIG. 5.
FIGS. 11 through 16 are partly diagrammatic plan views showing left and right hand operating mechanisms for windows of three different widths.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts, a casement window shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an aluminum sash frame 20 having an insulating glass pane 21. The sash frame 20 carries a vinyl exterior perimeter seal 22, the bottom portion of which engages an exterior aluminum sill 23 when the casement window is closed. A glass back-up member 24 on the sash frame 20 is coupled with a seating member 25 which engages a vinyl or other rubber-like interior perimeter seal 26 when the window is closed, the seal 26 being carried by an interior sill cover member 27 atop the wooden sill 28. The construction, as described thus far, is substantially conventional. The invention proper, now to be described, pertains to a linkage or mechanism for opening and closing the casement window and for automatically locking it whenever the window sash is swung to the closed position.
Continuing to refer to the drawings, the operating linkage or mechanism comprises an operating arm 29 integrally attached to a sector gear 30 whose gear teeth span an arc of approximately 180 degrees. The sector gear teeth 31 are in mesh with an inclined worm gear 32 carried by a drive shaft 33 which is suitably held in an inclined extension 34 of a rigid mounting bracket 35 secured by screws 36 to the sill cover member 27. The sector gear 30 is rotatably attached to mounting bracket 35 by a rivet 37 or the like. The shaft 33 is turned by a crank handle 38 coupled with splines 39 on the shaft 33, a suitable escutcheon plate 40 being provided as shown in the drawings.
The mechanism further comprises an operator line 41 provided along one longitudinal edge and near its opposite ends with substantially rigid locking extension plates 42 forming key elements of the invention, to be further described. The operator link 41 has three spaced slots 43, 43a and 43b formed therethrough to render the mechanism compatible with casement windows of three different widths, such as 30 inches wide, 24 inches wide, and 20 inches wide. The slot 43, FIGS. 11 and 12, is employed for left and right hand 30 inch windows, the intermediate slot 43a, FIGS. 13 and 14, is employed for left and right hand 24 inch windows, and the slot 43b, FIGS. 15 and 16, is employed for left and right hand 20 inch windows, as will be further discussed. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings show a left hand (as viewed from the inside of the window) 24 inch wide casement window installation wherein the intermediate slot 43a of operator link 41 is pivotally engaged with the upstanding stud 44 on the end of the arm 29 driven by sector gear 30. A resilient E-ring 45 is utilized to maintain the link 41 pivotally assembled with the stud 44. The link 41 also preferably has a longitudinal stiffening flange 41', as shown. All following references to right or left handedness are made in the sense of viewing the interior of the window.
The far end of operator link 41 has an opening 46 pivotally coupled with an upstanding stud 47 carried by an elevated plate extension 48 of a slide 49. The slide 49 has a low friction liner 50 of dry lube material slidably engaging a T-track 51 rigid with the aluminum sill 23 and extending horizontally across the bottom of the window opening. Another E-ring 52 maintains operator link 41 coupled with the stud 47 of the slide.
The slide 49 carries an outer side plate extension 53 having a pivot element 54 with which one depressed end 55 of a pivot arm or link 56 is pivotally coupled. The pivot link 56 has three longitudinally spaced openings 57 allowing it to be firmly attached to the bottom edge of sash frame 20 by suitable fasteners 58, FIG. 3. Near its far end, the pivot link 56 has a depressed portion 59 coupled through a pivot element 60 or rivet with a stabilizer link 61 also forming a key element of the invention and comprising the final component of the linkage. The stabilizer link 61 has an aperture 62 formed therethrough enabling the stabilizer link to be pivoted at its far end through a pivot element 63 to an appropriate point on the window sill 23. The pivot element 63 is fixed in relation to the window sill. The link 61 has a longitudinal rib 64 for increased rigidity and is provided at an intermediate point along its length and on opposite sides with a pair of raised locking projections 65 or elements.
Each aforementioned locking extension plate 42 on the operator link 41 is depressed from the plane of the link 41, as best shown in FIG. 6. Each extension plate 42 carries a pair of inclined camming tongues 66 intervened by a depending right angular locking tongue 67. When the crank handle 38 is operated in the proper direction for closing the left hand casement window shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the arm 29 swings counter-clockwise toward its position in FIG. 4 and draws the operator link 41 with it toward a position where the operator link becomes parallel to the closed window sash, or sash frame 20. The slide 49 travels outwardly toward one end of the T-track 51 to enable this closing movement of the operator link 41.
Simultaneously, as the slide 49 travels to its position of FIG. 4, the toggle formed by pivot link 56 and stabilizer link 61 is flattened out until these two links are in a near dead center relationship, FIG. 4, relative to their pivots 54 and 63 and lie roughly parallel to the operator link 41 and slide 49. During this collapsing of the operating linkage from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4, the casement window is swung from a partly open or full open position to a closed position. As this movement takes place, the depending locking tongue 67 on extension plate 42 nearest the slot 43 and pivot 63 gradually moves into contact with the outermost opposing raised locking projection 65 of stabilizer link 61. This contact occurs near the end of travel of the two links 41 and 61 toward their positions of FIG. 4 and hence the locking tongue 67 will help to force the stabilizer link home to the window closing position and will also positively lock the window operating linkage in its collapsed position of FIG. 4 so that the window cannot be pried open without destroying the operating linkage, even in cases where the primary window latch, not shown, remains disengaged. FIG. 9 clearly shows the engaged relationship of the locking tongue on extension plate 42 of link 41 with the outside locking projection 65 of stabilizer link 61.
While the above window closing and automatic locking action is taking place, FIGS. 3 and 4, the extension plate 42 nearest the slide 49 merely slides beneath the pivot link 56, and the inclined tongues 66 can exert a camming action upwardly on the pivot link 56 to avoid any binding of the operating linkage when the casement window is being closed. The relationship of the links 41 and 56 to each other and to the camming tongues 66 when the window is closed is clearly shown in FIG. 8.
All of the above relates to a left hand casememt window of intermediate width, such as 24 inches wide, as previously explained. In the case of a right hand casement window of the same width, FIG. 14, the arm 29 and its pivot 37 remain in the same position, namely, at the transverse center of the window and the identical linkage can be employed on the right hand side of the center pivot 37 to operate and automatically lock a right hand casement window. In this right hand mode, the action of the two extension plates 42 and their tongues 66 and 67 is reversed in the sense that the locking tongue 67 toward the left hand end of operator link 41 actively engages the opposing projection 65 to lock the right hand window and the camming tongues 66 of the right hand extension plate 42 then slide under pivot link 56 at the bottom of the right hand window sash. This is the reverse of the arrangement described relative to FIGS. 3 and 4. However, no right and left hand linkage components are required and the operating and locking linkage or mechanism is universal and nonhanded in this sense. It should be understood that the same sector gear 30 with approximately 180 degrees of tooth arc is capable of operating either a right hand or left hand casement window sash through a full 90 degree swing from full open to full closed window positions. When fully open, the window sash projects outwardly at 90 degrees to the plane of the wall, FIG. 3 showing an intermediate open position. A different portion of the 180 degree sector gear 30 drives the right hand window sash, not shown. The mounting bracket 35 and shaft 33 remain in the same position at the center of the window at all times.
As noted previously, FIGS. 12 through 16 show that casement windows of three different widths, both right and left hand, can be operated and automatically locked by the identical linkage described above in detail for a left hand window sash of intermediate width, namely 24 inches wide. FIG. 13 corresponds exactly to the arrangement in FIGS. 1 through 5 for a left hand 24 inch wide window. FIG. 14 shows the arrangement for a right hand window installation of the same width. FIGS. 11 and 12 show the arrangement of the elements 29 and 41 for left and right hand 30 inch wide casement windows. In these figures it can be seen that sector gear arm 29 is attached to slot 43 of operator link 41 instead of to intermediate slot 43a for the left hand mode and is similarly attached to opening 46 for the right hand mode. In like manner, FIGS. 15 and 16 show the relationship of the parts for left and right hand windows of 20 inch width. The arm 29 is connected to the slot 43b of link 41 for left hand installation and is connected to an opening 68 of link 41 for right hand installation.
As shown in FIGS. 11 through 16, the operator link 41 is merely shifted bodily to the right or to the left relative to the axis of shaft 33 for left or right hand window installation and is not inverted. Each casement window sash is manufactured to accept the operating linkage for either right or left hand installation by having openings for the fasteners 58 formed in its top and bottom. Therefore, the window proper is merely inverted top-to-bottom when changing from right hand to left hand installation and vice-versa and the other linkage components including stabilizer link 61 and pivot link 56 are appropriately installed for opposite hand operation.
It should also be noted that in addition to forming an automatic and secure lock for the closed casement window sash, either right or left hand, the locking tongue 67 serves the dual purpose of helping to close the sash by engagement with the stabilizer link 61 during the final few degrees of sash travel toward the closed position of FIG. 4 when the mechanical advantage through the linkage induced by the sector gear 30 is the least. In effect, the activity of the locking tongue 67 boosts the mechanical advantage through the linkage at the most critical time, thus achieving the second major objective of the invention.
In summation, casement window sashes of varying widths can be installed and operated efficiently in either right or left hand mode by the same operating linkage whose drive gear in either instance is located at a fixed point at the center of the window opening. The sector gear 30 has a wide enough expanse of gear teeth, 180 degrees, to operate the linkage and sash in either mode. The unique linkage also has the capability of forming a secure automatic lock for the sash in the fully closed position without the addition of locking attachments to the sash proper, window frame or sill. The locking means is self-contained in the linkage, in contrast to the known prior art. Furthermore, the locking means also serves to boost the linkage during its final few degrees of movement in closing the sash.
It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.
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Right and left hand casement windows employ a simple and compact operating linkage which can be installed either to the right or to the left of a center mounted gear drive, thus accomplishing universal operation of left or right hand windows through a structurally identical linkage. Locking tabs provided on an operator link of the mechanism coact in right or left hand mode of operation with locking projections on a stabilizer link to assure positive and secure closing of the window even in cases where the primary jamb-mounted window sash latch is unfastened.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to a mounting system which is used for the installation of lighting fixtures. Specifically the present invention provides a mounting bracket which permits hanging the fixture below and spaced from a mounting surface while the electrical connections are made. After installation the fixture is locked into a retrievably permanent position against the mounting surface.
One prior art mounting bracket for lighting fixtures provides hooks for hanging the lighting fixture below a mounting surface while making the electrical connections. The mounting brackets however do not prevent the fixture from being accidentally knocked or bumped from the mount while the electrical connections are being made. After the electrical connections are made the lighting fixture is moved to abut the mounting bracket and a latch on the fixture is moved to a lock position to hold the fixture against the mounting surface. This prior art fixture mounting bracket does not provide the combination of a single unit which safely hangs the light fixture during installation and then, upon rotation of the fixture, retrievably locks the fixture against the mounting surface after the electrical connections are made.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The mounting bracket of the present invention comprehends a T-shaped bracket which is attached to the intended mounting surface, and a mating plate, designed to engage the T-shaped bracket, attached to the lighting fixture. When installing the light fixture, tabs on the T-shaped bracket are placed into the corresponding openings in the mating plate so as to suspend the fixture below the mounting surface. The connection between the tabs and the mating plate prevents the lighting fixture from falling due to an accidental bump. As the fixture hangs from the T-bracket, the electrical connections can be made, without fear of the fixture dropping. When the connections are completed the fixture is closed to the mounting surface by moving the mating plate over the T-shaped bracket. Ears on the T-shaped bracket fit through corresponding slots on the mating plate. Upon rotation of the fixture, the ears override the surface of the mating plate nearest the fixture. Detents or openings in the ears engage bosses located on the mating plate to lock the fixture to the mounting surface. The lighting fixture is then firmly locked into position against the mounting surface, but may be removed simply by reversing the steps of mounting.
Accordingly it is a primary object of this invention to provide a superior mounting bracket from which a lighting fixture can be suspended below a mounting surface while the electrical connections are being made without danger of falling and which will subsequently lock the fixture against the mounting surface.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a simplified and improved bracket for attaching a lighting fixture to mounting surface.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred form, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention showing a junction box with a T-shaped bracket fixed thereto, a lighting fixture and disconnected electrical wiring;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the T-shaped bracket interconnected with the mating plate with the lighting fixture hanging from the tabs on the T-shaped bracket;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the lighting fixture in final juncture with the mounting surface of the junction box;
FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the T-shaped bracket;
FIG. 5 is a detailed bottom view showing the cover plate for the junction box with the T-shaped bracket fixed thereto;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing the electrical connection within the junction box and the interconnection of the mating plate and the T-shaped bracket;
FIG. 7 is a detailed top view of the mating plate mounted on the lighting fixture.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view showing the initial interconnection between the T-shaped bracket and the mating plate;
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing the positional relationship between the T-shaped bracket and the mating plate prior to rotating the lighting fixture to a locked position;
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view along line 10--10 of FIG. 3 and showing the interconnection between the mating plate and the T-shaped bracket when the light fixture is in a final locked position with respect to the mounting surface; and
FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing the mating plate interconnected with the T-shaped bracket so that the lighting fixture hangs from the tabs of the T-shaped bracket.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a fixture mounting 12 is illustrated according to the invention as including a T-shaped bracket 13 which is fixed to a mounting surface 14. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting surface 14 includes an electrical junction box 15 and a cover plate 16 on which the T-shaped bracket 13 is mounted. A mating plate 17, designed to correspondingly engage the T-shaped bracket 13 is fixed to the top of a ballast housing 18 on a lighting fixture 19.
During installation of the lighting fixture 19, the mating plate 17 is positioned to engage the T-shaped bracket 13 so that the lighting fixture ballast housing 18 is suspended below and spaced from the mounting surface 14. At this time, electrical wires 20 from the junction box 15 are manually connected to electrical wires 21 which extend from the lighting fixture ballast housing 18. After the electrical connections are completed, the wires and connectors are pushed into the junction box 14. The lighting fixture is then swung to a vertical position such that the mating plate 17 abuts the cover plate 16 and the lighting fixture 19 is locked in place by rotating.
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the T-shaped bracket 13 includes a central flat 24 which is permanently fixed to the cover plate 16 by spot weldings 25 or with screws (not shown). Two opposed ears 27 are fixed to the central flat 24 and extend away from and parallel to the central flat 24. The opposed ears 27 are fixed to the central flat 24 so that they are spaced from the mounting surface 14 by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the mating plate 17. A T-shaped flat 28, having a stem 29 and a cross bar 30 is connected to a free edge of one of the opposed ears 27. The T-shaped flat 28 extends outward perpendicular to the mounting surface 14. Located at the opposed ends of the cross bar 30 are tabs 31 which extend from the cross bar 30 toward the mounting surface 13. In the preferred embodiment, the T-shaped bracket 13 is stamped or otherwise formed as a single integral unit.
The mating plate 17 is designed to completely engage the T-shaped bracket 13 and to perform two functions. The mating plate 17 has a central slot 34 which is shaped to receive and permit rotation of the central flat 24 of the T-shaped bracket 11. When locking the lighting fixture 19 to the mounting surface 14, the T-shaped bracket 13 is inserted into the central slot 34, with the central flat 24 remaining in plane with the mating plate 12. Upon rotating the lighting fixture 19, the ears 27 override the mating plate 17 so that the mating plate 17 is trapped between the ears 27 on the bracket 13 and the cover plate 16.
A pair of openings 35 are located in the mating plate 17 adjacent one end of the central slot 34. The openings 35 are spaced apart to accept engagement with the tabs 31 on the T-shaped flat 28 of the bracket 13. Two bosses 37 are formed on the mating plate 17 diagonally across and adjacent the central slot 34. The bosses 37 are opposingly spaced to engage detents or holes 38 located on the ears 27 of the T-shaped bracket 13. As the lighting fixture 19 and the mating plate 17 are rotated relative to the T-shaped bracket 13 and cover plate 16, the ears 27 override the bosses 37 and the engagement of the bosses 37 and the detents 38 serves to retrievably lock the lighting fixture 19 into its desired position.
In the preferred embodiment, the mating plate 17 is fixed to the lighting fixture housing 18 by means of two screws 39. The heads of the screws 39 protrude from the surface of the mating plate 17. To effect complete engagement of the light fixture 19 with the mounting surface 14, two opposed arcuate slots 40 are located in the cover plate 16 to accept the heads of the screw 39. The engagement of the screws 39 with the ends of the slots 40 is designed to provide a mechanical stop for the rotation of the mating plate 17 relative to the T-shaped bracket 13, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.
Installation and use of the mounting 12 for a lighting fixture 19 is illustrated in FIGS. 8-11. The cover plate 16 having the opposed concentric arcuate slots 40 is mounted on an existing junction box 14 with two screws 41 and the T-shaped bracket 13 is mounted on the cover plate 16 by means of the spot weld 25. The mating plate 17 is mounted by means of the two screws 39 to the top of the lighting fixture housing 18.
To install the lighting fixture 19 to the mounting surface 14, the T-shaped flat 28 of the bracket 13 is inserted through the central slot 34 of the mating plate 17, as shown in FIG. 8. The lighting fixture 19 is twisted relative to the mounting surface 14 and the bracket 13 to align the tabs 31 on the T-shaped flat 28 with the pair of openings 35. To assist connection of the electrical wires 21 from the fixture 19 to the wires 20 in the junction box 14, the lighting fixture 19 is hung from the bracket 13 by engaging the tabs 31 with either of the pairs of openings 35 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 11. In this position, the lighting fixture 19 cannot be accidentally bumped or dropped while effecting connection of the electrical wires. After connection of the electrical wires, the wiring is placed into the junction box 15, as shown in FIG. 6. The lighting fixture 19 is then closed to the mounting surface 14 so that the mating plate 17 on the fixture housing 18 abuts against the cover plate 16. The heads of the screws 39 are positioned in the arcuate slots 40 found in the cover plate 16, as shown in FIG. 9. The lighting fixture 19 then is locked into a retrievably permanent position by rotating the fixture 19 so that the mating plate 17 rotates relative to the bracket 13 on the cover plate 16. The ears 27 slip over the inside surface of the mating plate 17 until the bosses 37 engage the detents or holes 38. As the lighting fixture 19 is rotated, the heads of the screws 39 move in the arcuate slots 40 to their final position abutting ends of the slots 40, as shown in FIG. 10.
As is apparent from the above description of a preferred embodiment of a fixture mount 10, the engagement or disengagement of the lighting fixture 19 to the mounting surface 14 can be easily effected. It is appreciated that other arrangements of the fixture mounting 10 may be used and that changes may be made in the elements of the mounting bracket without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, the bracket 13 may be attached directly to a lighting fixture and the mating plate 17 then is attached to the junction box 15.
It also should be appreciated that a second pair of openings 35 may be located adjacent the opposite end of the slot 34 so that the bracket 13 can engage either pair of openings 35 while installing electrical connections to the lighting fixture 19.
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A mounting for a lighting fixture is disclosed which includes a T-shaped bracket and a mating plate designed to engage the T-shaped bracket in two positions. The T-shaped bracket is fixed to a desired mounting surface and the mating plate is fixed to the end of a lighting fixture intended to engage the mounting surface. The mounting plate and bracket cooperate to suspend the fixture in a first position below and spaced from the mounting surface while wiring is installed and in a second position against the mounting surface after installation is completed.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a U.S. National-Stage entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 based on International Application No. PCT/EP2005/008286, filed Jul. 30, 2005, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) and which claims priority to German Application No. DE 10 2004 041 525.0, filed Aug. 27, 2004.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a power shift transmission in which the process of shifting between different gears is adapted to be effected without interrupting the tractive power, and also to a method of operating such a transmission.
[0003] A conventional transmission of this type is described in DE 42 06 033 C2. This known transmission can be summarized as being one that is built up of two gear units in which different transmission ratios or gears are adapted to be set-up between an input shaft and an output shaft of each gear unit. Furthermore, the transmission comprises two drive shafts which are adapted to be driven by the same engine and two clutches which are respectively arranged between one of these drive shafts and the input shaft of a gear unit.
[0004] When a shift between two gears is not about to take place, one of the two clutches is open and the other one is closed and torque is transferred from the engine via the closed clutch and the gear unit attached thereto to an output drive shaft common to both gear units.
[0005] In order to effect a gear change with the known transmission, the new gear to be utilized is firstly preselected in the non-loaded gear unit, i.e. a torque-coupling connection is established in the gear unit between the output drive shaft and that part of its clutch facing the load-free gear unit. By contrast, the part of the self-same clutch on the engine side is driven directly by the drive shaft. The two parts of the clutch therefore rotate at different speeds, the ratio therebetween being determined by the transmission ratios of the currently engaged gear and the preselected gear.
[0006] In order to actually engage the preselected gear, the clutch for the as yet load-free gear unit is gradually closed so that a portion of the engine torque is transferred therethrough, whilst the clutch of the currently loaded gear unit is gradually opened at the same time so that the moment transferred by this clutch becomes smaller. Since the two clutches are never open at the same time, the gear change is effected without an interruption of the tractive power, but nevertheless slippage between the parts of the clutches inevitably occurs for as long as the shifting process persists.
[0007] Consequently, only clutches that are capable of slipping can be considered for such a transmission. The requisite size of the clutches is determined by the need for the entire engine moment to be transferred to the transmission when the clutch is closed; the two clutches thus require a considerable amount of space. Moreover, they contribute to a not insignificant degree to the costs of the transmission.
SUMMARY
[0008] The object of the present invention is to produce a compact and inexpensively realizable power shift transmission for changing gear without interruption.
[0009] In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved in that in a power shift transmission comprising a first and a second gear unit in which in each case a gear from a first and a second set of gears associated with each gear unit is adapted to be engaged between an input shaft and an output shaft of the gear unit, wherein there is provided between the gear unit and a common drive shaft of the power shift transmission a slip-free clutch arrangement which enables the input shaft of the gear unit to be coupled selectively either directly or via a common slippable clutch to the drive shaft. The power shift transmission in accordance with the invention thus manages to operate with just one slippable clutch; the slip-free clutch arrangements that are provided instead are comparatively compact and more economical to realize in comparison with a slippable clutch since they generally use interlocking rather than frictional engagement for the transmission of the torque.
[0010] Preferably, each of the clutch arrangements comprises two slip-free clutches arranged at opposite ends of the input shaft of the gear unit associated with the clutch arrangement, of which the first is adapted to be directly coupled to the drive shaft and the second is adapted to be coupled to the drive shaft via the slippable clutch.
[0011] Moreover, a compact construction is obtained in that the input shafts of the gear unit are in the form of hollow shafts that are coaxial with the drive shaft.
[0012] Preferably, an intermediate hollow shaft that is adapted to be driven in rotary manner by the slippable clutch is arranged coaxially relative to the drive shaft in a gap between the two input shafts, and the second clutches serve in each case for connecting the intermediate hollow shaft to the input shafts of the gear units.
[0013] For the purposes of obtaining a space-saving construction, it is also expedient for the slippable clutch to be arranged coaxially on the drive shaft.
[0014] In order to connect the output drive side of the slippable clutch that is coaxial with the drive shaft to the second clutches mentioned above, there is preferably provided a bypass shaft which is offset in parallel with the drive shaft.
[0015] A further slip-free clutch is preferably provided between each output shaft of a gear unit and a common output drive shaft of the power shift transmission. Of these clutches and insofar as a shift between two gears is not about to take place, one of the them is preferably always open so that the respective load-free gear unit does not have to be driven in rotary manner and thus too, no losses of energy are produced.
[0016] The slip-free clutches are preferably in the form of claw clutches.
[0017] The subject matter of the invention is also a method for operating a power shift transmission of the type described above. The gear-change process proceeds by firstly engaging a desired gear in a load-free gear unit, referred to hereinafter as the taking-over gear unit, so that the input shaft of the taking-over gear unit is driven in rotary manner by its output shaft and the momentarily still load-bearing gear unit, referred to hereinafter as the delivering gear unit. The taking-over gear unit is gradually coupled to the drive shaft by the slippable clutch. During the gradual coupling process, the load component flowing via the taking-over gear unit gradually increases until a time point is reached at which the delivering gear unit becomes load-free. At this point in time, the slip-free clutch which connects the delivering block to the drive shaft can be disengaged, and—at least provisionally—the new gear is engaged.
[0018] Since a renewed gear change is not possible for as long as the taking-over gear unit is being driven by the slippable clutch, the input shaft of the taking-over gear unit is expediently coupled directly to the drive shaft and the slippable clutch is released again after the closure of the slippable clutch.
[0019] In order to ensure that the slip-free clutch of the delivering gear unit disengages exactly at the time point when there is no load thereon, it suffices to exert a force on this clutch in the direction of a disengaging movement; as soon as the clutch becomes load-free, the parts thereof are moveable against each other and can yield to the force.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figure, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
[0021] a. FIG. 1 shows a heavily schematized illustration of a transmission in accordance with the invention in the course of several steps of a gear-changing process as well as the load fed through the gear unit during these steps; and
[0022] b. FIGS. 2 to 9 show the construction of a preferred exemplary embodiment of a transmission in accordance with the invention as well as the course of a gear-changing process in this transmission.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 1 is sub-divided into six parts, designated A to F, which respectively show the state of a power shift transmission driven by an engine 1 in a stationary operating state and in different stages of a gear shifting process.
[0025] The power shift transmission comprises two gear units 2 , 3 each having a respective input shaft 4 and 5 and an output shaft 6 and 7 . A given set of transmission ratios or gears is adapted to be set-up between the input shaft 4 , 5 and the output shaft 6 , 7 in each gear unit, whereby the gears of the first gear unit 3 correspond to the odd-numbered gears of the entire power shift transmission, thus e.g. the gears 1 , 3 , 5 of a six-gear transmission, and those of the second gear unit 2 correspond to the even-numbered gears, i.e. the gears 2 , 4 , 6 .
[0026] On each input shaft 4 , 5 there is arranged a respective claw clutch 8 and 9 which serves the purpose of directly or indirectly coupling the associated input shaft 4 or 5 via a friction clutch 11 to one of the drive shafts 10 that are driven by the engine 1 . The claw clutches 8 , 9 can also exhibit an open position in which they do not connect the respective input shaft 4 or 5 to the engine 1 .
[0027] The respective output shafts 6 , 7 of the gear units 2 , 3 are connectable via a further claw clutch 12 , 13 to a common output drive shaft 14 of the power shift transmission.
[0028] In part A thereof, FIG. 1 shows the power shift transmission with an even-numbered gear, e.g. the second gear, engaged. The load flow from the engine 1 to the output drive shaft 14 is illustrated by a dash-dotted line extending along the loaded parts of the transmission. It leads from the engine 1 via the drive shaft 10 and the closed claw clutch 8 to the gear unit 2 in which the second gear is engaged, and from there via the closed claw clutch 12 to the output drive shaft 14 . The claw clutch 13 between the output drive shaft 14 and the gear unit 3 is open, in exactly the same manner as the friction clutch 11 to which the input shaft 5 of the gear unit 3 is connected by the clutch 9 . The gear unit 3 is not being driven.
[0029] The two diagrams located laterally of the representation of the transmission in part A of FIG. 1 illustrate in each case the load on the two gear units; the gear unit 2 is under a constant positive load, i.e. a load flowing from the engine 1 to the output drive shaft 14 , whereas that on the gear unit 3 disappears.
[0030] In order to prepare for a gear change, the desired gear is firstly preselected in the non-loaded gear unit 3 . In principle, any gear in this gear unit 3 could be selected, but one generally selects one that neighbors the current gear, i.e. the first or third gear. Next, as is shown in part B, the clutch 13 is closed so that the gear unit 3 is set into rotation by its output drive shaft 7 . Namely, a part of the torque available at the output of the gear unit 2 is utilized for driving the gear unit 3 , and the torque present on the output drive shaft 14 is slightly smaller than the total torque at the output of the gear unit 2 , as is indicated by the dashed waveform in the upper diagram of part B. There is a weak load flow from the output to the drive side in the gear unit 3 , as is indicated in the lower diagram of part B. In this diagram, the load flow, directed there from the output to the drive side of the gear unit 3 , is illustrated with a negative prefix sign. Both sides of the friction clutch 11 are now being driven in rotary manner, the side facing the engine at the rotational speed of the drive shaft 10 , and the side facing the gear units at a rotational speed which is determined by the transmission ratio of the gears engaged in the gear units 2 , 3 .
[0031] Next, the friction clutch 11 is gradually closed as is shown in part C. In consequence, the load flow is distributed to the two gear units 2 , 3 . If one considers the case of shifting from second into third gear as a concrete example, then one will appreciate that the rotational speed of the part of the clutch 11 on the engine side must be higher than that of the part connected to the gear unit 3 . The clutch 11 thus attempts to accelerate the gear unit 3 to a certain extent and to brake the gear unit 2 , whereby however, matching of the rotational speeds of the two parts of the clutch 11 is not possible as long as a gear is engaged in both gear units. The difference in rotational speed does however lead to the gear unit 3 taking ever more load from the gear unit 2 with increasing pressure of the clutch 11 until a time point is reached at which the load on the gear unit 2 disappears. At this point in time, the now load-free claw clutch 8 opens, and the stage in part D of FIG. 1 is reached. The load flow now runs exclusively via the friction clutch 11 and the gear unit 3 .
[0032] No further gear change can be initiated for as long as the clutch 11 is closed. However, since the drive shaft 10 and the side of the clutch 11 facing the transmission have equal rotational speeds, it is possible to establish a direct load connection between the drive shaft 10 and the input shaft 5 via the clutch arrangement 9 , as is shown in part E, so that the load flow from the engine 1 to the gear unit 3 is distributed over the direct path and the path via the friction clutch 11 as is illustrated in the diagrams.
[0033] Subsequently, the connection of the input shaft 5 to the clutch 11 is removed as is shown in part F. The friction clutch 11 is now load-free again, and the gear unit 3 is driven directly by the engine 1 . After the friction clutch 11 has opened again, a further gear change can take place as is illustrated in parts A to F, whereby the roles of the gear units 2 , 3 are exchanged in the course of this renewed gear change.
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a more detailed scheme for the construction of a power shift transmission in accordance with the invention. The engine 1 is left out of this Figure, as well as out of those following. The friction clutch 11 is mounted coaxially on the drive shaft 10 of the transmission and it comprises a first disk which is rigidly mounted on the drive shaft 10 and incorporates axially displaceable clamping members 16 for clamping a second disk 17 which is fixed to a hollow shaft 18 that is coaxial with the drive shaft 10 .
[0035] Two further hollow shafts coaxial with the drive shaft 10 form the input shafts 4 and 5 of the two gear units 2 , 3 . An intermediate hollow shaft 19 which is arranged between the hollow shafts 4 , 5 on the drive shaft 10 is connected to the hollow shafts 18 via a bypass shaft 20 that is parallel to the drive shaft 10 and pairs of interengaging gear wheels 21 , 22 and 23 , 24 on the shafts 18 , 20 , 19 .
[0036] At the mutually remote ends thereof, the two input shafts 4 , 5 carry an axial tooth structure 25 which, together with a pinion 26 rigidly mounted on the drive shaft 10 and an internally and axially toothed sleeve or operating collar 27 that is axially displaceable on the pinion 26 , form a claw clutch which is designated as a whole by 28 on the drive shaft 4 of the gear unit 2 and by 29 on the drive shaft 5 of the gear unit 3 . Furthermore, the claw clutches 28 , 29 comprise in known manner a not shown synchronizing unit which serves the purpose of equalizing the rotational speed necessary for the engagement of the operating collar 27 with the axially toothed structure 25 by means of a non-positive coupling, in particular, by friction. This synchronizing unit can be understood as being a kind of positive pre-coupling; it differs from the likewise positive friction clutch 11 by virtue of its dimensions: whereas the friction clutch 11 is designed such as to enable it to transfer the entire torque of the engine, it suffices for the synchronizing unit that it can transfer a maximal amount of torque which is sufficient for overcoming inertia and friction in the associated gear unit 2 or 3 ; transmission of drive moment via a synchronizing unit to the running gear is not envisaged. The synchronizing unit can be formed, in particular, by synchronizing rings such as are to be found in conventional manual transmissions. They must be non-loaded for releasing the claw clutch 28 or 29 .
[0037] A similar type of claw clutch is designated by 30 and 31 respectively at the opposite ends of the input shafts 4 , 5 . These clutches 30 , 31 each comprise a pinion 32 on the intermediate hollow shaft 19 , a sleeve or operating collar 33 that is axially displaceable on the pinion 32 and an axially toothed structure 34 on the drive shafts 4 and 5 .
[0038] Furthermore, the drive shafts 4 , 5 each carry in known manner three toothed gear wheels 35 of different size which respectively mesh with a complementary toothed gear wheel 36 which is connected by a hollow output drive shaft section 37 to a pinion 38 of a further claw clutch 39 , 40 , 41 or 42 in each case. In the case of the clutches 39 , 42 , a sleeve 43 is displaceable between three positions, one in which it is seated only on a pinion 44 that is rigidly connected to the output drive shaft 14 , and two, in which it connects the pinion 44 to a neighboring axially toothed structure 38 on the right or on the left thereof. The clutches 41 , 42 correspond in regard to the functioning thereof to the clutch 12 of FIG. 1 and the clutches 39 , 40 in the clutch 13 .
[0039] A gear wheel on the intermediate shaft 20 which is not illustrated in the Fig. can be brought directly into engagement with one of the toothed gear wheels 36 of the gear unit 3 by bypassing the hollow shaft 5 in order to realize a reverse gear.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates the force flow through the transmission of FIG. 2 in the form of a thick dotted line. It runs from the drive shaft 10 via the closed clutch 29 , the toothed gear wheels 35 , 36 of the first gear in the gear unit 3 and the claw clutch 39 to the output drive shaft 14 . The claw clutches 41 , 42 , 30 are open so that the gear unit 2 is at rest.
[0041] In FIG. 4 , the second gear is preselected as the gear that is to be newly engaged in the gear stage 2 by closing the clutch 41 . At the same time, the clutch 30 is closed so that the disk 17 of the friction clutch 11 is set to rotate via the gear unit 2 , the intermediate hollow shaft 19 and the bypass shaft 20 .
[0042] In FIG. 5 , the clamping members 16 of the friction clutch 11 are gradually closed so that the load is distributed over the two gear units 2 , 3 . Consequently, as soon as the clutch 29 is load-free, the sleeve 27 thereof yields to a positioning force that was previously being exerted thereon and slides downwardly from the pinion 25 on the input shaft 5 , as shown in FIG. 6 . In consequence, the gear unit 3 becomes load-free, and the load flow is effected completely over the gear unit 2 . The friction clutch 11 can now be closed completely as shown in FIG. 7 in order to transfer the motive power of the engine without slippage.
[0043] Since the input shaft 4 of the gear unit 2 is now being driven via the clutch 30 at exactly the same speed as the drive shaft 10 , the clutch 28 can be closed as shown in FIG. 8 . The load is now distributed over the two clutches 28 , 30 . In the next step, the friction clutch 11 is opened so that the clutch 30 is load-free and can be opened again.
[0044] The force flow from the drive shaft 10 via the claw clutch 28 and the second gear unit 2 shown in FIG. 9 then ensues. The clutches 29 , 30 , 31 , 39 , 40 are open so that the gear unit 3 is at a standstill. The next gear for a subsequent change of gear can now be preselected in this gear unit 3 .
[0045] The operational sequence described above concerned a process of shifting up. Here, the rotational speed of the engine is lower after the shifting process than it was before, and the process of matching the rotational speed for the purposes of relieving the load on the claw clutch 29 was brought about by frictional losses, in particular, in the friction clutch 11 in the slipping state thereof, even when the engine is idling. The sequence of steps when shifting down is essentially the same as for the process of shifting up, with the only difference that the engine must be accelerated for the purposes of matching the rotational speed.
[0046] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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The invention relates to a powershift gearbox comprising a first and a second gearbox block in which respectively one gear from a first or second set of gears associated with each gearbox block can be passed between an input shaft and an output shaft of the gearbox block. The inventive gearbox comprises a slip-free clutch arrangement between each gearbox block and a common drive shaft of the powershift gearbox, that enables the input shaft of the gearbox block to be coupled to the drive shaft either directly or by means of a common slippable clutch.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/098,656, filed on Sep. 19, 2008 by the same inventors, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to towers for drilling machines, and controlling the tilt thereof.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] There are many different types of drilling machines for drilling through a formation. Some of these drilling machines are mobile and others are stationary. Some examples of mobile and stationary drilling machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 820,992, 3,195,695, 3,245,180, 3,561,616, 3,692,123, 3,695,363, 3,708,024, 3,778,940, 3,805,902, 3,815,690, 3,833,072, 3,905,168, 3,968,845, 3,992,831, 4,016,687, 4,020,909, 4,595,065, 4,606,155, 4,616,454, 5,988,299, 6,527,063, 6,672,410, 6,675,915, 7,325,634, 7,347,285 and 7,413,036, as well as in U.S. Patent Application No. 20080210469. Some drilling machines, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,758, are designed to float and are useful for ocean drilling. The contents of these cited U.S. patents and the patent application are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
[0006] A typical mobile drilling machine includes a vehicle and tower, wherein the tower carries a rotary head and drill string. In operation, the drill string is driven into the formation by the rotary head. In this way, the drilling machine drills through the formation. More information about drilling machines, and how they operate, can be found in the above-identified references.
[0007] In some situations, it is desirable to drill at an angle. Drilling at an angle is useful so that more regions of a formation can be reached with the drill string. For example, in some situations, the drilling machine cannot be positioned directly over a desired region of the formation, so it is not possible to drill straight down and reach this region of the formation. Hence, angled drilling is useful so that the drilling machine can reach a desired region of a formation without being directly over it. In this way, there are many more options available when selecting the location to position the drilling machine.
[0008] Angled drilling is typically accomplished by tilting the tower relative to an axis of the drilling machine so that the drill string is tilted in response. More information regarding tilting a tower is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,245,180, 3,561,616, 3,815,690, 3,778,940, 3,905,168, and 3,992,831, and U.S. Patent Application No. 20080210469, as well as some of the other references mentioned above. However, it is desirable to better control the angle that the tower is tilted, and to provide more stability to the tower when it is in a tilted condition.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is directed to a drilling machine for angled drilling, as well as a method of manufacturing and using the drilling machine. The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 a is a side view of a drilling machine with a tower rotatably mounted to a tower interface assembly, wherein the tower and tower interface assembly are carried by a platform, and the tower is in a stowed condition.
[0011] FIGS. 1 b and 1 c are opposed side views of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a , wherein the tower is in a raised condition.
[0012] FIGS. 1 d and 1 e are close-up front and rear perspective views, respectively, of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a , wherein the tower is in the raised condition.
[0013] FIG. 1 f is a perspective view of opposed tower brackets of the tower of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a.
[0014] FIG. 2 a is a rear perspective view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0015] FIGS. 2 b and 2 c are close-up rear and front perspective views, respectively, of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0016] FIG. 2 d is a front side view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0017] FIG. 2 e is a side view of the tower interface assembly being carried by the platform, as shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0018] FIG. 2 f is a front perspective view of the tower interface assembly of FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c.
[0019] FIG. 3 a is a close-up rear perspective view of the opposed tower brackets of FIG. 1 f rotatably mounted to the tower interface assembly of the drilling machine of FIG. 1 a with a pivot pin actuator and angle pin actuator, wherein the tower is in the raised condition.
[0020] FIG. 3 b is a close-up rear side view of the pivot pin actuator and angle pin actuator of FIG. 3 a.
[0021] FIG. 4 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 4 a - 4 a of FIG. 3 a , of the opposed tower brackets and tower interface assembly.
[0022] FIG. 4 b is a perspective view of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.
[0023] FIG. 4 c is an exploded perspective view of a pivot pin of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and a pivot pin insert and pivot pin bushing of the tower.
[0024] FIGS. 4 d and 4 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of the pivot pin of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and the pivot pin insert and pivot pin bushing of the tower.
[0025] FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are views of the pivot pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b in retracted and extended conditions, respectively.
[0026] FIG. 6 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 6 a - 6 a of FIG. 3 a , of the opposed tower brackets and tower interface assembly.
[0027] FIG. 6 b is a perspective view of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.
[0028] FIG. 6 c is an exploded perspective view of an angle pin of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and an angle pin insert and angle pin bushing of the tower.
[0029] FIGS. 6 d and 6 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of the angle pin of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , and the angle pin insert and angle pin bushing of the tower.
[0030] FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are views of the angle pin actuator of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b in retracted and extended conditions, respectively.
[0031] FIGS. 8 a , 8 b , 8 c and 8 d are side views of the opposed angle bracket assemblies of the tower interface assembly.
[0032] FIG. 8 e is a perspective view of the tower interface assembly showing planes which extend between opposed angle pin sockets.
[0033] FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 0° by the tower interface assembly.
[0034] FIGS. 9 c and 9 d are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 15° by the tower interface assembly.
[0035] FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g are perspective views of the tower of FIG. 1 a held at an angle of 30° by the tower interface assembly.
[0036] FIGS. 10 a , 10 b and 10 c are side views of different embodiments of angle bracket arms, which can be included with the tower interface assembly.
[0037] FIGS. 11 a , 11 b and 11 c are side, side and perspective views of another embodiment of opposed angle bracket assemblies, which each include the angle bracket arm of FIG. 10 c.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] FIG. 1 a is a side view of a drilling machine 100 with a tower 102 rotatably mounted to a tower interface assembly 118 , wherein tower 102 and tower interface assembly 118 are carried by a platform 103 , and tower 102 is in a stowed condition. FIGS. 1 b and 1 c are opposed side views of drilling machine 100 , wherein tower 102 is in a raised condition. FIGS. 1 d and 1 e are close-up front and rear perspective views, respectively, of drilling machine 100 , wherein tower 102 is in the raised condition.
[0039] It should be noted that drilling machine 100 can be a stationary or mobile vehicle, but here it is embodied as being a mobile vehicle for illustrative purposes. Some examples of different types of drilling machines are the PV-235, PV-270, PV-271, PV-275 and PV-351 drilling machines, which are manufactured by Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions of Garland, Tex. It should be noted, however, that drilling machines are provided by many other manufacturers.
[0040] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes an operator's cab 105 , which is carried by platform 103 . Operator's cab 105 is positioned proximate to a vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 . A front 101 c of platform 103 is positioned proximate to operator's cab 105 , so that operator's cab 105 is positioned between front 101 c of platform 103 and vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 . In this way, operator's cab 105 is positioned proximate to a vehicle front 101 a of drilling machine 100 .
[0041] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes a power pack 104 which is carried by platform 103 . Power pack 104 typically includes many different components, such as a prime mover. Platform 103 extends to a vehicle back 101 b , and power pack 104 is positioned between platform front 101 c and vehicle back 101 b . In this way, power pack 104 is positioned proximate to a vehicle back 101 b of drilling machine 100 .
[0042] It should be noted that the components of drilling machine 100 are typically operated by an operator in operator's cab 105 . For example, in this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes a control system (not shown), which is operatively coupled to power pack 104 . The control system includes one or more control inputs which can be adjusted by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this way, power pack 104 is operated by an operator in operator's cab 105 . Further, the control system includes one or more input controls for controlling the operation of tower 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below.
[0043] Tower 102 generally carries a feed cable system (not shown) attached to a rotary head 107 , wherein the feed cable system allows rotary head 107 to move between raised and lowered positions along tower 102 . The feed cable system moves rotary head 107 between the raised and lowered positions by moving it towards a tower crown 102 b and tower base 102 a , respectively.
[0044] Rotary head 107 is moved between the raised and lowered positions to raise and lower, respectively, a drill string 108 through a borehole. Further, rotary head 107 is used to rotate drill string 108 , wherein drill string 108 extends through tower 102 . Drill string 108 generally includes one or more drill pipes connected together in a well-known manner. The drill pipes of drill string 108 are capable of being attached to an earth bit, such as a tri-cone rotary earth bit. It should be noted that the operation of the rotary head and feed cable system is typically controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0045] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 rotatably mounts tower 102 to platform 103 . In particular, tower base 102 a is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In this way, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to platform 103 through tower interface assembly 118 . Tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to platform front 101 c . In particular, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned between platform front 101 c and power pack 104 .
[0046] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 operatively couples platform 103 and tower 102 together. Tower 102 and platform 103 are operatively coupled together so that tower 102 can rotate relative to platform 103 . In this way, tower interface assembly 118 provides an interface between tower 102 and platform 103 .
[0047] Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be repeatably moved between raised and lowered positions. In the lowered position, which is shown in FIG. 1 a , tower crown 102 b is towards platform 103 , and a back 106 a of tower 102 is towards platform 103 and prime mover 104 . In the lowered position, tower 102 extends parallel to a reference line 111 , which extends parallel to platform 103 . It should also be noted that tower 102 is in a stowed condition when it is in the lowered position of FIG. 1 a . Further, tower 102 is in a deployed condition when it is not in the lowered position of FIG. 1 a.
[0048] In the raised position, which is shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c , a tower crown 102 b of tower 102 is away from platform 103 . In the raised position, a front 106 b of tower 102 faces operator's cab 105 and back 106 a of tower 102 faces prime mover 104 . In the raised position, tower 102 extends parallel to a reference line 110 , which extends perpendicular to platform 103 and reference line 111 .
[0049] Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be held at a desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 . Tower interface assembly 118 allows tower 102 to be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 so that drilling machine 100 can be used for angled drilling. As will be discussed in more detail below, tower interface assembly 118 allows better control of the angle that tower 102 is tilted, and provides more stability to tower 102 when tower 102 is in a tilted condition.
[0050] It should be noted that tower 102 is in the tilted condition when it is positioned between the raised and lowered positions of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , respectively, as indicated by a reference line 112 . Reference line 112 extends at a non-zero angle θ relative to reference line 110 . Reference line 112 extends parallel to tower 102 when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Hence, reference line 112 is parallel to reference line 110 when tower 102 is in the raised position.
[0051] In this embodiment, drilling machine 100 includes tower actuators 117 a and 117 b , as shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c . Tower actuators 117 a and 117 b are operatively coupled between platform 103 and tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively, of tower 102 . Tower brackets 116 a and 116 b are shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1 f , and can also be seen in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 1 c , 1 d and 1 e.
[0052] In this embodiment, tower bracket 116 a includes tower bracket lower opening 190 a , tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a and tower bracket upper opening 192 a . Tower actuator 117 a extends between platform 103 and tower bracket upper opening 192 a . It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a is positioned between tower bracket lower opening 190 a and tower bracket upper opening 192 a.
[0053] In this embodiment, tower bracket 116 b includes tower bracket lower opening 190 b , tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b and tower bracket upper opening 192 b . Tower actuator 117 b extends between platform 103 and tower bracket upper opening 192 b . It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b is positioned between tower bracket lower opening 190 b and tower bracket upper opening 192 b.
[0054] Tower actuators 117 a and 117 b can be of many different types of actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders capable of being repeatably moved between extended and retracted positions. When tower actuators 117 a and 117 b are in the retracted position, tower 102 is in the lowered position, as shown in FIG. 1 a . Further, when actuators 117 a and 117 b are in extended positions, tower 102 is in the raised position, as shown in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c . In this way, tower 102 is repeatably moveable between lowered and raised positions. It should be noted that the operation of tower actuators 117 a and 117 b is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this way, the movement of tower 102 between the raised and lowered conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0055] FIG. 2 a is a rear perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIGS. 2 b and 2 c are close-up rear and front perspective views, respectively, of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIG. 2 d is a front side view of tower interface assembly 118 being carried by platform 103 . FIG. 2 e is a side view of the tower interface assembly 118 being carried by the platform 103 , and FIG. 2 f is a front perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 .
[0056] In this embodiment, platform 103 includes longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b are longitudinal beams because they extend longitudinally between platform front 103 a and vehicle back 101 b . Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b provide support for the components of drilling machine 100 , such as power pack 104 and a tower support cradle 109 . Tower support cradle 109 is positioned proximate to vehicle back 101 b , and holds tower 102 when tower 102 is in the stowed condition. Longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b can be of many different types of beams, such as I beams.
[0057] In this embodiment, platform 103 includes forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b which extend between opposed longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b are cross beams because they extend transversely to longitudinal platform beams 180 a and 180 b . Forward platform cross beam 181 a is a forward cross beam because it is positioned proximate to front 101 c of platform 103 . Intermediate platform cross beam 181 b is an intermediate cross beam because it is positioned between forward platform cross beam 181 a and vehicle back 101 b . Further, intermediate platform cross beam 181 b is an intermediate cross beam because forward platform cross beam 181 a is positioned between front 101 c of platform 103 and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b.
[0058] As mentioned above, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to platform front 101 c , and between platform front 101 c and power pack 104 . In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 is positioned proximate to forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b . In particular, tower interface assembly 118 is carried by forward platform cross beam 181 a and intermediate platform cross beam 181 b , as shown in FIGS. 2 a , 2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e.
[0059] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a tower support assembly 119 ( FIG. 2 f ). Tower support assembly 119 is capable of holding tower 102 at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 , as will be discussed in more detail below. In this embodiment, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . Angle bracket assembly 120 a includes an angle bracket 121 a coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 a , and an angle bracket arm 135 a . Angle bracket 121 a extends upwardly towards vehicle front 101 c and is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 a . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle bracket arm 135 a includes a plurality of angle pin sockets 125 a which extend therethrough. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 a are positioned and spaced apart from each other so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0060] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 a includes an angle bracket support leg 122 a which includes an angle bracket support leg base 124 a . Angle bracket support leg base 124 a includes a pivot pin socket 133 a , which allows tower 102 to rotate relative to platform 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below. Angle bracket support leg 122 a is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 a , and angle bracket support leg base 124 a is coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 a . Angle bracket 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a hold angle bracket arm 135 a above longitudinal platform beam 180 a.
[0061] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 b includes an angle bracket 121 b coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 b , and an angle bracket arm 135 b . Angle bracket 121 b extends upwardly towards vehicle front 101 c and is coupled to an angle bracket arm 135 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle bracket arm 135 b includes a plurality of angle pin sockets 125 b which extend therethrough. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 b are positioned and spaced apart from each other so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0062] In this embodiment, angle bracket assembly 120 b includes an angle bracket support leg 122 b which includes an angle bracket support leg base 124 b . Angle bracket support leg base 124 b includes a pivot pin socket 133 b , which allows tower 102 to rotate relative to platform 102 , as will be discussed in more detail below. Angle bracket support leg 122 b is coupled to angle bracket arm 135 b , and angle bracket support leg base 124 b is coupled to forward platform cross beam 181 b . Angle bracket 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b hold angle bracket arm 135 b above longitudinal platform beam 180 b.
[0063] In this embodiment, angle brackets 121 a and 121 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle brackets. Further, angle bracket support legs 122 a and 122 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket support legs. Angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket support leg bases. In this embodiment, angle bracket arm 135 a and angle bracket arm 135 b oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle bracket arms. In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 125 a and angle pin sockets 125 b are positioned so they oppose each other. In this way, tower support assembly 119 includes opposed angle pin sockets.
[0064] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, angle bracket assembly 120 a is a single integral piece, and angle bracket assembly 120 b is a single integral piece. However, opposed angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b are shown here as each including multiple pieces coupled together for illustrative purposes.
[0065] In some embodiments, tower interface assembly 118 includes components which provide support to tower support assembly 119 . The components which provide support to tower support assembly 119 provide more stability to tower 102 when tower 102 is in a tilted condition.
[0066] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket support arm 123 a which provides support to angle bracket assembly 120 a . Angle bracket support arm 123 a is coupled at one end to longitudinal platform beam 180 a through a support arm bracket 139 a ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, angle bracket support arm 123 a is coupled at an opposed end to angle bracket arm 135 a through a support arm bracket 138 a . Angle bracket support arm 123 a restricts the ability of angle bracket arm 135 a to move towards and away from angle bracket assembly 120 b.
[0067] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket support arm 123 b which provides support to angle bracket assembly 120 b . Angle bracket support arm 123 b is coupled at one end to longitudinal platform beam 180 b through a support arm bracket 139 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, angle bracket support arm 123 b is coupled at an opposed end to angle bracket arm 135 b through a support arm bracket 138 b . Angle bracket support arm 123 b restricts the ability of angle bracket arm 135 b to move towards and away from angle bracket assembly 120 a.
[0068] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross beam 136 which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket leg 121 b . Angle bracket cross beam 136 restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket leg 121 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0069] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 a which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a . Longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 a restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg 122 a to move towards and away from each other.
[0070] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes a longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 b which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b . Longitudinal angle bracket beam 144 b restricts the ability of angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg 122 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0071] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 a which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 a and angle bracket support leg base 124 b , as shown in FIGS. 2 d and 2 f . Angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 a restricts the ability of angle bracket assembly 120 a and angle bracket assembly 120 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0072] In this embodiment, tower interface assembly 118 includes an angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 b which is coupled to angle bracket leg 121 b and angle bracket support leg base 124 a , as shown in FIGS. 2 d and 2 f . Angle bracket cross diagonal beam 137 b restricts the ability of angle bracket assembly 120 a and angle bracket assembly 120 b to move towards and away from each other.
[0073] FIG. 3 a is a close-up rear perspective view of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 with a pivot pin actuator 150 and angle pin actuator 140 , wherein tower 102 is in the raised condition. FIG. 3 b is a close-up rear side view of pivot pin actuator 150 and angle pin actuator 140 .
[0074] Pivot pin actuator 150 is positioned below angle pin actuator 140 , and proximate to forward platform cross beam 181 a , as shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b . Pivot pin actuator 150 extends between angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . In particular, pivot pin actuator 150 is positioned below angle pin actuator 140 so it extends between angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ).
[0075] In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b ( FIG. 1 f ). In particular, pivot pin actuator 150 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b so it extends between tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 allows tower 102 to be coupled to tower interface assembly 118 so it can rotate relative to platform 103 and move between the raised and lowered positions.
[0076] Pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. In the extended condition, and as discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b ( FIG. 1 f ). Pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b in the extended condition so that tower 102 can rotate relative to tower interface assembly 118 . In this embodiment, movement of pivot pin actuator 150 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0077] In the retracted condition, and as discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b in the retracted condition so that tower 102 can be moved relative to tower interface assembly 118 .
[0078] In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 is positioned above pivot pin actuator 150 , and away from forward platform cross beam 181 a , as shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b . Angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle bracket assemblies 120 a and 120 b . In particular, angle pin actuator 140 is positioned above pivot pin actuator 150 so it extends between angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b and angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b.
[0079] In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b ( FIG. 1 f ). In particular, angle pin actuator 140 is carried by tower brackets 116 a and 116 b so it extends between tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 allows tower 102 to be coupled to tower interface assembly 118 so tower 102 can be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 . Tower interface assembly 118 and angle pin actuator 140 allow tower 102 to be held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 so that drilling machine 100 can be used for angled drilling.
[0080] Angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. In the extended condition, and as discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 extends through a selected one of angle pin sockets 125 a ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket intermediate opening 190 a ( FIG. 1 f ). Further, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through a selected one of angle pin sockets 125 b ( FIG. 2 f ) and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b ( FIG. 1 f ). It should be noted that, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through opposed sockets of angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b . Angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b in the extended condition so that tower 102 is held at the desired predetermined angle relative to platform 103 .
[0081] In the retracted condition, and as discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin socket 125 a ( FIG. 2 f ). Further, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin socket 125 b ( FIG. 2 f ). Angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin sockets 125 a and 125 b in the retracted condition so that tower 102 can be rotated and moved relative to tower interface assembly 118 . In this embodiment, movement of angle pin actuator 140 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 .
[0082] FIG. 4 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 4 a - 4 a of FIG. 3 a , of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b and tower interface assembly 118 in a region 113 of FIG. 3 b . In this embodiment, mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b are mounted to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively. Mounting block 156 a includes a mounting block opening 157 a which is aligned with tower bracket lower opening 190 a . Further, mounting block 156 b includes a mounting block opening 157 b which is aligned with tower bracket lower opening 190 b . Mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b are for holding pivot pin actuator 150 to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In this way, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b.
[0083] In this embodiment, a pivot pin insert 172 a extends through pivot pin socket 133 a of angle bracket support leg base 124 a , and a pivot pin insert 172 b extends through pivot pin socket 133 b of angle bracket support leg base 124 b . A pivot pin bushing 171 a extends through tower bracket lower opening 190 a of tower bracket 116 a and mounting block openings 157 a of mounting block 156 a . Further, a pivot pin bushing 171 b extends through tower bracket lower opening 190 b of tower bracket 116 b and mounting block openings 157 b of mounting block 156 b . Pivot pin insert 172 a , pivot pin insert 172 b , pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin bushing 171 b each include central openings through which pivot pin actuator 150 moves in response to moving between the extended and retracted positions, as will be discussed below.
[0084] Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions.
[0085] Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In particular, mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in the stowed condition of FIG. 1 a . It should be noted that mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in FIG. 4 a.
[0086] Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions.
[0087] Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . Tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 . In particular, tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are unaligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in the stowed condition of FIG. 1 a . It should be noted that tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b are aligned with pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in FIG. 4 a.
[0088] FIG. 4 b is a perspective view of one embodiment of pivot pin actuator 150 . In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 includes a pivot pin cylinder 152 , which is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. The movement of pivot pin cylinder 152 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this embodiment, pivot pin actuator 150 includes pivot pins 151 a and 151 b . Pivot pins 151 a and 151 b move away from and towards each other in response to moving pivot pin cylinder 152 between the extended and retracted conditions, respectively. In this way, pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions.
[0089] In this embodiment, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are tapered pivot pins. More information regarding tapered pivot pins is provided in the above-identified related application. Tapered pivot pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that pivot pin actuator 150 will move from the retracted position to the extended position. For example, tapered pivot pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that pivot pin actuator 150 will move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to misalignment of pivot pin socket 133 a and tower bracket lower opening 190 a , and misalignment of pivot pin socket 133 b and tower bracket lower opening 190 b.
[0090] FIG. 4 c is an exploded perspective view of pivot pins 151 a and 151 b , and pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b and pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b . FIGS. 4 d and 4 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of pivot pins 151 a and 151 b , and pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b and pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b.
[0091] It should be noted that, in the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin bushings 171 a and 171 b , respectively. Further, in the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b , respectively. In the retracted condition, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin inserts 172 a and 172 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions.
[0092] In the extended condition, pivot pin 151 a extends through pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin insert 172 a , and pivot pin 151 b extends through pivot pin bushing 171 b and pivot pin insert 172 b . In the extended condition, pivot pin 151 a extends through pivot pin bushing 171 a and pivot pin insert 172 a , and pivot pin 151 b extends through pivot pin bushing 171 b and pivot pin insert 172 b so that tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 .
[0093] FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are views of pivot pin actuator 150 in retracted and extended conditions, respectively. It should be noted that the view of FIGS. 5 a and 5 b correspond with the view of FIG. 4 a . In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between pivot pin mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b , and extends through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b , respectively.
[0094] Further, in the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b , respectively.
[0095] In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through angle bracket support leg base 124 a and 124 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. In the retracted condition, pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. It should be noted that tower 102 is not rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 when pivot pin actuator 150 does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b.
[0096] In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between pivot pin mounting blocks 156 a and 156 b , and extends through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin mounting block openings 157 a and 157 b , respectively.
[0097] Further, in the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through tower bracket lower openings 190 a and 190 b , respectively.
[0098] In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through angle bracket support leg base 124 a and 124 b . In particular, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. In the extended condition, pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b so that tower 102 is restricted from moving between the raised and lowered positions. It should be noted that tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 when pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b . It should also be noted that tower 102 is moveable to a tilted condition when pivot pin actuator 150 extends through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , as will be discussed in more detail below.
[0099] As mentioned above, pivot pin actuator 150 is repeatably moveable between the extended and retracted conditions. Pivot pin 151 a moves away from angle bracket support leg base 124 a and pivot pin socket 133 a in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the retracted condition. Further, pivot pin 151 b moves away from angle bracket support leg base 124 b and pivot pin socket 133 b in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the retracted condition. Pivot pin 151 a moves towards angle bracket support leg base 124 a and pivot pin socket 133 a in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the extended condition. Further, pivot pin 151 b moves towards angle bracket support leg base 124 b and pivot pin socket 133 b in response to pivot pin actuator 150 moving to the extended condition. Hence, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle bracket support leg bases 124 a and 124 b in response to moving pivot pin actuator 150 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively. Further, pivot pins 151 a and 151 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from pivot pin sockets 133 b and 133 b in response to moving pivot pin actuator 150 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively.
[0100] FIG. 6 a is a sectional front view, taken along a cut-line 6 a - 6 a of FIG. 3 a , of opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b and tower interface assembly 118 in a region 114 of FIG. 3 b . In this embodiment, mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b are mounted to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , respectively. Mounting block 146 a includes a mounting block opening 147 a which is aligned with tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a . Further, mounting block 146 b includes a mounting block opening 147 b which is aligned with tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b . Mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b are for holding angle pin actuator 140 to opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b . As will be discussed in more detail below, angle pin actuator 140 extends through mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In this way, angle pin actuator 140 extends between opposed tower brackets 116 a and 116 b.
[0101] In this embodiment, an angle pin insert 162 a extends through an angle pin socket 126 a of angle bracket arm 135 a , and an angle pin insert 162 b extends through angle pin socket 126 b of angle bracket arm 135 b . An angle pin bushing 161 a extends through tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a of tower bracket 116 a and mounting block openings 147 a of mounting block 146 a . Further, an angle pin bushing 161 b extends through tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b of tower bracket 116 b and mounting block openings 147 b of mounting block 147 b . Angle pin insert 162 a , angle pin insert 162 b , angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin bushing 161 b each include central openings through which angle pin actuator 140 moves in response to moving between the extended and retracted positions, as will be discussed below.
[0102] Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions. More information regarding moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions is provided below.
[0103] Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and in the raised position of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b . Mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and not in the upright position of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b . In particular, mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is in a tilted position. It should be noted that mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in FIG. 6 a.
[0104] Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are repeatably moveable between aligned and unaligned positions with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in response to moving tower 102 between the raised and tilted positions.
[0105] Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and tower 102 is in the raised position. Tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are unaligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 and not in the raised position. It should be noted that tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b are aligned with angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, in FIG. 6 a.
[0106] FIG. 6 b is a perspective view of one embodiment of angle pin actuator 140 . In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 includes an angle pin cylinder 142 , which is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions. The movement of angle pin cylinder 142 between the extended and retracted conditions is controlled by the operator in operator's cab 105 . In this embodiment, angle pin actuator 140 includes angle pins 141 a and 141 b . Angle pins 141 a and 141 b move away from and towards each other in response to moving angle pin cylinder 142 between the extended and retracted conditions, respectively. In this way, angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between extended and retracted conditions.
[0107] In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are tapered angle pins. More information regarding tapered angle pins is provided in the above-identified related application. Tapered angle pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that angle pin actuator 140 will move from the retracted position to the extended position. For example, tapered angle pins are useful because they increase the likelihood that angle pin actuator 140 will move from the retracted position to the extended position in response to misalignment of angle pin sockets 125 a and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 a , and misalignment of angle pin sockets 125 b and tower bracket intermediate opening 191 b.
[0108] FIG. 6 c is an exploded perspective view of angle pins 141 a and 141 b , and angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b and angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b . FIGS. 6 d and 6 e are perspective and side views, respectively, of angle pins 141 a and 141 b , and angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b and angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b.
[0109] It should be noted that, in the retracted condition, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin bushings 161 a and 161 b , respectively. Further, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively. In some situations, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. In other situations, in the retracted condition, angle pins 161 a and 161 b do not extend through angle pin inserts 162 a and 162 b , respectively, so that tower 102 can be moved between tilted positions.
[0110] In the extended condition, angle pin 141 a extends through angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin insert 162 a , and angle pin 161 b extends through angle pin bushing 161 b and angle pin insert 162 b . In the extended condition, angle pin 141 a extends through angle pin bushing 161 a and angle pin insert 162 a , and angle pin 141 b extends through angle pin bushing 161 b and angle pin insert 162 b so that tower 102 is held in the upright position.
[0111] FIGS. 7 a and 7 b are views of angle pin actuator 140 in retracted and extended conditions, respectively. It should be noted that the view of FIGS. 7 a and 7 b correspond with the view of FIG. 6 a . In the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle pin mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b , and extends through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b , respectively.
[0112] Further, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b , respectively.
[0113] In the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b do not extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. It should be noted that pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in the situations in which it is desirable to move tower 102 between the raised and lowered positions. However, angle pin actuator 140 does extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. Hence, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pin actuator 140 when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition. In particular, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pins 141 a and 141 b when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition ( FIG. 1 a ). In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition.
[0114] In other situations, in the retracted condition, angle pin actuator 140 does not extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between tilted positions. It should be noted that pivot pins 151 a and 151 b extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively, in the situations in which it is desirable to move tower 102 between tilted positions.
[0115] In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between angle pin mounting blocks 146 a and 146 b , and extends through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin mounting block openings 147 a and 147 b , respectively.
[0116] Further, in the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends between tower brackets 116 a and 116 b , and extends through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through tower bracket intermediate openings 191 a and 191 b , respectively.
[0117] In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b . In particular, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively. In the extended condition, angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 is held in the upright position.
[0118] As mentioned above, angle pin actuator 140 is repeatably moveable between the extended and retracted conditions. Angle pin 141 a moves away from angle bracket arm 135 a and angle pin socket 126 a in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the retracted condition. Further, angle pin 141 b moves away from angle bracket arm 135 b and angle pin socket 126 b in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the retracted condition. Angle pin 141 a moves towards angle bracket arm 135 a and angle pin socket 126 a in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the extended condition. Further, angle pin 141 b moves towards angle bracket arm 135 b and angle pin socket 126 b in response to angle pin actuator 140 moving to the extended condition. Hence, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle bracket arm 135 a and 135 b in response to moving angle pin actuator 140 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively. Further, angle pins 141 a and 141 b are repeatably moveable towards and away from angle pin sockets 126 b and 126 b in response to moving angle pin actuator 140 between extended and retracted conditions, respectively.
[0119] FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are side views of angle bracket assembly 120 a , and FIGS. 8 c and 8 d are side views of angle bracket assembly 120 b . In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 125 a include seven angle pin sockets, denoted as angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a . Angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a extend through angle bracket 121 a and along the length of angle bracket 121 a and away from support arm socket 134 a . Further, angle pin sockets 125 b include seven angle pin sockets, denoted as angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b . Angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b extend through angle bracket 121 b and along the length of angle bracket 121 b and away from support arm socket 134 b . In general, the number of angle pin sockets extending through angle brackets 121 a and 121 b is the same.
[0120] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 a . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 a and angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a can be different, if desired.
[0121] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 b . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 b and angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b can be different, if desired. Further, it should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b , 131 b , and 132 b oppose angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a , 131 a , and 132 a , respectively.
[0122] FIG. 8 e is a perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 and the reference planes mentioned above. As shown in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c , reference line 110 extends between angle pin socket 126 a and pivot pin socket 133 a along the length of angle bracket support leg 122 a . Further, reference line 110 extends between angle pin socket 126 b and pivot pin socket 133 b along the length of angle bracket support leg 122 b.
[0123] As shown in FIG. 8 e , a reference plane 200 extends between angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 0 is about 0° in this example. It should be noted that reference plane 200 extends perpendicular to reference line 111 of FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c . FIGS. 9 a and 9 b are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 0° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0124] A reference plane 201 extends between angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 5 is about 5° in this example. A reference plane 202 extends between angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 10 is about 10° in this example.
[0125] A reference plane 203 extends between angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 15 is about 15° in this example. FIGS. 9 c and 9 d are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 15° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 c and 9 d , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0126] A reference plane 204 extends between angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 20 is about 20° in this example. A reference plane 205 extends between angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 25 is about 25° in this example.
[0127] A reference plane 206 extends between angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 30 is about 30° in this example. FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g are perspective views of tower 102 held at an angle of about 30° by tower interface assembly 118 . It should be noted that, in FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g , angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively. In this way, the angle pin sockets that extend through angle bracket arms 135 a and 135 b are spaced apart from each other at positions which correspond to predetermined angles relative to reference line 110 .
[0128] It should be noted that angle pin socket 132 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a , 130 a and 131 a because angle θ 30 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 , θ 20 , and θ 25 . Further, angle pin socket 131 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a and 130 a because angle θ 25 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 and θ 20 . Angle pin socket 130 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a , 128 a and 129 ab because angle θ 20 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 and θ 15 . Angle pin socket 129 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a , 127 a and 128 a because angle θ 15 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 and θ 10 . Angle pin socket 128 a is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 a and 127 a because angle θ 10 is greater than angles θ 0 and θ 5 . Angle pin socket 127 a is rearward of angle pin socket 126 a because angle θ 5 is greater than angles θ 0 .
[0129] It should be noted that angle pin socket 132 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b , 130 b and 131 b because angle θ 30 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 , θ 20 , and θ 25 . Further, angle pin socket 131 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b and 130 b because angle θ 25 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 , θ 15 and θ 20 . Angle pin socket 130 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b , 128 b and 129 b because angle θ 20 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 , θ 10 and θ 15 . Angle pin socket 129 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b , 127 b and 128 b because angle θ 15 is greater than angles θ 0 , θ 5 and θ 10 . Angle pin socket 128 b is rearward of angle pin sockets 126 b and 127 b because angle θ 10 is greater than angles θ 0 and θ 5 . Angle pin socket 127 b is rearward of angle pin socket 126 b because angle θ 5 is greater than angles θ 0 .
[0130] As mentioned above, reference line 112 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c and FIGS. 9 c and 9 d ) extends parallel to tower 102 . Hence, tower 102 extends angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0131] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 201 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 5 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 201 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 127 a and 127 b , respectively.
[0132] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 202 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 10 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 202 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 128 a and 128 b , respectively.
[0133] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 ( FIGS. 9 c and 9 d ) relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0134] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 204 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 20 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 204 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 130 a and 130 b , respectively.
[0135] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 205 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 25 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 205 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 131 a and 131 b , respectively.
[0136] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 ( FIGS. 9 e , 9 f and 9 g ) relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively.
[0137] Reference line 112 extends at angle θ 90 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends parallel to reference line 111 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c ) when tower 102 is in the lowered position. As mentioned above, when tower 102 is in the lowered position, pivot pin actuator 150 is in the retracted condition and does not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b . In particular, when tower 102 is in the lowered position, pivot pin actuator 150 is in the retracted condition and pivot pins 151 a and 151 b do not extend through pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b , respectively. However, angle pin actuator 140 does extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b so that tower 102 can be moved between the raised and lowered positions. Hence, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pin actuator 140 when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition. In particular, tower 102 is rotatably mounted to tower interface assembly 118 through angle pins 141 a and 141 b when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition ( FIG. 1 a ). In this embodiment, angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively, when tower 102 is moved to and from the stowed condition.
[0138] FIGS. 10 a , 10 b and 10 c are side views of other embodiments of angle bracket arms which can be included with drilling machine 100 . In FIG. 10 a , an angle bracket arm 135 includes a number N of angle bracket sockets so that a corresponding number of discrete angles are available. As number N increases, the number of discrete angles available increases and, as number N decreases, the number of discrete angles available decreases. In general, the number of discrete angles available range from 0° to 90°. In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be tilted correspond to N discrete angular values. It should be noted, however, that the angles can be negative angles wherein tower 102 tilts towards cab 105 and vehicle front 101 a.
[0139] The number N can have many different values. In one embodiment, the number N has values in a range from two to about ten. In another embodiment, the number N has values in a range from two to about fifteen. In one particular example, N is equal to two. It should be noted, however, that the number N can have values outside of these ranges in other embodiments.
[0140] In FIG. 10 b , angle bracket arm 135 a includes a number of angle bracket sockets which corresponds to seven. More information regarding angle bracket arm 135 a is provided above with the discussion of tower interface assembly 118 . In the embodiment of FIG. 10 b , the available angles that tower 102 can be tilted correspond to angle values equal to 0° and 30°, as well as values therebetween that are at 5° increments (i.e. 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°). In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be positioned correspond to seven discrete angular values. It should be noted, however, that the angles can have other discrete angular values, and these discrete values can be greater than 30°.
[0141] In FIG. 10 c , an angle bracket arm 135 d includes a number of angle bracket sockets which corresponds to three. In the embodiment of FIG. 10 c , the available angles that tower 102 can be tilted correspond to angle values equal to 0° and 30°, as well as values therebetween that are at 15° increments. In this way, the angles available for tower 102 to be positioned correspond to three discrete angular values, as will be discussed in more detail presently.
[0142] FIGS. 11 a and 11 b are side views of angle bracket assemblies 120 d and 120 e , respectively, which include angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e , respectively. More information regarding angle bracket arm 125 d is provided with FIG. 10 c above. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, angle bracket arm 135 e is the same as angle bracket arm 135 d . Hence, for angle brackets 135 d and 135 e , N is equal to three so that angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e each include three angle pin sockets. The angle pin sockets of angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e are positioned so they oppose each other.
[0143] In this embodiment, the angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 d are denoted as angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a . Further, the angle pin sockets of angle bracket arm 135 e are denoted as angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b.
[0144] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 d . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 a and angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a can be different, if desired.
[0145] In this embodiment, angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are spaced apart from each other so that they are at predetermined positions along angle bracket arm 135 b . The predetermined positions of angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are chosen so that reference planes extend at predetermined angles through pivot pin socket 133 b and angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b , wherein, in this embodiment, the predetermined angle is relative to reference line 110 . It should be noted that angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b are equidistantly spaced apart from each other in this embodiment. However, the spacing between adjacent angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b can be different, if desired. Further, it should be noted that angle pin sockets angle pin sockets 126 b , 129 b , and 132 b oppose angle pin sockets angle pin sockets 126 a , 129 a , and 132 a , respectively.
[0146] FIG. 11 c is a perspective view of tower interface assembly 118 a , which includes angle bracket assemblies 120 d and 120 e and the reference planes mentioned above with the discussion of FIGS. 11 a and 11 b . As shown in FIG. 11 c , reference plane 200 extends between angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 0 is about 0° in this example.
[0147] Reference plane 203 extends between angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 15 is about 15° in this example. Further, reference plane 206 extends between angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b and pivot pin sockets 133 a and 133 b at an angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 , wherein angle θ 30 is about 30° in this example. In this way, the angle pin sockets that extend through angle bracket arms 135 d and 135 e are spaced apart from each other at positions which correspond to predetermined angles relative to reference line 110 .
[0148] As mentioned above, reference line 112 ( FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c ) extends parallel to tower 102 . Hence, tower 102 extends angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 0 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 200 when tower 102 is in the raised position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 126 a and 126 b , respectively.
[0149] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 15 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 203 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 129 a and 129 b , respectively.
[0150] Tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pin actuator 140 extends through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b . In particular, tower 102 extends at angle θ 30 relative to reference line 110 and reference line 112 extends through reference plane 206 when tower 102 is in the tilted position and angle pins 141 a and 141 b extend through angle pin sockets 132 a and 132 b , respectively.
[0151] The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention.
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An interface apparatus between a tower and platform includes a tower support assembly with opposed angle brackets and a first tower support assembly coupler/decoupler which is repeatably moveable between coupled and decoupled conditions with the tower support assembly. In the coupled condition, the coupler/decoupler is capable of coupling to the tower support assembly at a plurality of predetermined positions along the opposed angle brackets. The interface apparatus includes a second tower support assembly coupler/decoupler which allows the tower to pivot relative to the tower support assembly and rotate relative to the platform.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to combustion apparatus for waste material incineration in general, toxic waste incineration, refuse burning, and power generation, and, more particularly, to combustion apparatus capable of supporting combustion temperatures in excess of 2400° C. (4352° F.) for essentially total combustion with minimal pollutant production.
Incinerator/furnace/boiler combustion chamber designs presently available for applications such as municipal solid waste disposal, industrial solid waste disposal, toxic waste disposal, coal and oil fired electric power generating plants, and the like, include combustion chambers made of refractory materials such as fire brick, which are generally limited to an approximately 1300° C. (approximately 2400° F.) maximum combustion temperature. Although higher temperature refractory materials are available, their cost is prohibitive for most applications.
It is, however, desirable to employ even higher combustion temperatures. Higher combustion temperatures offer a number of advantages. Higher combustion temperatures in general result in more complete burning, reducing the need for exhaust gas scrubbing. There is the potential for totally combusting toxic materials, reducing the need for exhaust gas scrubbing following toxic waste incineration. In steam power generation applications, higher combustion temperatures in addition result in more efficient operation. Steam temperatures in excess of approximately 980° C. (approximately 1800° F.) are particularly efficient. Another advantage of high combustion temperatures, particularly in the context of municipal trash incineration, is that light gauge metal objects contained in the solid waste materials are melted by the exposure to extreme temperatures. These light gauge metal objects ultimately become small pieces of metal which are easily carried away as ash.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide combustion apparatus capable of supporting relatively high combustion temperatures, in excess of 2400° C. (4352° F.).
It is another object of the invention to provide such apparatus in which the use of refractory materials in combustion chamber construction is minimized.
It is another object of the invention to provide a highly efficient and non-polluting municipal waste incinerator, thus substantially reducing landfill usage.
Another object of the invention is to provide efficient combustion apparatus for retrofit to existing coal or oil fueled power generation plants such that municipal solid waste can be used as a fuel for power generation.
Briefly, and in accordance with an overall aspect of the invention, high temperature combustion apparatus incorporates a pneumatically suspended combustion zone created by having streams of combustion air directed upwardly from a floor grate and from the sides of a combustion chamber such that combustion occurs in a swirling turbulent mass which does not directly contact either the walls or floor of the combustion chamber. Relatively high combustion temperatures are sustained by providing a high volume of excess combustion air, the same combustion air which maintains the pneumatically suspended combustion zone. High combustion temperatures can be contained with little use of refractory materials, and without melting the combustion chamber sidewalls.
In one particular embodiment of the invention, combustion apparatus includes walls defining a combustion chamber having a pneumatically suspended combustion zone, and at least portions of the walls are formed of a plurality of adjacent tubes having tube interiors and tube walls. At least one tube supply blower is connected to the tubes for pressurizing the tube interiors with combustion-supporting gas, such as air. The tube walls have openings, such as slots, oriented generally towards the combustion zone, and the tubes and slots extend horizontally. Preferably, the openings are oriented so as to induce swirling gas flow movement within the combustion zone.
Thus combustion-supporting gas streams are directed out of the openings to at least partially define the combustion zone and to force the heat of combustion away from the walls. Typically, the tubes comprise metal, and at least portions of the walls are free of refractory materials. However, in some embodiments, the tubes comprise a refractory material, such as silicon carbide.
Preferably, the tubes forming the walls of the combustion chamber are spaced from each other, and there is an outer containment structure surrounding the combustion chamber walls. At least one outer containment structure supply blower is connected for pressurizing the outer containment structure with combustion-supporting gas, such as air, so that combustion-supporting gas streams are directed between the tubes into the combustion chamber, in addition to the combustion air streams directed out of the tube slots. Vanes preferably are affixed to the tubes for controlling the direction of combustion-supporting gas streams directed between the tubes.
The outer containment structure preferably is subdivided into a plurality of outer containment zones supplied by separate blowers such that combustion air is supplied at different rates from different zones to facilitate adjustment of combustion parameters.
In one embodiment, the combustion apparatus takes the form of a tunnel-like structure wherein solid waste material is introduced near one end by a solid waste material supply conveyor and travels towards the other end where there is an exhaust gas port and an ash conveyor exit. The ash conveyor, also termed a combustion chamber conveyor, includes conveyor elements which are driven over a floor grate having spaced grate elements between which combustion-supporting gas streams are directed upwardly. The combustion chamber conveyor serves to convey heavy objects through the combustion apparatus, as well as to convey non-combusted particles to an ash collection system. In addition, an entry point for hydrocarbon fuel such as oil or powdered coal may be provided near where solid waste material is introduced.
A chamber defining an outer containment zone is mounted at the one end of the combustion chamber, directly opposite the exhaust port. Pressurized combustion air is forced into this chamber at a relatively higher volume compared to other areas of the outer containment structure in order to force the swirling turbulent motion of the combustion process away from the solid waste conveyor entry point and the hydrocarbon fuel entry point, towards the opposite end of the combustion chamber to the exhaust gas port and ash conveyor exit.
Another aspect of the invention is the preheating of solid waste material to nearly its flash point before introduction into the combustion chamber. In one embodiment, the solid waste material supply conveyor runs within a pressurized chamber, and includes conveyor elements moving over a grate, with hot combustion-supporting gas directed upwardly through the grate. The pressurized chamber has a revolving door type entry door which receives waste material, while maintaining pressure within the pressurized chamber. Higher pressure is maintained within the pressurized waste material supply conveyor chamber than in the combustion chamber, resulting in pneumatically assisted injection of waste material into the combustion chamber.
In another embodiment of the invention, the combustion chamber walls include a multiplicity of openings oriented generally towards the combustion zone, and there is at least one blower in gas flow communication with these openings for directing combustion-supporting gas through the openings to at least partially define a combustion zone and to force the heat of combustion away from the walls. Preferably, an outer containment structure surrounds the walls, and the blower is connected for pressurizing the outer containment structure with combustion-supporting gas, such as air, so that combustion-supporting gas is directed from within the outer containment structure through the openings. In this particular embodiment, the combustion chamber walls preferably comprise refractory materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, the invention, both as to organization and content, will be better understood and appreciated, from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a solid waste incinerator system in overview, including combustion apparatus in accordance with the invention in the form of a tunnel type combustion chamber;
FIG. 2 is a three dimensional representation of tube walls defining a combustion chamber, and including a pressurized air supply system;
FIG. 3 is a top view, with portions cut away, of the combustion apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are longitudinal sections, respectably taken on lines 4A--4A and 4B--4B of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the left side of FIG. 4B;
FIG. 6 is a lateral cross section taken on line 6--6 of FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B;
FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of portion 6A--6A of FIG. 6;
FIG. 7 is a similar lateral cross section taken on line 7--7 of FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B;
FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6, showing further details of the waste material supply conveyor structure;
FIG. 9 is a view taken generally along line 9--9 of FIG. 8 showing further details of the material supply conveyor structure;
FIG. 10 is an end view, partly in section, of a second embodiment of the invention, in the form of a vertically-extending incinerator primarily for wood and vegetation debris;
FIG. 11 is a view, looking down, taken on line 11--11 of FIG. 10; and
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional representation of an alternative combustion chamber wall construction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring initially to FIG. 1 for an overview, a solid waste material incinerator system 20 embodying the invention includes high temperature combustion apparatus, generally designated 22, having a solid waste material entry port 24, a hot exhaust gas exit port 26, an exhaust gas system generally designated 28, a flue 29 connecting the port 26 to the exhaust gas system 28, and an ash collection system, generally designated 30. The exhaust gas system 28 comprises, for example, a heat exchanger, a boiler for generating steam for power and/or a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric generator.
The combustion apparatus 22 more particularly comprises a horizontal, tunnel-like combustion chamber 32 within which a pneumatically-suspended combustion zone 33 is defined, and an outer containment structure 34. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the combustion chamber 32 has walls made of adjacent tubes, described hereinbelow in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6 and 7, and the interiors of these tubes are pressurized by tube supply blowers. By way of example, a total of eight tube supply blowers are provided, blowers 40, 42, 44 and 46 visible in FIG. 1, and additional tube supply blowers 48, 50, 52 and 54, described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 2. Pressurized by these eight tube supply blowers are four main tube supply ducts 56 and 58 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and 60 and 62 (FIG. 2).
In addition, at least one outer containment supply blower 64 is provided, connected for pressurizing the outer containment structure 34. Preferably, the outer containment structure 34 is zoned, and there is thus at least one additional outer containment structure blower 66 to facilitate individual zone airflow control.
Within the combustion apparatus 22 is an air-cooled combustion chamber conveyor system 70, also termed an ash conveyor system, which serves the dual purposes of conveying heavy objects through the combustion apparatus 22, which heavy objects are too heavy for the pneumatically suspended combustion zone 33, and of conveying non-combusted particles to the ash collection and treatment system 30.
With reference now to FIG. 2 in particular, the combustion chamber 32 is defined by walls comprising longitudinally mounted slotted steel tubes pressurized by the eight tube supply blowers 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 via the main tube supply ducts 56, 58, 60 and 62. More particularly, in the FIG. 2 orientation the near sidewall 100 of the combustion chamber 32 comprises a plurality of adjacent slotted wall tubes 101 connected for pressurization by the tube supply blowers, and the far sidewall 102 of the combustion chamber 32 comprises another plurality of adjacent slotted wall tubes 103 likewise connected for pressurization by the tube supply blowers. An inlet end endwall 104 of the combustion chamber 32 comprises a plurality of pressurized adjacent slotted wall tubes 105, and an outlet end endwall 106 of the combustion chamber 32 comprises a plurality of slotted wall tubes 107. Similarly, the top or ceiling 108 of the combustion chamber 32 comprises a plurality of pressurized adjacent slotted ceiling tubes 109, likewise connected for pressurization by the tube supply blowers.
For supplying the interior of the slotted wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109, connected to the four main tube supply ducts 56, 58, 60 and 62 are secondary tube supply ducts 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120 for the near sidewall 100, extending vertically between supply ducts 56 and 58; secondary tube supply ducts 122, 124, 126, 128 and 130 for the far sidewall 102, extending vertically between main supply ducts 60 and 62; and secondary supply ducts 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 for the ceiling 108, extending horizontally between respective pairs 112,122; 114,124; 116,126; 118,128 and 120,130 of the vertically extending secondary supply ducts. The secondary supply ducts 112 and 122 additionally supply the slotted tubes 105 of the inlet end endwall 104, and the secondary supply ducts 120 and 130 additionally supply the slotted tubes 107 of the outlet end endwall 106. The slotted wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109 are connected between the various secondary tube supply ducts as represented in FIG. 2.
It will be appreciated that the particular tube supply arrangement depicted in FIG. 2 is representative only, and is subject to wide variation in particular designs embodying the invention. For example, different numbers of tube supply blowers may be employed, the ducting system may differ, and zone control over the pressure within different portions of the tube wall structure may be employed.
The actual construction of the combustion apparatus 22 will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6 and 7.
As noted hereinabove, the invention eliminates or reduces the need for refractory materials to contain the extreme temperatures produced in the combustion chamber 32 by employing the pneumatically suspended combustion zone 33, generally represented by its center in the lateral cross section of FIG. 6. In overview, pressurized air from the slotted sidewall tubes 101 and 103, the end wall tubes 105 and 107 and the ceiling tubes 109 supplies a high volume of combustion air, and additionally keeps the heat of combustion away from the walls.
More particularly, and with particular reference to the lateral cross sections of FIGS. 6 and 7, the walls of the tubes 103 comprising the combustion chamber 32 far sidewall 102 have slots 144 oriented generally towards the combustion zone 33, the walls of the tubes 101 comprising the combustion chamber 32 near sidewall 100 have slots 146 oriented generally towards the combustion zone 33, and the walls of the tubes 109 comprising the combustion chamber 32 ceiling 108 have slots 148, likewise oriented generally towards the combustion zone 33. FIG. 4B and the enlarged FIG. 5 show the slots 144 of the far sidewall 102 tubes 103 as viewed from the interior of the combustion chamber 32, and in addition show, in cross section, slots 150 in the walls of the tubes 105 comprising the inlet end endwall 104. FIG. 7, in addition to the slots 144, 146 and 148 in the tubes 103, 101 and 109 respectively comprising the combustion chamber 32 sidewalls 102 and 100 and ceiling 108, shows two columns of slots 152 and 154 in the walls of the tubes 107 comprising the outlet end endwall 106, also oriented generally towards the combustion zone 33.
To promote swirling gas flow motion within the combustion zone 142, the slots 144, 146 and 148 in the wall and ceiling tubes 103, 101 and 109 are generally oriented at an angle with reference to the perpendicular direction of the walls 102 and 100 and ceiling 108 such that airflow is directed as indicated by the various arrows in FIGS. 6 and 7.
The combustion chamber 32 inlet end and outlet end endwalls 104 and 106 have different slot arrangements to promote swirling gas flow motion within the combustion zone 142. As may be seen in FIG. 7, the columns of slots 152 and 154 in the walls of the tubes 107 comprising the outlet end endwall 106 are respectively oriented upwardly and downwardly, consistent with the orientation of the slots 144 and 146 in the tubes 103 and 101 of the respectively adjacent sidewalls 102 and 100.
The slots in the walls of the tubes 105 comprising the inlet end endwall 104 are correspondingly oriented in a manner which promotes the swirling gas flow motion within the combustion zone 142. Thus, in the longitudinal sections of FIGS. 4B and 5, particularly the enlarged view of FIG. 5, the particular slots 150 which are depicted in the tubes 105 comprising the inlet end endwall 104 are nearest the far sidewall 102, and accordingly are oriented upwardly. Although not specifically illustrated, those portions of the tubes 105 nearest the near sidewall 100 have slots which are oriented upwardly.
In addition to the slots 144, 146, 150, 152 and 148 in the tubes comprising the combustion chamber 32 walls 102, 100, 104 and 106 and ceiling 108, there is a slotted floor grate 160 (FIG. 6) mounted longitudinally and comprising the top of a floor grate plenum chamber 162. The floor grate plenum chamber 162 has a bottom wall 164, and sidewalls 166 and 168, and is pressurized by means of a separate blower (not shown) and a plenum chamber supply duct system including longitudinal ducts 170 and 172 (FIG. 6) running along either side, and connected to the floor grate plenum chamber 162 through respective sets of supply ports 174 and 176. For convenience of illustration, in FIGS. 4A and 4B the floor grate plenum chamber 162 supply ports 174 and 176 are shown as circular openings in the respective floor grate plenum chamber 162 sidewalls 166 and 168. FIG. 4B happens to be taken on a section intermediate a pair of floor grate 160 elements, and a side surface 160' of one of the floor grate elements 160 is accordingly visible in FIG. 4B. The floor grate elements 160 by way of example comprise strips of steel 1/4 inch thick and three inches wide oriented on edge and running substantially the entire length of the combustion chamber 32, up to a terminating point 178 near the outlet end, where a solid slab 180 of refractory material (FIGS. 4B and 7) is employed to facilitate ash collection.
Air flowing upwardly from the flow grate plenum chamber 162 serves several purposes, including aiding in pneumatic suspension of the combustion zone 33, contributing to the supply of excess combustion air, cooling the flow grate 160, and cooling the conveyor 70.
In addition to the air supply for the slotted wall tubes 101, 103, 105, 107, ceiling tubes 109 and floor grate 160, the outer containment structure 34 has an interior 190 which is pressurized with combustion air by means of a representative and appropriately connected outer containment structure supply blower 192. Thus, combustion air is directed between the wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109 into the combustion chamber 32. The combustion air directed between the wall and ceiling tubes is in addition to combustion air directed from the tube interiors through the tube slots 144, 146, 148, 150 and 152, and serves the dual purposes of providing additional cooling for the tubes and facilitating control over the combustion process. The slotted wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109, while adjacent, accordingly are spaced from each other to accommodate the passage of combustion air therebetween. A typical spacing is 1/8 inch between tubes which are eight inches in diameter.
Preferably, the outer containment structure 34 is zoned so that air volume may readily be adjusted through different portions of the combustion chamber 32 walls 100, 102, 104 and 106, and ceilings 108.
Thus, and with reference to FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B, an outer containment structure zone is defined by an outer containment substructure or chamber 194 (FIGS. 3 and 4A) having a pressurized interior 196 (FIG. 4B) and supplied with combustion air by means of a zone blower 198. The chamber 194 is mounted at the end of the combustion chamber 32 directly opposite the exhaust port 26. Pressurized ambient air is forced into the chamber 194 and then between the tubes 105 of the inlet end endwall 104 at a higher volume compared to any other portion of the outer containment structure 34 in order to force the swirling turbulent motion of the combustion zone 33 away from the solid waste conveyor entry point 24 (where hydrocarbon fuel may also be introduced), towards the opposite end of the combustion chamber 32 to the exhaust port 26 and conveyor 70 exit.
As described hereinabove, the tube slots 144, 146, 148, 150 and 152 are oriented so as to promote swirling gas flow motion within the combustion zone 33. In addition, affixed to and positioned generally between the wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109 are airflow-directing vanes, represented in the enlarged view of FIG. 6A, as vanes 200. The vanes 200 correspond in orientation with the slots of the particular tubes to which the vanes 200 are affixed, thus reinforcing and augmenting the promotion of swirling gas flow motion. In addition, the vanes 200 direct airflow over the outsides of the tubes, cooling the tubes, as well as providing an air curtain effect further insulating the tubes and reducing erosion.
In this regard, it will be appreciated that the combustion air forced from the containment zone chamber 194 between the slotted tubes 105 comprising the inlet end endwall 104 at a relatively higher volume compared to other portions of the outer containment structure 34, in conjunction with vanes 200 affixed to the slotted tubes 105, aids in promoting the swirling motion of the combustion zone 142 at the outset.
Another outer containment structure zone is defined by a chamber 202 (FIG. 6) having an interior 204 and pressurized by means of a duct entry point 206 located immediately below the solid waste material entry port 24, which is supplied with preheated solid waste material by a solid waste conveyor system, generally designated 208, described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The outer containment structure zone defined by the chamber 202 forces combustion air into the combustion chamber 32 between somewhat enlarged slotted wall tubes 210 in this particular region. These wall tubes 210 are enlarged for the purpose of producing a high velocity air stream which, by pneumatic assist, propels pieces of solid waste material into a circular pattern. Thus, as solid waste is injected through entry port 24 downwardly into the combustion chamber 32, pieces of solid waste material free fall into the high velocity air stream and are propelled horizontally towards the opposite side 102 of the combustion chamber 32, where the pieces encounter an upwardly flowing air stream from the slots 144 in the tubes 103, thus beginning the circular pattern of the combustion process. In addition, hydrocarbon fuel in the form of powdered coal may be introduced through the chamber 202.
Represented generally by element 212 in FIG. 6 are conventional fuel supply and ignition devices, such as gas supply jets (propane or natural gas), oil injection nozzles, and spark gaps. Typically these devices 212 are located immediately below the solid waste material entry port 24, but may be at any point or points within the combustion chamber 32. Advantageously, gas supply jets and sparking devices are mounted at various locations along the lower portion of the combustion chamber 32.
As noted hereinabove, there is an air-cooled combustion chamber conveyor system 70 or ash conveyor 70 which serves the dual purposes of conveying heavy objects and of conveying non-combusted particles through an ash exit port 218 to the ash collection and treatment system 30. The conveyor 70 more particularly comprises a series of conveyor elements in the form of laterally extending angle irons 220 affixed at either end to a pair of conveyor chains 222 driven by sprockets represented at 224 and 226. The angle irons 220 also serve as scraper elements. Preferably, the chains 222 are the type commonly employed for driving the tracks of tracked vehicles, and which accordingly have attachment points suitable for the angle irons 220. Although not illustrated, in order to avoid overheating of the chains 222, preferably there is a chain channel into which cooling air is injected. The conveyor 70 is driven by one or more variable speed, reversible electric or hydraulic motors (not shown). Conveyor 70 speed may vary according to the type and size of waste material being combusted.
Ash collection is facilitated by the solid slab 180 of refractory material (FIGS. 4B and 7) in the floor of the combustion chamber 32 near the outlet end endwall 106. Thus, unlike the region above the slotted floor grate 160 with its upwardly-directed airflow, ash 224 is free to settle onto the slab 180, as is represented in FIG. 7, to be pushed by the conveyor 70 angle irons 220 into the ash collection system 30. In addition, centrifugal force generated by the generally circular gas flow motion of the swirling combustion zone 33, aided by gravity, assists in the deposition of ash 224 on the refractory material slab 180 for conveying into the ash collection system 30.
Very briefly, the ash collection system 30 includes a primary ash collection compartment 230 and a secondary ash/metal collection compartment 232 wherein combustion gases are mixed with air drawn through a vent 234, and additionally are cooled by a water spray or mist 236. There are several additional secondary ash/metal separation compartments 238 and 240, upper baffles 242 and 244, lower baffles 246 and 248, and an alternate media filter system 250 through which the mixture of air and combustion gases is drawn by an ash collection blower 252. The ash collection blower 252 forces the air/gas mixture through a duct 254 to an exhaust gas flue. The secondary ash/metal separation compartments 232, 238 and 240 and the filter system 250 include collection hoppers equipped with waste gates (not shown) designed for manual or automatic opening devices. The alternate media filter system 250 includes a set of filter media panels 256 mounted on a horizontal track 258 between a collection compartment 260 and a filter backwash compartment 262. The filter media panels 256 can be moved one at a time into the filter backwash compartment 262 for selective cleaning, while maintaining operation.
Referring now in addition to FIGS. 8 and 9, the solid waste material conveyor system 208 serves generally to introduce appropriately-sized, preheated solid waste material into the tunnel-like combustion chamber 32. The solid waste material is introduced through the port 24, which is located in the near sidewall 100 near the inlet end endwall 104, at the opposite end with respect to the outlet end endwall 106 having the hot exhaust gas exit port 26 and the ash collection and treatment system 30. Solid waste material, in addition to falling by gravity from the conveyor system 208 into the combustion chamber 32, preferably is injected by pneumatic assist. The solid waste entry port 24 is sized to accommodate the type and size of solid waste objects injected into the tunnel-like combustion chamber 32. For example, forest waste products and municipal foliage waste may range in size up to eighteen inches cross-sectional diameter and seventeen inches in length. Bagged household garbage and trash objects up to thirty inches cross-sectional diameter may be injected into the tunnel-like combustion chamber. Solid waste objects exceeding these cross-sectional diameters are shredded by employing a hammermill type shredder 270 driven by a motor 272.
More particularly, the solid waste material conveyor system 208 includes a primary waste material supply conveyor 274 of any convenient construction, and terminating at a roller 276, which introduces solid waste material along an inclined chute 278 into the hammermill shredder 270.
A secondary waste material supply conveyor 280 communicates directly with the interior of the combustion chamber 32 through the port 24, and is contained within a heated and pressurized tunnel-like duct 282. The secondary waste material supply conveyor 280 is essentially identical in construction to the combustion chamber conveyor 70, and thus includes a series of angle iron conveyor elements 284 connected to chains driven by sprockets 286, in turn driven by a variable speed motor (not shown). The conveyor elements 284 move along a slotted floor grate 288, similar in construction to the floor grate 160 of the combustion chamber conveyor 70. Below the floor grate 288 is a pressurized plenum chamber 290, which provides pressure for propelling hot air to preheat waste material, and for slightly pressurizing the duct 282 to provide airflow for pneumatically assisted injection of waste material into the combustion chamber 32. Thus, to provide pneumatic assist for solid waste material injection through the port 24, a higher pressure is maintained in the tunnel-like waste material supply conveyor duct 282 compared to the combustion chamber 32.
To maintain a pressure differential between the interior of the tunnel-like duct 282 and the ambient, while permitting the introduction of shredded solid waste material, a revolving door type structure 292 is provided having vanes 294 rotating within a generally cylindrical housing 296. The cylindrical housing 296 has an entry port 298 and an exit port 300, which delivers shredded solid waste material to the secondary waste material conveyor 280.
It is a feature of the invention that waste material moving along the secondary supply conveyor 280 is preheated prior to being introduced into the combustion chamber 32. Thus, heated air is forced from the plenum chamber 290 below into and around the shredded solid waste material as material moves along the slotted floor grate 288 towards the combustion chamber 32. At the very least this accomplishes drying and heating of the shredded solid waste material. Preferably, the temperature of shredded solid waste material is raised to a temperature near its flash point as the solid waste material is injected into the combustion chamber 32 by gravity and pneumatic assist.
There is an element for providing hot air for waste material preheating in the representative form of a heat exchanger 300 within the combustion chamber 32. The heat exchanger 300 may comprise a tube of high temperature refractory material, or a steel pipe with a refractory material protective coating. The heat exchanger 300 may alternatively be located within the exhaust gas system 28 or the flue 29 (FIG. 1). Although less efficient, a separately-fueled heater (not shown) may be employed instead of the heat exchanger 300. In the illustrated embodiment, a blower 302 on the inlet (cold) side of the heat exchanger 300 is provided to force ambient air through the heat exchanger 300, and a hot air duct 304 connects the outlet side of the heat exchanger 300 to the plenum chamber 290 below the secondary waste material supply conveyor 280 running within the heated tunnel-like duct 282.
As noted hereinabove with reference to FIG. 1, the exhaust gas system 28 comprises, for example, a heat exchanger, a boiler for generating steam for power and/or a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric generator. MHD electric power generation and a steam turbine may be employed in tandem. MHD electric power generation requires relatively high gas temperatures to achieve thermal ionization so that the gas is sufficiently conductive, and the combustion apparatus of the invention achieves such temperatures. In addition, the threshold temperature for ionization can be lowered by appropriately "seeding" the hot gas flowing through an MHD electric generator, and the invention advantageously inherently can provide such "seeding" due to various constituents present in municipal solid waste.
In most cases, the exhaust gas system 28 will include an exhaust gas scrubber of appropriate configuration. Typically, an electrostatic precipitator is employed to remove fly ash. In applications where combustion apparatus of the invention is retrofitted to convert existing coal-fired power plants, no additional equipment is necessary for preparing exhaust gases for entry into the atmosphere; existing exhaust gas scrubbing equipment can be retained.
For operation, the combustion process is begun by injecting hydrocarbon fuel through the chamber 202 or oil injection nozzles, solid waste material through the entry port 24, or both, along with gas assist (propane or natural gas), ignited by sparking devices represented as element 212. Once temperatures reach a level where the combustion process is self-sustaining, the gas assist is turned off. Thus, once combustion temperatures reach approximately 1500° F. (approximately 800° C.), the combustion of coal and solid waste material begins immediately upon injection into the combustion chamber 32.
Relatively large mass solid waste material objects, such as objects exceeding two pounds and cross-sectional diameters of six inches or more, which are injected into the combustion chamber 32 generally free fall to the combustion chamber conveyor 70, whereupon exposure to extreme temperatures causes combustible material to rapidly explode from the object surface. Large mass objects are thus converted into super heated gas which becomes part of the swirling turbulent combustion zone 33, and travels longitudinally along the combustion chamber 32.
Lightweight combustible objects injected through the entry port 24, such as cardboard, paper, plastics and household garbage, move towards the center of the combustion chamber 32 by pneumatic assist. As combustion occurs, these lightweight combustible objects move in the swirling turbulent combustion zone 33 through the combustion chamber 32. Combustion is complete prior to the exit of combustion gases through the exhaust port 26.
Thus, combustible solid waste material is totally consumed by combustion temperatures in excess of 2400° C. (4352° F.), which are achieved as a result of the high volume of excess combustion air.
Noncombustible metal objects such as steel cans and steel tire rims and wheels become molten, and eventually free fall by gravity into the ash collection system 30 from the discharge end of the air cooled conveyor 70.
These noncombustible particles, other than fly ash and molten metal particles, settle as represented at 224 to the non-slotted portion 180 of the combustion chamber 32 floor made of refractory material, assisted in part by centrifugal force created by the circular motion of the gas flow within the combustion zone 33. The angle iron conveyor scraper elements 220 move the noncombustible particles 224 through the ash exit port 218 into the primary ash collection compartment 230 by gravity and pneumatic assist. Combustion gases are drawn from the combustion chamber 32 through the ash exit port 218 providing pneumatic assist to the non-combusted particles. The noncombustible and molten metal particles then fall by gravity and pneumatic assist into the secondary ash and metal separation/collection compartment 232. Air is drawn from the vent 234 which cools the molten metal as the metals fall by gravity.
Lighter non-metallic particles are drawn by pneumatic assist into the secondary compartment 232. Within the secondary compartment 232 the water mist 236 is sprayed downward into the non-combusted particles as the particles move through the compartment 232 and over the baffle 246. The particles accordingly absorb the liquid, and some become heavy enough to fall by gravity into the collection hopper below, rather than being carried by the gas stream.
This process is repeated as non-combusted particles pass through the baffles and are subjected to a similar misting process in the compartments 238 and 240. The mixture of air and combustion gases eventually reaches the alternate media filter system 250, drawn by the blower 252, and passes as particulate-free gas through the flue 254.
It will be appreciated that the solid waste incinerator system 20 of FIGS. 1-9 can be employed for power generation, a well as waste incineration. Thus, a power plant can advantageously generate electric power while, at the same time, disposing of municipal solid waste, for highly cost-effective operation. The combustion apparatus 22 can either be employed in new power plant designs, or be retrofitted to existing power generating plants.
With reference now to FIGS. 10 and 11, a second embodiment of the invention is in the form of a vertically-extending incinerator 350, primarily for wood and vegetation debris. The incinerator 350 of FIGS. 10 and 11, like the combustion apparatus 22 of FIGS. 1-9, employs a pneumatically suspended combustion zone 352 created by having streams of combustion air directed upwardly from a floor grate and from the sides of a combustion chamber, and wherein relatively high combustion temperatures are sustained by providing a high volume of excess combustion air, the same combustion air which maintains the pneumatically suspended combustion zone 352. The incinerator 350 of FIGS. 10-12 effects complete combustion of vegetation type debris, thus essentially eliminating "smoke".
The incinerator 350, like the combustion apparatus 22 of FIGS. 1-9, includes pressurized slotted tubes 354 defining walls 356 of a combustion chamber 358, within which is a pneumatically suspended combustion zone 352. A pressurized outer containment structure 360 surrounds the slotted tubes 354 defining the combustion chamber 358, and air streams are forced between the slotted tubes 354 as in the combustion apparatus 22 of FIGS. 1-9. The interiors of the hollow wall tubes 352 are pressurized by a suitable ducting arrangement (not shown), and the outer containment chamber 360 is pressurized by means of a blower 362 (FIG. 11).
Above the combustion chamber 356, at the top of the incinerator 350, is an exhaust stack 364 defined by hollow, pressurized walls 366 having horizontal slots 368. Pressurized air supply ducts 370 and 372 supply air to the interior of the exhaust stack 364 hollow wall 366. Below the exhaust stack 364 is a draft air intake hood 374, having openings 376 through which ambient air is drawn. Combustion of any remaining particulate matter occurs in the exhaust stack 364. High temperature combustion within the combustion zone 352, followed by combustion within the exhaust gas stack 364, results in essentially complete elimination of smoke.
At the bottom of the combustion chamber 358 is an ash conveyor 376 driven over a slotted floor grate 378 above a pressurized plenum chamber 380. The conveyor 376 of the incinerator 350 is substantially identical to the combustion chamber conveyor 70 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, except that the conveyor 376 is primarily for transporting ash out of the combustion chamber 356, rather than assisting also in moving large objects through a tunnel-like combustion chamber, as in the incinerator system 20 of FIGS. 1-9. The floor grate plenum chamber 380 is pressurized by means of supply ducts 382 and 384, and the conveyor 376 is driven by chain sprockets 386 and 388 connected by a shaft 390 and driven by a variable speed motor 392.
The vegetation incinerator 350 of FIGS. 10 and 11 includes a conveyor 394 for introducing waste material through an opening 396 and over a feedplate 398 into the combustion chamber 356. The conveyor 394 as depicted in FIGS. 10 and 11 is a relatively simple conveyor. However, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, a more elaborate waste material conveyor system can be employed if desired, including preheating of waste material, and a tunnel-like pressurized waste material supply conveyor chamber.
Referring finally to FIG. 12, depicted is another embodiment of the invention wherein walls 450 of a combustion chamber 452 are made of a refractory material, and include a multiplicity of openings 454 oriented generally towards a combustion zone, generally designated 456. Thus, the walls 450 of the FIG. 12 embodiment are an alternative to the walls and ceiling 100, 102, 104, 106 and 108 of the combustion apparatus 22 of FIGS. 1-9 comprising slotted wall and ceiling tubes 101, 103, 105, 107 and 109. In FIG. 12, a blower 458 is in gas flow communication with the openings 454, preferably by means of a pressurized outer containment structure 460, comparable to the outer containment structure 34 of the combustion apparatus 22 of FIGS. 1-9. At the bottom of the combustion chamber 452 of FIG. 13 is a conveyor and floor grate structure 462, which may be identical to the structure of FIG. 8.
During operation of the FIG. 12 embodiment, pressurized air forced through the openings 454 supplies excess combustion air to the combustion zone 456 as in the previously described embodiments, and, in addition, keeps the heat of combustion away from the walls 450.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is realized that numerous modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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High temperature combustion apparatus incorporating a pneumatically suspended combustion zone and capable of supporting relatively high combustion temperatures, in excess of 2400° C. (4352° F.) for essentially total combustion with minimal pollutant production. The combustion apparatus may be employed for waste material incineration in general, toxic waste incineration, and for smokeless burning of wood and vegetation. The combustion apparatus may be employed in an efficient steam electric power generating plant which employs municipal solid waste as fuel, and/or in combination with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric generator. The pneumatically suspended combustion zone is created by having streams of combustion air directed upwardly from a floor grate and from the sides of a combustion chamber such that combustion occurs in a swirling turbulent mass which does not directly contact either the walls or the floor of the combustion chamber. The relatively high combustion temperatures are sustained by providing a high volume of excess combustion air, the same combustion air which maintains the pneumatically suspended combustion zone. High combustion temperatures are contained with little use of refractory materials, and without melting the combustion chamber sidewalls.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for desalinating the water that is found in saline soils or saline bodies of water. The vertical evaporation of water reduces the effects of surface tension on the evaporation of water. Benefit will be derived by the capture of the salts and the evaporation of the saline water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Elevated soil salt levels are a significant global agricultural and environmental concern and can lead to problems such as inhibited plant growth, plant death and problems with livestock consumption or no livestock consumption at all. Salt contamination of the subsurface water table which is used for human consumption maybe averted or reduced. Elevated salt levels can be caused by a number of factors including; high natural salt levels, industrial operations, mining operations, government operations, soil contamination from oil and gas removal, irrigation with water containing salts or other consequences of man's activities. The size of the bodies of saline water can be reduced or eliminated with the use this technology. Leaching from stock piles of salt or other substances could be controlled by subsurface drainage of leaching water. Current solutions to this problem include the addition of chemicals to the soil, the development of salt tolerant strains of plants, the physical removal and replacement of the affected soil, the physical removal of salty water, the use of membrane filters, the boiling of the water, the washing of salts into the subsoil and other methods. These options can be environmentally detrimental and are relatively expensive. Given that a significant portion of the global agricultural community operates under impoverished conditions, particularly in developing countries, there is a need for simple, environmentally friendly and inexpensive solution to this problem.
[0003] There are well known varying cultural methods of desalinating salt water for the purpose of obtaining fresh drinkable water. The object of this invention is the evaporation of the water and the capture of the salts or other chemicals that are dissolved in water or carried by water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for the desalination of the salt water found in salty soils or salty ponds.
[0005] Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention, the invention comprises an apparatus comprising:
[a] a frame having vertical supports and a horizontal cross beam; [b] an primary evaporation cloth attached to the cross beam; [c] a distribution pipe for receiving salty water and depositing it evenly onto the primary evaporation cloth, the distribution pipe being attached to the frame in a position above the primary evaporation cloth; [d] means for drawing water from the soil to the distribution pipe; [e] means to regulate the volume of water deposited onto the primary evaporation cloth so that the water is evaporated before it falls off the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth leaving the salts at the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth; [f] an avoidance of the effects of the surface tension of water by the vertical evaporation of water; [g] an avoidance of the effects of the surface tension with the use of water wicking, water loving materials for the evaporation cloths; [h] a salt container below the evaporation cloth; [i] a frame having vertical supports which spans the salt container; [j] a secondary evaporation cloth which is suspended from the frame over the salt container and touches the bottom of the salt container; [k] the capture of the salts or dissolved substances in an easily transported form.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a desalinator unit. There is a windmill which can bring the salty water from its source to the reservoir on the top of the unit. The valve on the reservoir will deliver the salty water to the distribution pipe as it is required. The distribution pie will distribute the salty water evenly and at various rates to the primary evaporation cloths. The primary evaporation cloths in this example are two beach towels. The water is evaporated as it falls down the primary evaporation cloths leaving the salts at the bottom of the primary evaporation cloths. When an appropriate amount of salts have accumulated at the bottom of the cloths, they are washed off the primary evaporation cloths into the salt container. The salt container has secondary evaporation cloths which touch the bottom of the salt container. The secondary evaporation cloths wick the salty water up and evaporate this water leaving the salts at the top of the secondary evaporation cloth with an wet area below the salts. Newspapers can fulfill the functions of the secondary evaporation cloth. When salts have deposited on the newspapers to an optimum degree they can be taken to an appropriate landfill.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows the distribution pipe and the cross beam. It shows how the distribution pipe can distribute the salty water evenly and at various rates to the primary evaporation cloth.
[0019] FIG. 3 show the valve in detail. The valve is connected to the cross beam. This connection is adjustable to allow the valve to open when the primary evaporation cloth has evaporated some of the water and can hold more salty water.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows how a series of desalinators can be installed. It shows how they can be installed on uneven terrain.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows the salt container The secondary evaporation cloths can be discarded newspapers. The salty water wicks up the newspaper and is deposited above the wet area on the newspaper. The newspaper with the salt crystals can be taken to an disposal site. FIG. 5 shows how a series of desalinators can be installed. It shows how they can be installed on uneven terrain.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows how the desalinators operate when electrical power is available. They also show weights sensors to open and close the valve. It shows a computer or other electrical equipment controlling the timing of the wash cycle and the controlling of the valve that puts water on the primary evaporation cloth.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for the desalination of the salty water that is found in saline soils and saline pools.
[0024] The apparatus [ 1 ] according to FIG. [ 1 ] is comprised of a two posts [ 2 ] that have been installed in the ground on which a frame [ 3 ] has been attached which has vertical support members [ 4 ] and a horizontal cross beam [ 5 ] having a first end [ 6 ] and a second end [ 7 ]. The first end of the cross beam [ 6 ] is hingedly attached to the frame and the second end of the cross beam [ 7 ] is suspended on a spring or springs. The apparatus [ 1 ] has an primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] that is attached to the cross beam [ 5 ]. Above the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] and the cross beam [ 5 ] is the distribution pipe [ 9 ] which is physically configured to deposit water evenly onto the primary evaporation cloth[ 8 ]. As shown in FIG. [ 1 ], the distribution pipe [ 9 ] is horizontally orientated. The distribution pipe [ 9 ] is fastened to the frame [ 3 ] at each end [ 10 ] and in the middle [ 10 ]. As depicted in FIG. [ 1 ], the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will hang in a substantially vertical orientation, however it should be understood that the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] may be suspended in other orientations without impairing its functionality. In a preferred embodiment, the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will be orientated in a north-south manner in order to maximize the sunlight received by each side of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. The water is evaporated and the salts [ 11 ] are deposited at the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. The water moves the salts down the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] until the salt water can no longer hold the salts in solution and salt crystals [ 11 ] appear and grow as the last of the water evaporates.
[0025] The temperature of the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ] is below the temperature of the environment enabling the choice of many different types of primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ]. Glass fibres do not absorb water. This inventor prefers water loving materials. Beach towels are a suitable choice for use as the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ], the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] and the connecting evaporation cloth [ 13 ]. The towel material is designed to absorb and evaporate water, these features are central to this invention. Cotton is a good material because it is hydrophilic, the fibres absorb water causing the fibres to swell. The water loving cotton spreads the saline water evenly across the surface and inside of the evaporation cloth fibres as they swell.
[0026] “Capillary action, capillarity, capillary motion, or wicking is the ability of a substance to draw another substance into it. The standard reference is to a tube in plants but can be seen readily with porous paper. It occurs when the adhesive intermolecular forces between the liquid and a substance are stronger than the cohesive intermolecular forces inside the liquid. The effect causes a concave meniscus to form where the substance is touching a vertical surface. The same effect is what causes porous materials such as sponges to soak up liquids.” [Wikipedia] “Surface Tension is an effect within the surface layer of a liquid that results in a behaviour analogous to an elastic sheet.” [Wikipedia] “The photo of the water striders also illustrates the notion of surface tension being like having an elastic film over the surface of the liquid. In the surface depressions at their feet it is easy to see that the reaction of that imagined elastic film is exactly countering the weight of the insects.” [Wikipedia]
[0027] The effects of surface tension are reduced by the water loving cotton. The reduction of the surface tension of the water enhances evaporation. The surface of the cotton fibres is a mixture of water and fibres. The energy of the sunlight hitting the small bits of water on the fibres will be more efficiently be converted into energy for evaporation. Reduction of the size of the water units makes evaporation easier. Since the water is evaporated before it falls off the bottom of the evaporation cloth, the amount of water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is minimal, the primary evaporating cloth [ 8 ] is damp to touch. This damp primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will facilitate evaporation when compared to pool evaporation. The suns energy or the energy in the wind is transferred better when it occurs between a fibre of damp cotton and the air than between the air and a pool of standing water. The surface tension of pool water is stronger than the surface tension of water on a damp towel. When water beads on a clean waxed car, the strength of the surface tension will draw the water into a bead, this drop of water will rise in height and assume a position of least surface area. For an water molecule to evaporate it has to escape these forces. Water droplets on cotton will disappear, they will be absorbed into the cotton. Light will evaporate water more effectively when it is absorbed in cotton on a damp primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] than when in a horizontal pond. The huge mass of the water in a pool takes large amounts of the sunlight's energy heating it up The surface of these cotton fibres is a mixture of cotton and water. Significant quantities of this salt water is inside the cotton fibre. The cotton will also hold more water for a short period of time without dripping off the bottom of the evaporating cloths. A pail of water [12 litres] has remained undisturbed near my desalinators for a year. A copious snow fall and 6 inches of spring rain filled the pail to ⅔ full. The water level has risen as a result of rain. The pail has more water in it in September than it had in the spring. The evaporation from the pail was less than the amount of rain fall. Some of the sunlight did not reach the water in the pail. A single desalinator can desalinate a pail of water of this size daily [2 beach towels—total 200 cm×200 cm]. The latent heat of evaporation for water is 2257 KJ/Kg [970 Btu/lb] of water. This is a lot of energy and it takes a while for it to be accumulated from the environment. The latent heat of evaporation for water is the higher than for all other substances. These desalinators work 24 hours a day. The evaporation rate from the cloths will fall as the humidity rises to its saturation point. Sunlight destroys the dyes that are in the beach towels that are available. Black would be the best colour for the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ].
[0028] As depicted in FIG. 1 , there is provided a means for drawing water from the soil to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. As shown in FIG. 1 , in one embodiment the means comprises a filter [ 14 ] to prevent solid particles from plugging valves [ 15 ], a foot valve [ 16 ] protruding below the water table, an associated pump [ 17 ] and riser pipe [ 18 ] for carrying the salty water [ 19 ] from the pump [ 17 ] to the reservoir [ 20 ] and an overflow pipe [ 21 ] which will return surplus salty water to its source if the reservoir [ 20 ] should have surplus salty water.
[0029] The surface tension of water makes it difficult to spread small amounts of water evenly across the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. This problem is overcome by the development of a wicking system which feeds water to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. According to FIG. [ 2 ] a rod or pipe [ 22 ] is placed inside and suspended in a trough [ 23 ]. The trough [ 23 ] is sealed at both ends [ 24 ] and these seals [ 24 ] are used for the placement of the rod or pipe [ 22 ]. One embodiment of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] has it made from 2 inch plastic DVW plumbing pipe. The DVW pipe has the top part of it cut out to make it a trough [ 23 ], the ends and the middle of the DVW pipe are left intact for installation of the pipe or rod [ 22 ], the suspension members [ 10 ] of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] and the placement of the transfer pipe [ 25 ]. The suspension members [ 10 ] are made of threaded rod with nuts securing distribution pipe [ 9 ] and its positioning under the frame [ 3 ] with nuts on top of the frame [ 3 ]. Plumbing fittings [ 24 ] are used to seal the end of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] and suspend the rod or pipe [ 22 ]. Different materials may require different attachment details. The distribution pipe [ 9 ] has adjustments [ 10 ] where it attaches to the frame [ 3 ] so that it can attain be adjusted in its horizontal plane. When in this position an distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] is threaded between the trough [ 23 ] and the rod [ 22 ]. The distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] is then joined so that it surrounds the trough [ 23 ]. The rod [ 22 ] and the trough [ 23 ] are horizontal so that water from the reservoir [ 20 ] accumulates in the bottom of the trough [ 23 ] until the level of the salty water in the trough [ 26 ] reaches the cloth [ 12 ] at the bottom of the rod [ 22 ]. The salty water in the trough [ 26 ] then wicks up the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] until it emerges from the trough [ 23 ] and proceeds around the trough [ 23 ] and down onto a connecting evaporation cloth [ 13 ], which connects the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] and the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. It has to be a loose connection which will allow the unrestricted movement of the cross beam [ 5 ]. As the level of the salty water [ 26 ] rises on the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] in the trough [ 23 ], the rate of water wicking out of the trough [ 23 ] will increase. This is the wicking distance [ 27 ] and the shorter it is the more salty water [ 26 ] will be deposited by capillary action, capillarity, capillary motion, or wicking on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. This will enable the regulation of the flow rate to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] in order to deal with the differences in the evaporation rates of day and night. In extreme evaporation temperatures a doubling of towel material in the distribution pipe evaporation cloth may be required to get sufficient salty water onto the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. Variations in the evaporation rates of sunshine or cloud can be handled by this system. Temperature variations will make for different rates of evaporation. The different evaporation rates of differences in latitude can be handled by this system. When the water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] evaporates, the primary evaporating cloths [ 8 ] get lighter the spring or springs [ 28 ] that are attached to second end [ 7 ] of the cross beam [ 5 ] contract and the flap valve [ 15 ] [ FIG. 3 ] opens putting water into the distribution pipe [ 9 ] via the transfer pipe [ 25 ]. The flow rate through the flap valve [ 15 ] is slow enough so that the water drips when first opened. There is a delayed reaction time between the flap valve [ 15 ] opening, the distribution pipe [ 9 ] filling and the salty water wicking down on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] stretching the spring [ 28 ] to shut off the valve. A slow flow rate will deal with this situation. Temperature and sunlight variations are generally not sudden. At peak evaporation times the valve [ 15 ] should be dripping or at a slow flow all the time. As the flap [ 29 ] moves away from the hole in the valve [ 30 ] the surface tension of the salty water [ 31 ] restricts the passage of salty water through the valve [ 15 ]. The material of the valve [ 15 ] and flap [ 29 ] will affect the surface tension of the water as it passes through the valve [ 15 ] and influence the flow rate through the valve [ 15 ]. The body of the valve [ 15 ] this inventor uses is made of plastic and the flap [ 29 ] is made of rubber. The flap [ 29 ] pivots on an axel [ 32 ] mounted above the valve hole [ 30 ]. As the water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] evaporates and gets lighter the connection rod [ 33 ] will raise the flap valve arm [ 34 ] pulling the flap [ 29 ] away from the hole in the valve [ 30 ]. As the water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] gets heavier and stretches the spring [ 28 ] the cross beam [ 5 ] pivots on its first end [ 6 ] lowering the second end [ 7 ] and closing the flap [ 29 ] on the hole [ 30 ] causing the flow to slow or stop. The flap [ 29 ] closes on a sharpened pipe with a hole [ 30 ] diameter of 1/16 of an inch. The size of the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ] that is appropriate for this valve [ 15 ] is 200 cm×200 cm. The level of salt was low in the water used. The depth of the water [ 31 ] in the reservoir [ 20 ] determines the pressure that pushes the water through the valve [ 15 ]. This is a low pressure flap valve [ 15 ], so the surface tension of the water will influence the performance of the valve [ 15 ]. The surface tension of the salt water will be influenced by the level of salt in the water. The greater the level of salt in the water, the higher the strength of the surface tension. The size of the hole [ 30 ] in the valve [ 15 ] can be used as an adjustment to deal with different valve materials and changes in the surface tension due changes in the amount of salt in the water. A better exchange of energy between the environment and the evaporation cloths will occur when energy from the environment be it sunshine or wind engages with the moist cotton fibres on an evaporation cloth than with a pool of standing water; A growth of algae can occur on the valve [ 15 ], causing it to plug or restrict the rate of flow. An algaecide [ 35 ] can be added to the primary reservoir [ 36 ] as shown in FIG. [ 4 ] to stop this growth.
[0030] The second end of the cross beam is attached to the frame with a spring [ 28 ], so when the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is wet and the flap valve [ 15 ]is closed the weight of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will be on the valve. If the weight of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is allowed to fall on the flap valve arm [ 34 ], then harm could come to the flap valve [ 15 ]. This means that the connection rod [ 32 ] has to have flexibility in its attachment to the flap valve arm [ 34 ]. One embodiment has the connection rod [ 32 ] attached to the flap valve arm [ 34 ] with a lower spring [ 37 ] and an upper spring [ 38 ] attached to the flap valve arm [ 34 ] and two members [ 39 ], attached to the connection rod [ 32 ]. The connection rod [ 32 ] is threaded to enabling the members [ 39 ] to move up and down the connection rod [ 32 ] thus allowing for the adjustment of valve [ 15 ] opening to determine the weight of the water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. The flap valve arm [ 34 ] is designed so that it can move high enough so the valve [ 15 ] can be cleaned without detachment. The mounting adjustments [ 10 ] of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] are used to adjust the uniformity of the salt water that is wicked on to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. If the bottom of one side of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is dry and shows the appearance of salt higher on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] and the other side is wet, then not enough water has been wicked on the dry side. The adjustment can be made by lowering the distribution pipe [ 9 ] and reducing the wicking distance [ 27 ] above the dry side of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] or raising the end of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] and increasing the wicking distance [ 27 ] that is above the side of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] that is wet. If the middle of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is dry then its adjustment could be lowered or if it is wet the centre of the distribution pipe [ 9 ] could be raised. Additional means to attain a level line of crystallized salts [ 11 ] on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] consists of a further use of the centre distribution pipe adjustment [ 10 ] and its extension in the distribution pipe. [ 9 ] to come into contact with the rod or pipe [ 22 ] in an adjustable fashion to allow for the correction of the forces of the weight of the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] to displace the rod or pipe [ 22 ] in the trough [ 23 ] from its uniform suspension in the trough [ 23 ]. Another means to equitability distribute the salt water to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is to remove parts of the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] that go under the rod [ 22 ] closest to the point where the transfer pipe [ 25 ] empties into the distribution pipe [ 9 ]. This location may wick more water than the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] at the ends of the distribution pipe [ 8 ]. A trimming of the distribution pipe evaporation cloth [ 12 ] in the trough [ 23 ] under the rod or pipe [ 22 ] near where the transfer pipe [ 25 ] empties into the trough [ 23 ] maybe required to adjust the uniformity of the salt water [ 26 ] that is wicked on to the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. An overflow outlet [ 40 ] is installed on the end of the trough [ 23 ] that is above the second end [ 7 ] of the cross beam [ 5 ], then if the distribution pipe [ 9 ] should flood the overflow would run down the evaporation cloth [ 8 ] on the second end of the cross beam [ 5 ]. This added weight will close or slow the flow of water through the flapper valve [ 15 ] and stop or reduce the flow of water into the distribution pipe [ 9 ] until an adjustment of the valve [ 15 ] has been made. If the reservoir [ 20 ] should empty of water and the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] should dry up, then an initial overflow of water will occur until the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] is wet enough to close the valve [ 15 ]. Small overflows of about five hundred mls water in this situation are of no consequence since it will fall in the salt container [ 41 ] [ FIG. 5 ] and be evaporated. A periodic flooding of the trough [ 23 ] and primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] could be used to wash the salts into the salt container [ 41 ] if the overflow outlet [ 40 ] were closed. The second end of the cross beam [ 5 ] can be elevated by a temporary connecting arm [ 42 ] [ FIG. 3 ] until sufficient water has been added to the distribution pipe [ 9 ] and primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] to wash the salts [ 11 ] off the evaporation cloth [ 8 ] into the salt container [ 41 ]. The accumulation of salts [ 11 ] at the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will replace a similar weight of water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ], thus reducing its capacity. Regular washing of the salts [ 11 ] into the salt container [ 41 ] may be necessary depending on the salts [ 11 ] or dissolved substances [ 11 ] involved. A hose [ 43 ] attached to a reservoir [ 20 ] could supply water for hand applying the water for the washing of salts [ 11 ] into the salt container [ 41 ]. The individual characteristics of each different salt [ 11 ] or combination of salts [ 11 ] or dissolved substance [ 11 ] or carried substance [ 11 ] will perform differently on the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. Crystallized salts [ 11 ] will be washed off with the flooding of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. This water can be evaporated before the next flooding or wash off. The salt container [ 41 ] [ FIG. 5 ] has adaptations which gives it an ability to deal with rainfall or its flooding and the capture of the salts in a movable form. A frame [ 44 ] is constructed over the salt container [ 41 ] [ FIG. 5 ]. A secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ] is suspended from the frame [ 44 ] over the salt container [ 41 ] and allowed to touch the bottom of the salt container [ 41 ]. The function of the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ] is to wick water up the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ], evaporate the water [ 46 ] and deposit the salts [ 47 ] or other substances [ 47 ]. The frame [ 44 ] has restraints [ 48 ] which prevent the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ] from displacement from the forces of the wind. The salt [ 47 ] in this situation is deposited on the top of the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ]. There is a wet area [ 49 ] at the bottom of these secondary evaporation cloths [ 45 ] as long as they touch salty water [ 46 ]. These secondary evaporation cloths [ 45 ] can be used as the harvesting point for salt removal. They should be installed with salt water [ 46 ] in the salt container [ 41 ] as the salt water [ 46 ] and deposits of crystallized salts [ 47 ] will add to the structure of the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ]. Newspapers can be used as an secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ]. The newspapers could be harvested every couple of months, transported in tote boxes with lids to the appropriate disposal sites. The individual characteristics of each different salt [ 47 ] or combination of salts [ 47 ] or dissolved substance [ 47 ] or carried substance [ 47 ] will perform differently on the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ], some will form hard crystal structures, some might fall back into the salt container [ 41 ]. Wind is significant problem that has to be dealt with in all the construction of the apparatus. The reservoirs have to be secured, the posts have to be in the ground far enough to resist the wind which turns the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ] into sails and the frame moving the posts from their upright stature. The frame has to be able to handle the forces of the wind.
[0031] The amount of rainfall in a particular area would play a part in the decision as to whether a roof [ 50 ] [ FIG. 4 ] is necessary or if the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ] can evaporate the water in the salt container [ 41 ]. A second set of secondary evaporation cloths [ 45 ] could be installed in the salt container [ 41 ] which would increase its ability to evaporate rain water and or salty wash water [ 46 ]. The depth of the salt container [ 41 ] will give capacity to deal with rainfalls or periods of wet weather. The beach towel material that this inventors uses will wick water to a vertical height of 10 inches [24 cm]. Thicker cloths will wick higher. Secondary evaporation cloths [ 45 ] made from discarded newspapers will work well as removable secondary evaporation cloths [ 45 ] as long as they are replaced before they fall apart. Newspapers will wick water to the height of their natural fold. Crystal growth will occur on the top and sides newspapers. The newspaper is hung on the frame [ 44 ]. If the salt container [ 41 ] can hold water to a depth of 6 inches, a significant capacity will be established which can by time for the secondary evaporation cloth [ 45 ] to evaporate the salty water. Extreme weather events and equipment malfunction happen and overflows will occur. An over flow outlet [ 51 ] is installed at the top of the salt container [ 41 ] which would drain water back to the source of the salt water [ 19 ]. The salt containers [ 41 ] will have to deal with the wind. They can be weighted with rocks or tied to the ground or installed in the ground. The primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ] could adjusted to be flooding enough to keep water in the salt container [ 41 ] to keep it in its place. They could be physically configured in such a way to avoid the grasp of the wind. The primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] has ropes [ 52 ] [ FIG. 1 ] or other means to keep them from flapping in the wind. One embodiment has ropes [ 52 ] strung from side to side attached to the frame and on both sides of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. The bottom of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] has to be restrained so a series of loose loops [ 53 ] tied to the bottom rope [ 52 ] and the bottom of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] will provide the restraint required and the freedom required to allow the cross beam [ 5 ] to move from its upper dry position to its lower wet position and its lower wet position to its upper dry position.
[0032] A series of these desalinators [ FIG. 4 ] would increase the volume of water desalinated. When a series of desalinators [ 1 ] FIG. [ 4 ] are used, then a primary reservoir [ 36 ] can distribute salty water to series of reservoirs [ 54 ] [ 20 ] located on each unit [ 1 ]. The reservoirs [ 54 ] are connected with pipes or hoses [ 55 ]. The primary reservoir [ 36 ] is where the algaecide [ 35 ] would be added. The water level in the reservoirs [ 54 ] at a lower elevation are controlled with float valves [ 56 ]. If a particular location does not have electrical power then wind power [ 57 ] can be used. If wind power [ 57 ] is used then a large reservoir [ 58 ] would be required to deal with times of no wind. Human power could be used to fill the reservoirs [ 20 ]. The windmill that this inventor uses produces compressed air. The compressed air powers a displacement pump [ 17 ] which pushes water into the large reservoir [ 58 ]. The large reservoir [ 58 ] has an overflow [ 21 ] [ FIG. 4 ] which sends the surplus water back to the source of the salty water as this pump has no “on off” function. Compressed air could be used to replace the spring and detect the weight of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ] to open the valve [ 15 ] to the distribution pipe.
[0033] If electrical power is used to fill the primary reservoir [ 36 ], then a switch [ 59 ] in the reservoir [ FIG. 4 ] can be used to control the level of water in the primary reservoir [ 36 ]. All reservoirs [ 20 ] [ 54 ] [ 36 ] [ 58 ] are covered with lids [ 60 ] in order to prevent wind blown refuse from getting into the reservoirs [ 20 ] [ 36 ] [ 54 ] [ 58 ] and plugging the valves [ 15 ] [ 56 ]. Periodic cleaning of the reservoirs [ 20 ] will be required in some circumstances as the algaecide [ 35 ] may leave a residue of its activity which may foul the valves [ 15 ] [ 56 ]. A periodic cleaning of the reservoirs maybe required depending on the water used. The controlling of the amount of water on the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ] can be done with weight sensors [ 61 ] [ FIG. 6A ] which can open an electronic valve [ 62 ] to various flow rates depending on the evaporation rates of the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ]. The controlling of the amount of water to the distribution pipe [ 8 ]—[ FIG. 6B ] could be done with a small electronic valve [ 63 ] with a pressurized water system [ 64 ] at the source of the salt water [ 19 ] pushing salty water through the small electronic valve [ 63 ] when a weight sensor [ 61 ] was triggered by the loss of the weight of the primary evaporation cloths [ 8 ]. Computer technology or electronic technology [ 65 ] could be used to control the salt water through the valves in conjunction with the flow volume gauges [ 66 ], weight sensors [ 61 ], wash cycles, or sunshine sensors [ 65 ] and or temperature sensors [ 65 ] which could make them [ 1 ] run more efficiently because they could more accurately put salt water on the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ]. A volume sensor [ 67 ] in the salt container [ 41 ] could tell the computer if there was two much salty water in the salt container to permit the washing of the primary evaporation cloth [ 8 ].
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This invention captures the salt from salt water in an easily transportable form. Most desalinators of the past were enclosed to capture the water vapour that escaped for the production of salt free water. They are enclosed which subtracted some of the suns energy. This invention has no enclosures. This invention can divide water into smaller units. This invention evaporates the water before it falls off the evaporating surface, thus having less water on the evaporating surface which makes evaporation easier. The surface tension of water is reduced by the small amounts of water on the evaporation cloths and with the use of water loving evaporation cloths. When water is dropped on cotton it wicks away and tries to equally distributes the water over its entire length and width. An equitable distribution of water to evaporation cloths is achieved by this invention. An ability to distribute water at various rates to an evaporation cloth in order to deal with the different evaporation rates of day or night or sunshine or cloud.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to the transport of Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) traffic and other non-Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) traffic over a Common Public Radio Interface (“CPRI”) interface.
BACKGROUND
Mobile communications networks include a plurality of base stations, each of which is in communication with an antenna. The base stations have traditionally been located close to their respective antennas. When located in close proximity, many parallel connections are used to couple a modem of the base station to a transceiver near the antenna. When the modem and the transceiver are at the same location, this is not overly burdensome.
Some systems utilize an architecture where a Transceiver and Power Amplifier (“PA”) is located far away from its associated base station, possibly up to several kilometers. This potentially allows a single base station to drive several Transceiver-PA sites, saving the system operator money in terms of a base station investment as well as floor space.
Many networks utilize the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”) technology (one of the third-generation (“3G”) mobile phone technologies), to transmit data between a base station having a modem and its respective remotely-located transceiver. The UMTS technology is commonly used in Europe.
A competing technology for transmitting data between a base station's modem and its transceiver is Code Division Multiple Access-2000 (“CDMA-2000”). CDMA-2000 is a 3G mobile telecommunications standard that uses CDMA, a multiple access scheme for digital radio, to send voice, data, and signaling data (such as a dialed telephone number) between the base stations' modems and their respective transceivers and between mobile telephones and cell sites. CDMA-2000 is often used in the U.S. and in Asia. However, CDMA-2000 is an incompatible competitor of UMTS.
Currently, a base station communicates data with its transceiver and RF antenna via a series of many parallel copper connections. When the modem and the transceiver are at the same location, this is not overly burdensome. However, when the modem and the transceiver are located apart by several kilometers, it is not practical to use such copper interconnect to couple the modem to the transceiver.
Common Public Radio Interface (“CPRI”) is an interface that has been designed to transport UMTS data over a link between, e.g., a base station's modem and its remotely-located transceiver. CPRI has been utilized to transport UMTS data between a base station's modem and its remotely located transceiver when the base station's modem and the remotely located transceiver are separated by, e.g., a kilometer or more. CPRI allows use of a small cable to transfer control communication and baseband data between the modem and the transceiver. CPRI provides a high data rate over far fewer wires than would be possible with the use of a non-CPRI interface. However, no such architecture has been developed for carrying CDMA baseband data over a CPRI interface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless network according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a wireless network according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates a base station, remote head, and antenna according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates the mapping of the AxC Container across Basic Frames according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates a frame structure for a CDMA-2000 data frame according to an embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a Hyperframe according to the Common Public Radio Interface (“CPRI”) standard.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments, a base station communicates CDMA-2000 data frames to a remote head. The base station has a modem and the remote head has a transceiver. The base station and the remote head may be located several kilometers apart. The base station and the remote head communicate the CDMA-2000 data frames via a CPRI interface that is normally utilized to transport UMTS data frames. The base station and the remote head communicate baseband and control data between each other. When the baseband and control data is to be transmitted between the base station and the remote RF head, the data is compiled into various frames with the largest frame having a length of about 2 seconds. The data rate of the CDMA-2000 data is matched with that of the UMTS data, and various vendor-specific information is inserted to provide enhanced functionality and ensure that only authorized base stations can communicate with the remote head.
The CPRI interface allows the transfer of both control data and baseband data via the data frame. The CPRI standard specifies a limited amount of control data being included in the data frame as control bytes. However, these teachings facilitate transmission of RSSI data in the baseband data fields. Accordingly, these teachings permit CDMA baseband data to be conveyed over a CPRI interface and hence the various benefits that are ordinarily associated with a CPRI approach are thus now rendered to a CDMA-based communications system architecture.
FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless network 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The wireless network 100 may utilize, e.g., the CDMA-2000 technology to communicate with subscribers, such as user terminal 105 and user terminal 110 . User terminals 105 and 110 may be, e.g., cellular phones. Base station 115 may provide wireless service to, e.g., user terminal 105 when user terminal 105 is within cell 120 . The base station 115 is typically located close to the antenna 125 . However, as shown in FIG. 1 , the base station 115 may be separated from the antenna by a distance of, e.g., several kilometers. In this case, the base station 115 transmits data to a remote head 117 which is in communication with the antenna 125 .
The remote head 117 transmits and receives signals from the base station 115 , via the antenna 125 , to and from the user terminals 105 and 110 . The base station 115 relays data from the user terminals 105 and 110 to the core network 113 via a backhaul link 112 . When a call is made with, e.g., user terminal 105 , cellular data for the call is transmitted to the core network 113 which transports the cellular data on to its final destination which may be, e.g., another base station and associated antenna providing service to another user terminal.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the base station 115 is in communication with a single antenna 125 to provide cellular service to the cell 120 . However, it may be desirable for the base station to be in communication with multiple RF antennas to provide wireless service to a larger geographical area.
FIG. 2 illustrates a wireless network 150 according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the wireless network includes a base station 155 . The base station 155 is in communication with two remote heads 160 and 165 . The base station 155 includes at least one modem to communicate with remote heads 160 and 165 . The base station 155 manages data flow and resources of a cell 170 being provided with wireless service. The modem within the base station 155 generates and transmits digital baseband data in the downlink direction. The modem transmits the digital baseband data which is then received at the transceiver within either remote head 160 or remote head 165 . The transceiver converts the digital baseband data into an analog signal for transmission by the antenna, as discussed below in FIG. 3 .
To avoid having to use expensive and bulky copper wires to couple the base station to each of the remote heads, the links 170 and 175 are instead cables having, e.g., 4 wires. Alternatively, fiber optic links may be utilized instead of cables links 170 and 175 . The cables are each capable of transmitting UMTS data frames via the CPRI standard. However, an embodiment of the invention is designed to transmit other non-UMTS technologies, such as CDMA-2000 data frames across the respective links 170 and 175 . By utilizing a UMTS-compatible technology such as CPRI, the base station 155 may be physically located several kilometers from the remote heads 165 and 160 and may also provide cellular data frames to more than one remote head, such as, e.g., remote heads 160 and 165 .
FIG. 3 illustrates a base station 200 , remote head 205 , and antenna 210 according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the base station 200 includes a modem 215 . As discussed above, the modem 215 generates and transmits a digital baseband signal across a UMTS-compatible link such as a CPRI link 220 , and the baseband data is received by a transceiver 225 within the remote head 205 . Although only a single modem 215 is illustrated, multiple modems may also be utilized. For example, there may be multiple modems within the base station 200 which all connect to a modem interface that provides the CPRI link. The transceiver 225 is also in communication with a power amplifier 230 and a low noise amplifier 235 . The transceiver 225 receives the digital baseband data and converts it to an analog signal and outputs it to the power amplifier 230 which greatly increases the signal's strength and then outputs the amplified signal to the antenna 210 which transmits the signal. Whenever a signal is received at the RF antenna 210 by, e.g., a user terminal within the cell serviced by the base station 200 , the signal is output by the antenna 210 to the low noise amplifier 235 , which amplifies the portions of interest in the received signal and outputs the amplified received signal to the transceiver 225 . The transceiver 225 subsequently converts the amplified received signal into a digital baseband signal and transports the signal back to the modem 215 at the base station 200 over the CPRI link 220 .
An embodiment of the invention transports 2-second data frames between a base station and a remote head. The large 2-second frame is comprised of 200 Node B frames, each having a length of about 10 msec. Each Node B frame is comprised of 150 Hyperframes, each having a length of about 66.67 usec. The Hyperframes are comprised of 256 Basic Frames. The first portion of each of the Basic Frames, e.g. the first 16 bits, are control data. The control data on some of these Basic Frames include vendor-specific fields. The vendor-specific fields are utilized so that when the 2-second frame is transmitted from, e.g., the base station to the remote head, the remote head has to extract the correct vendor-specific field, such as a vendor-specific identifier (“ID”), in order to process the data in the 2-second frame. In other words, the vendor-specific fields may be utilized to ensure that only authorized base stations can communicate data with the remote head.
CDMA-2000 has a chipping rate of 1.2288 Mbps, but UMTS has a chipping rate of 3.84 Mbps. However, as discussed above, the CPRI standard was designed for the transmission of UMTS data frames. Accordingly, the data rate of the CDMA-2000 are beneficially matched with the data rate of the UMTS in order to transmit a CDMA-2000 data frame over a CPRI link. According to the CPRI specification, one of the supported line bit rates of the link between the base station and the remote head is 1.2288 Gbps. The duration of a Basic data Frame for being transmitted across the link is defined according to inverse of the UMTS chip rate, 3.84 MHz, which is about 260.4166667 nsec. For the 1.2288 Gbps line rate, a Basic Frame consists of 16 words, each 16 bits in length. The first word of each Basic Frame are control bits, and the remaining 15 words are dedicated for U-plane IQ data blocks.
An embodiment of the invention defines a Receive Signal Strength Indicator (“RSSI”) value that is supported for every antenna carrier (“AxC”) on a 512 chip interval. The RSSI data is mapped into a normally NULL Uplink AxC location within a Basic Frame. The RSSI data must be formatted correctly within a 24-bit allocation. The RSSI data is a 12-bit number utilizing the 12 most significant bits.
The AxCs are mapped within a Basic Frame using the packed position option of the CPRI specification. When the prescribed AxC Containers have all been sent for a particular frame, NULL, RSSI, or reserved bits are sent. Unused AxC Containers contain NULL data.
The CDMA-2000 data rate is mapped onto the UMTS-defined CPRI specification by re-defining the way in which the AxCs are mapped within the Basic Frame and across consecutive Basic Frames. The number and duration of Basic Frames has not been changed. However, each Basic Frame does not map to the same set of AxCs. Instead, the 24 supported AxCs are mapped consecutively across three Basic Frames (8 AxC each) with a NULL Basic Frame occurring every 25 Basic Frames. This translates to 8 CDMA chips (25/3=8+1 NULL) worth of AxC data every 25 Basic Frames which accomplishes the conversion between the two radio interface chip rates that have a ratio if 3.84 MHz/1.2288 MHz=25/8.
FIG. 4 illustrates the mapping of the AxC Container across Basic Frames according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, a Super Cell Subframe 300 is comprised of 25 Basic Frames, labeled X=n+0 to X=n+24. The super cell subframe 300 has a length of about 6.51 usec, and each of the Basic Frames have a length of about 260.4 nsec. Each Basic Frame carries 256 bits of data, the first 16 of which are Control (“CTRL”) data, and the remaining of which are the baseband data. FIG. 4 illustrates the components of a Basic Frame of the downlink (“DL”), as well as the components of a Basic Frame on the uplink (“UL”). As shown, in the first Basic Frame 315 , i.e., X=n+0, in order to match the data rates of the CDMA-2000 to the UMTS, as discussed above, the first 240 baseband data bits of the UL and DL Basic Frames are NULL data.
In the second Basic Frame 320 , X=n+1, the first 16 bits comprise the CTRL data, followed by 8 30-bit amounts of data for AxC# 0 -AxC# 7 for the DL Basic Frame, or 7 24-bit amounts of data for AxC# 0 -AxC# 7 followed by 24 NULL bits and an additional 24 bits of NULL or RSSI for the UL Basic Frame.
Accordingly, as discussed above, the CTRL data consists of 16 bits. The Basic Frame formats for X=n+1, X=n+2, and X=n+3 repeat 8 times within the Super Cell Subframe 300 . Each DL Basic Frame AxC container contains 1 sector-carrier of data consisting of 15 bits I and 15 buts Q at the CDMA 1X chip rate. Each UL AxC container contains 1 sector-carrier (without diversity) of data consisting of 6 bits I and 6 bits Q at twice the CDMA 1X chip rate. The AxC containers in the DL Basic Frame and the UL Basic Frame may contain data formatted per Section 4.2.7.2 of the CPRI Specification V1.0. The RSSI Data insertion sequence is repeated every 64 Super Cell Subframes 300 . The RSSI is mapped into the UL Basic Frames 310 in place of NULL data as illustrated in FIG. 4 . The RSSI value for a particular AxC is mapped into the correct location, e.g., as set forth below in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Super Cell
Super Cell Subframe No.
Subframe No.
(Cont.)
RSSI Value
N × 64 + 0
0, 64, 128, 192
Null Data
N × 64 + 1
1, 65, 129, 193
Null Data
N × 64 + 2
2, 66, 130, 194
Null Data
N × 64 + 3
3, 67, 131, 195
Null Data
N × 64 + 4
4, 68, 132, 196
UL AxC 0
N × 64 + 5
5, 69, 133, 197
UL AxC 1
N × 64 + 6
6, 70, 134, 198
UL AxC 2
N × 64 + 7
7, 71, 135, 199
UL AxC 3
N × 64 + 8
8, 72, 136, 200
UL AxC 4
. . .
. . .
. . .
N × 64 + 27
27, 91, 155, 219
UL AxC 23
N × 64 + 28
28, 92, 156, 220
Null Data
N × 64 + 29
29, 93, 157, 221
Null Data
. . .
. . .
Null Data
N × 64 + 63
63, 127, 191, 155
Null Data
FIG. 5 illustrates a frame structure for a CDMA-2000 data frame according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, an embodiment of the invention utilizes a 2-second frame 350 when the data is transmitted between the base station and the remote head. The 2-second length has been selected for optimal performance with CDMA-2000. The 2-second frame 350 includes 200 Node B frames 355 , each of which has a duration of 10 msec. Each of the Node B frames 350 consist of 150 Hyperframes 360 each having a length of 10 msec/150 Hyperframes 360 , or about 66.67 usec. Each of the Hyperframes 360 consist of 256 Basic Frames 365 , each having a length of about 260.4 nsec. The Basic Frames 365 have the same length as the Basic Frames 315 shown above with respect to FIG. 4 . There are a total of 7,680,000 Basic Frames 365 (i.e., (256 Basic Frames 365 )×(150 Hyperframes 360 )×(200 Node B frames 355 )) in a 2-second frame 350 .
The 2-second frame 350 is partitioned into a CDMA-2000 data frame compliant with the CPRI Standard Specification. Each of the Node B frames 350 are partitioned into 6 Super Cell Frames 370 (denoted SCF=0 through SCF=5). The Super Cell Frames 370 each have a length of about 1.67 msec (i.e., the 10 msec of the Node B frame 355 divided by 6). 25 of the Hyperframes 360 discussed above are equivalent to one of the Super Cell Frames 370 . Each of the Super Cell Frames 370 include 256 Super Cell Subframes 375 , as illustrated. Each of the Super Cell Subframes 375 may have a length of about 6.51 usec (i.e., 1.67 msec per Super Cell Frame 370 / 256 Super Cell Subframes 375 ). Each of the Super Cell Subframes 375 may be equivalent to the Super Cell Subframes 300 shown in FIG. 4 . The Super Cell Subframes 375 consist of 25 Basic Frames 380 each having a length of about 260.4 nsec (i.e., 6.51 usec length of Super Cell Subframes 375 /25 Basic Frames 380 ). There are a total of 7,680,000 Basic Frames 380 (i.e., (25 Basic Frames 380 )×(256 Super Cell Subframes 375 )×(6 Super Cell Frames 370 )×(200 Node B frames 355 )) in the 2-second frame 350 in the CDMA-2000 format.
Accordingly, the frame structures shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 provide a structure for formatting data that meets that CPRI specification and can be used to transmit CDMA-2000 data frames across a CPRI link even though the CPRI specification is directed to UMTS, not CDMA-2000. Moreover, RSSI data that would normally be sent as CTRL data, or not sent at all if it is larger than the allotted number of bits for CTRL data, can be sent in the NULL fields on of the UL Basic Frames. Therefore, the formatting of the data into the CDMA-2000 data frames described in FIGS. 4 and 5 is beneficial in that unlike current systems, the CDMA-2000 data frames may be transmitted across a CPRI link.
Moreover, this formatting also provides the use of vendor-specific fields. These vendor-specific fields may be utilized for redundancy management support. For example, there may be multiple CPRI links between a remote head and its associated base station. One of these is primarily used at a particular time. However, in the event that the primary link fails, one of the other backup links will be used instead to transport the data. Vendor-specific control data corresponding to the Port Identifier (“ID”) and the selected link may be transported in the vendor-specific fields. The vendor-specific fields may also include information such as various identifiers to ensure that the remote head can only communicate with a base station supplying the correct identifiers. The vendor-specific fields are utilized so that when the 2-second frame is transmitted from, e.g., the base station to the remote head, the remote head has to extract the correct vendor-specific field to receive the 2-second frame timing.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a Hyperframe 360 according to the CPRI Standard. As illustrated in FIG. 6 , and in FIG. 5 , the Hyperframe includes 256 Basic Frames 365 . The first 16 bits of each basic Frame 360 comprise CTRL data, as discussed above. The CTRL data for each Basic Frame is known as a “Control Word” and are broken into 64 subchannel Numbers and an associated index number X.
Table 2 shown below illustrates an example of a various subchannels and index Xs. The index X of a given control word is given by X=Ns+64*Xs.
TABLE 2
Subchannel
Number Ns
Purpose
Xs = 0
Xs = 1
Xs = 2
Xs = 3
0
Sync &
Sync byte
HFN
BFN-low
BFN-high
Timing
K28.5
1
Slow C&M
Slow C&M
Slow C&M
Slow C&M
Slow C&M
2
L1 inband
version
version
version
version
Protocol
3
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
15
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
16
Vendor
2 sec FLAG
Vendor
Vendor
Vendor
Specific
Specific
Specific
Specific
17
Vendor
Port
Frame/RE
Vendor
Vendor
Specific
ID/Link
Type
Specific
Specific
Sel.
18
Vendor
Version
Vendor
Vendor
Vendor
Specific
number
Specific
Specific
Specific
. . .
Vendor
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Specific
p-1
Vendor
Vendor
Vendor
Vendor
Vendor
Specific
Specific
Specific
Specific
Specific
Pointer p
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
63
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
Fast C&M
As illustrated, there are a number of different CTRL words that can be utilized. There are several vendor-specific CTRL words, as well as a number of predefined CTRL words such as, e.g., those for SYNC & Timing, Slow C&M, L 1 inband Protocol, and Fast C&M.
Subchannel 0 is dedicated for providing synchronization and timing information. There fields are defined by the CPRI specification and are summarized below. The UMTS Node B Frame number is also used in the CDMA-2000 implementation to provide consistency with other implementations.
Subchannel 2 is defined as the L 1 inband protocol contained within the CPRI specification. The HDLC options of either 240, 480 or 960 kbps may be provided by the base station and acknowledged by radio equipment at the remote head during the startup sequence. Filtering of the reset bit on the forward link is a majority 5 decision as defined within the CPRI specification.
Both the slow C&M Channel, based upon HDLC, and the fast C&M Channel, based on Ethernet, are also allowed. Selection of the C&M Channel type is based on program requirements. For the Slow C&M Channel, a 960 kbit/s HDLC data rate is utilized. For the Fast C&M Channel, the CTRL words used for the Ethernet packets are dependent upon the pointer value (see Table 2 to determine applicable X values for a given pointer value).
According to an embodiment of the invention, subchannel number 16 defines 2-second frame timing. The “2 Sec FLAG” indicates that the start of the next Hyperframe 360 marks the 2-second reference. This flag should only occur during the 149th Hyperframe 360 (i.e., the last Hyperframe 360 of a Node B frame 355 .
According to an embodiment of the invention, subchannel number 17 with index Xs=0 is utilized to make the Link selection and provide the Port ID for redundant link purposes. These Port ID/Link selection slot ID bits provide connectivity information to higher layers. On the downlink, subchannel 17 with index Xs=1, the Frame Type is sent by the base station to provide the type of frame the radio equipment in which the remote head is installed. The RE type field is sent by the radio equipment of the remote head to indicate the type of radio equipment that is currently installed.
According an embodiment of the invention, subchannel 18 defines a vendor-specific field version number. This may be utilized to support compatibility with future enhancements to vendor-specific field definitions.
Accordingly, as discussed above, an embodiment of the invention provides a method, apparatus, and system for transporting CDMA-2000 data frames over a CPRI link, thereby allowing a base station to be located to a remote head having a transceiver in communication with an antenna for providing wireless service to a cell. Moreover, because the base station remote heads are remotely located from the base station, a single base station may provide service to multiple remote heads. The CDMA-2000 data frames also include various vendor-specific fields which can be utilized for redundant link selection and to prevent operability between an unauthorized base station and a remote head.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
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A base station has a processor to generate a Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) data frame. The CDMA data frame comprises a plurality of Basic Frames. At least one of the plurality of Basic Frames comprises a vendor-specific field. A modem transports the CDMA data frame over a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”)-compatible link between the base station and a remote head having a transceiver.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pill holding bottles have been used for many years. The caps or closures of these bottles are attached to the bottle by many means, among which is threads.
It is desirable to have an indicator on the cap, or shoulder of the bottle that is for the purpose of indicating if a pill taker has taken or not taken a pill or pills, or tablets, or capsules, etc.
The indicator may indicate many pill takings, or only one pill taking.
The indicator may be adapted to any type of cap or bottle, the only requirement is that the indicator is movable to a new position, and that it is detented by some means to any position that it is moved from or to.
The indicator may conceal an indication from view, or alternatively expose the indication to view.
The desirability of having an indicator for pill bottles appears to be real. A special non-pill bottle package for birth control pills is in effect-an entire package which is an indicator, having a dose in each compartment of the indicator package. This birth control pill package is constructed as one large indicator.
Once the idea of how this indicator might be included at a cost consistent with the cost of packaging pills in bottles, then the approaches that are to be found in the figures in the disclosures become apparent.
There are no indicators added to pill bottle caps, or bottles for that matter, in production today, in spite of pill bottles and caps being in use for years. The need and market acceptability has existed for many years, so the conclusion must be that no one in that business has found a way to include an indicator at a cost which would be "digested" by the marketplace.
In operation one takes a pill, etc., moves the indicator to a position that corresponds (for that person) to having taken that pill, etc., and the indicator acts as a reminder that, that particular pill, etc., has been taken.
At the simplest, one can include an indicator with only one additional inexpensive part that snaps into, or onto, a part that is already needed and has been altered to accept this part.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention, therefore, is provide an indicator on a pill, etc., bottle which will be of sufficiently low cost that it will be acceptable in the marketplace, and if the indicator is designed so as to use a part of the cap or bottle to receive the part or parts required for the indicator, that the cost of providing an indicator can be minimized to a point where the cost is acceptable in the marketplace.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows the indicator as part of the pill bottle cap in a circular configuration.
FIG. 2 shows the indicator as part of the pill cap in a linear configuration.
FIG. 3 shows the indicator as part of the pill bottle.
FIG. 4 shows the pill bottle cap of FIG. 2 attached to the pill bottle.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the pill bottle of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the total pill bottle assembly 10 and 10' consists of a bottle 12 and 12', a neck portion 14 and 14' that receives cap assembly 20 and 20'. Cap assembly 20 and 20' includes a portion 22 and 22' which is adapted to connect cap 20 and 20' to area 14 and 14' of bottle 12 and 12', and a portion of cap 20 and 20' which will receive the moving portion of the indicator 28 and 28'. Cap 20 and 20' area which will receive indicator portion 28 and 28' is altered in area 26 and 26', or alternatively can receive a part with the numbers of letters on it, which will act with the moving additional indicator portion 28 and 28'.
Moving part 28 and 28' is snapped into the receiving area 26 and 26' and has a detent means 32 and 32' which cooperates with cap 20 or 20'. The moving part 28' of FIGS. 2 and 5 is sized to fit securely within area 26' such that it is retained by the side walls of area 26' and is slidable along the linear path provided by area 26'. Moving part 28 and 28' may also include a means 34 and 34' to facilitate the movement of part 28 and 28' and moving part 28 and 28' may also include a window 30 and 30', through which numbers, letters, or other markings are viewed.
In FIGS. 1 and 2 are also shown 23 and 23', 23 and 23' is a separation of part 22 and 22', which is attached to the neck 14 and 14' of the bottle 12 and 12', such that the non-bottle attached portion of cap 20 and 20' is attached to portion 22 and 22' by means of a hinge or some other means, and includes means for closing the cap 20 and 20'. These means are not shown in the figures.
Turning to FIG. 3, only the bottle 112 and the indicator 128 are shown as 110. The shoulder area of bottle 112 below the cap has been adapted to receive indicator part 128.
The explanation of 26 and 26' of the FIGS. 1 and 2, applies to area 126, and the explanations for 30 and 30', 32 and 32', and 34 and 34' relate to 130, 132, and 134 similarly.
FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show embodiments of a method of including an indicator on either the cap or bottle, of a pill bottle. The method shown only requires a change in the cap or bottle to receive a moving part and the addition of detent and marking. These parts will then preform as an indicator, that is changed (operated) at the time of taking a pill, etc., to become an indication that the pill, etc., has been taken, or should be taken.
Included are the situations where a second part which includes some or all of the indicator information may also be added, if that information is not included when the bottle or cap is manufactured.
The indicator information has been shown as part of the moving part receiving area, but it is also recognized that this information could have been included outside the moving part receiving area.
The patent thus shows that by using the method shown, an indicator for a pill bottle may be incorporated at very low cost, the lowest cost being achieved when only one low cost part is added to an altered cap or bottle.
|
A combination pill bottle cap and indicator device adapted to function as the closure or cover for a pill bottle or container. The device includes an indicator providing a visual indication for the user that a pill has been or should be removed from the bottle for consumption.
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CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/365,782 filed Mar. 21, 2002, expressly incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/298,878 filed Jun. 19, 2001, expressly incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention concerns computer-implemented and/or computer assisted methods, systems and mediums for enabling improved control (e.g., parallel control) during advanced process control. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present invention relate to enhanced control of the processing of products, such as semi-conductor wafers, on comparably configured processing devices, such as chambers, utilizing behavior information.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Microelectronic products, such as semi-conductor chips, are fabricated in foundries. In a foundry, batches of products are typically fabricated in parallel on assembly lines using identically configured components such as, e.g., chambers, tools, and modules (e.g., a grouping of tools). The intention is that these assembly lines will produce batches of identical products. Typically, each of these products are made by utilizing a multitude of recipes, where each recipe may be thought of as a set of predefined process parameters required to effectuate a processing outcome.
[0006] It is also often the case that a batch of products, such as a small lot of specialized chips, are produced, and then the next batch of the same type of product is produced minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months later. This later parallel batch could be produced on the same or different assembly line. Despite the time lapse, it is intended that the products in these batches will be identical.
[0007] Though it may be desired that, in the situations mentioned above, the results of a particular recipe (and, where the sum total of the recipes are the same, the final products themselves) be identical from batch to batch, this in fact might not necessarily occur. One reason is because differences in the raw materials that are used from one batch of wafers to another may emerge. For example, one shipment of a raw material may contain chemical impurities that do not exist in a subsequent shipment.
[0008] Another reason for lack of identical results concerns those situations where the manufacture of two different products happens to involve the use of at least one recipe in common (but where, e.g., the recipes used prior to the common recipe for each product differs). Though two different end products may be the ultimate goal, it is still desirable for the specific common recipe to have the same specific result when used in the course of manufacturing each of the two products. However, in reality, the effect of the common recipes may differ somewhat, due to the fact that the processing tools had, prior to the common recipe steps, been performing different tasks in the course of manufacturing each of the two products. E.g., prior to implementing the common recipe, a tool manufacturing product X may have been tasked to provide a relatively deep etch, whereas a tool manufacturing product Y may have been tasked to provide a relatively shallow etch prior to implementing the common recipe. Thus, the ability of a processing tool to reset itself to perform a specific task may be affected by the type of task it had previously been performing.
[0009] When situations such as those mentioned above occur and cause the tools to produce results not otherwise desired by the recipes, techniques exist to allow appropriate modifications to be made to the tool settings. However, if one were to contemplate conveying those modification settings to, e.g., other tools on another assembly line making the same product, a problem one would encounter is that each component of an assembly line, e.g., chambers, tools and modules, is adjusted separately and independently, even though the same product is being fabricated in parallel on another assembly line. While modifications made to one tool or chamber on, e.g., one assembly line could be manually matched in another tool or chamber on, e.g., another assembly line (or re-used on the same assembly line at a later time), no method or process currently exists to provide for automated communication of the modification. These types of communication problems also exist with regard to components on the same assembly line, as well as sub-components on the same component (and even regarding use of the same component or sub-component at different times).
[0010] Consequently, what is needed is an improved scheme for capturing desired behaviors (e.g., parameter settings) of components, and communicating those behaviors to other (and/or later used) components to, e.g., improve consistency of the results of given recipes (or other instruction-based entities).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the conventional technology described above by, e.g., capturing behaviors of one or more assembly line components, and communicating those behaviors to appropriate components of, e.g., other assembly lines within a foundry to, e.g., improve the consistency of the results of a given recipe(s) from use to use. Thus, aspects of the present invention provide for a better form of control among comparably configured processing devices handling parallel workstreams. Accordingly, one or more embodiments of the present invention provide for sharing and/or reuse of behavior information for better control of, e.g., foundry components, even when parallel processing is spaced apart time wise.
[0012] It is envisioned (by one or more embodiments of the present invention) that the present invention can be used in the production of a micro-electronic device using a series of “parallel” assembly lines, where each assembly line includes one or more entities being and/or containing one or more components (e.g., chambers, tools and/or modules) that are configured identically to components of at least one other assembly line. In operation, for example, the component behaviors and the model and/or recipe parameters for converging the results of processing are collected as a first batch is processed by one of a number of components in an assembly line to produce at least one type of micro-electronic device. The information relating to the collected behavior is then shared among identically configured components in another assembly line to produce a second batch of that type of micro-electronic device(s). In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned second batch may also be produced later in time (using the behaviors and model parameters collected during production of the first batch) by one or more components of the same assembly line (or same stand-alone component) as produced the first batch. The present invention also provides, according to one or more embodiments, for extrapolating model parameters for a portion of the assembly line, such as one of the processing devices, to a product (whether same, similar or different) with a similar initial model for that part of the assembly line.
[0013] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, there are provided methods, systems and computer programs for converging, to a target setting, results generated by one or more semi-conductor processing entities including (or itself acting as the) at least one comparably configured component. The present invention includes collecting data representative of one or more behaviors of at least one of the one or more processing entities, said one or more behaviors being collected in the course of the results of the one or more processing entities converging to (or attempting to maintain proximity with) the target setting. The present invention also includes sharing information relating to the data representative of the one or more behaviors with the one or more processing entities from which the data was collected, wherein the sharing of the information facilitates the one or more processing entities receiving the data to converge to (or to attempt to maintain proximity with) the target setting.
[0014] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, the sharing of the information is performed on a wafer-to-wafer basis, and/or performed on a run-to-run basis.
[0015] Collecting data may optionally include measuring the at least one device on a metrology tool. Converging may optionally include adjusting a process parameter for at least one of the comparably configured components subsequent to measuring of the at least one device and prior to processing of a next device.
[0016] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, collecting data includes measuring the at least one device in a batch of devices on a metrology tool, and sharing includes adjusting a process parameter for at least one of the comparably configured components subsequent to measuring of the batch and prior to processing of a next batch.
[0017] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the comparably configured components are on a same semi-conductor processing entity; and/or the comparably configured components are on at least two semi-conductor processing entities.
[0018] Optionally, the adjustment is performed on a same processing entity at substantially different processing times. Optionally, the adjustment is performed on a different processing entity, at a substantially different processing time and/or a substantially same processing time.
[0019] Optionally, sharing includes modifying a recipe for at least one of the comparably configured components subsequent to measuring of the batch and prior to processing of a next batch.
[0020] Optionally, the semi-conductor processing entity includes an integrated metrology tool, and/or a separate metrology tool is provided for the semi-conductor processing entity.
[0021] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the at least one semiconductor processing entity may be controlled from a controller.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The above mentioned and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0023] [0023]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example process tool without advanced process control, with stand-alone metrology.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example process tool without advanced process control, with integrated metrology.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example process tool with advanced process control, using stand-alone metrology.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example process tool with advanced process control, having integrated metrology.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of processing devices used for one or more embodiments of the present invention used in connection with chamber and tool matching on a run-to-run basis.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of processing devices used for one or more embodiments of the present invention in connection with chamber and tool matching on wafer-to-wafer basis.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating one or more alternative and/or overlapping embodiments of the present invention used in connection with various process tools.
[0030] [0030]FIG. 8 is a plan view block diagram showing an example of a tool cluster with chambers, for use in connection with the one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 9 is a line graph illustrating test results of one or more embodiments of the present invention used for chamber matching on processing stations running a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) undoped silicate glass (USG) process.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 10 is a line graph illustrating test results of one or more embodiments of the present invention in connection with chamber matching on processing stations running a subatmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) USG process.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating inputs used to model a process for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention, together with outputs.
[0034] [0034]FIG. 12 is a line graph illustrating simulated results of one or more embodiments of the present invention in connection with chamber matching on processing stations running Black Diamond (TM) film on a PECVD processor showing open loop vs. closed loop runs.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 13 is a line graph illustrating simulated predicted results for use of one or more embodiments of the present invention in connection with a closed-loop run of Black Diamond (TM) film on the PECVD processor.
[0036] [0036]FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating one process tool for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0037] [0037]FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating two process tools for use with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0038] [0038]FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a process tool communicating with a controller for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0039] [0039]FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating multiple peer process tools controlled by a controller for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0040] [0040]FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating multiple process tools, including different types of peers, controlled by a controller for use with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0041] [0041]FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a process module and various applications of one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0042] [0042]FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating process module level control for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention.
[0043] [0043]FIG. 21 is a flow chart illustrating a portion of the control processing in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0044] The following detailed description includes many specific details. The inclusion of such details is for the purpose of illustration only and should not be understood to limit the invention. Throughout this discussion, similar elements are referred to by similar numbers in the various figures for ease of reference. In addition, features in one embodiment may be combined with features in other embodiments of the invention.
[0045] A process control system, such as a semi-conductor fabrication plant, may include process tools each perhaps with multiple chambers, wherein each of the chambers is intended to work in parallel on a stream of products, to produce essentially identical products or products where at least some of the processing is essentially identical. One or more embodiments of the present invention concern matching (e.g., imparting the behavior information of one component to another component) between one or more comparably configured components (e.g., chambers on one or more process tools) where products are processed in parallel. One or more embodiments of the present invention also provides for matching where the products are processed at different times, perhaps on the same or different process tool(s). The designation “parallel” is used to indicate that two (or more) streams of products are being subjected to at least some comparable processing (e.g., parallel assembly lines), whether at more or less the same time or at different times.
[0046] [0046]FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams illustrating process tools 101 , 201 . Each has multiple chambers 103 , each of which may process one or more wafers. The process tool 101 in FIG. 1 has a separate, stand alone metrology tool 105 .
[0047] A batch of wafers processed by the process tool 101 is measured by the metrology tool 105 for specification compliance after processing of the batch is completed. On the other hand, the process tool 201 of FIG. 2 incorporates a metrology tool 203 ; wafers may be measured by the incorporated metrology tool 203 as they are processed in the process tool 201 without necessarily awaiting completion of processing on the batch.
[0048] With some process control to control and/or coordinate the configuration of the chambers 103 , matching of the desired configurations and/or output of the chambers 103 becomes possible. The closer that the process control is integrated into the processing, the faster the chambers 103 can be matched. The ability to control the configuration of chambers 103 , regardless of the tool 101 , 201 on which they are located, renders the tool 101 , 201 essentially invisible to the process of chamber matching.
[0049] [0049]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate process tools 301 , 401 with advanced process control (APC) 303 (or some portion thereof) integrated therein. Chamber matching can be done on the process tool 301 in FIG. 3 on a run-to-run basis, since the metrology tool 105 is separate. However, for the process tool 401 with integrated metrology tool 203 , matching may be done on a wafer-to-wafer basis because each wafer may be measured after processing (if desired) and the result of the measurement may be used to adjust the recipe and/or model parameters for subsequent wafers.
[0050] Reference is made to FIGS. 5 and 6. Alternatively, the system can match one or more comparably configured chambers on different tools; or some combination thereof. Consider an example of two copies of the same tool, 301 , 401 each having one or more particular chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers 103 running a particular CVD process. The present invention according to one or more embodiments will match the performance of one or more of those chambers, even though they may be on different tools. The chambers are configured in a comparable way, so that in respect to their portion of processing on the intended product, each is intended to produce an “identical” (considering tolerances) result. The chambers are “identical” in that they are supposed to perform the same processing, optionally, in a physically different tool. In essence, there are multiple copies of the same tool and/or chamber working in parallel on different batches of chips.
[0051] The match could be at the chamber level or it could be at the tool level. That is, it could be matching just a chamber, it could be matching any two or more chambers on the same tool or any two or more chambers on different tools or the same chamber on the same tool at a later time, providing they are the same kind of chamber running the same kind of process. Also, one can match the whole tool performance to two (or more) separate tools of the same type, provided they are identical copies.
[0052] Reference is made to FIG. 5, one example of where chamber matching may be done on a batch basis. The system will process a batch of wafers in one of the chambers 103 on the process tool 301 , and take them out of the process tool 301 to a stand alone metrology tool 105 , measure them, and enter the measurement results into the APC 303 software. The APC 303 software will determine any adjustments to be made, provide a modified recipe for the next batch of wafers, and then input that recipe into the process tool for the next batch of wafers.
[0053] Reference is made to FIG. 6 one example where chamber matching may be done on a run-to-run basis. In order to make adjustments wafer-to-wafer within a batch, there should be provided a way to measure and/or adjust wafer-to-wafer. In this example, this includes an integrated metrology tool 203 and the APC 303 (or a portion thereof) running on the process tool 401 .
[0054] The APC 303 provides a program (or communication with a program running on a controller) that is controlling the process on the chambers 103 and/or process tools 401 to be matched. It includes a process that makes recipe adjustments, preferably automatically, and changes set points on the process tool 401 . Preferably, these set points are provided in a table and are based on a simulated outcome from a previous process. They may be predetermined, based on simulations, actual results and/or calculations (as discussed further below).
[0055] [0055]FIGS. 5 and 6 also reference a Separate Module Controller (SMC) 501 . The SMC is implemented, according to one or more embodiments, as hardware and/or software, for enabling connection to and communication of adjustments for matching regarding tools, process modeling and/or process control. The SMC may, for example, be a computer with communications capability. It links two or more process tools, and it provides the communication between the various process tools that are connected to it. Also, the SMC may, for example, be configured so as to communicate with the individual process tools via a remote module controller, or the module controller can be integrated into each tool. The module controller may also include dial in capabilities or may otherwise communicate in any appropriate method with a common server, in order to access the controller software.
[0056] Reference is made to FIG. 7, showing various alternative (and/or overlapping) implementations of a system that may be used in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention. In the first implementation 701 , the APC is executed on a separate CPU running the APC 703 ; it is not embedded in the tool controller 705 or process tool 707 . An appropriate communications interface, such as for example the standard Semiconductor Equipment Communication Standard (SECS) 715 communication protocol, interfaces between the APC 703 and the tool controller 705 . The APC 703 provides the program (or communication with the program running on a controller) that controls the process(es) on the chambers and/or tools 707 to be matched.
[0057] The SMC software that performs the actual process control computation, according to these implementations, is on a stand alone computer 713 . The SMC computer 713 is linked, for example such as through a local area network (LAN) or through hardwiring 715 to the process tool 707 and the SMC computer 713 communicates with the tool controller 705 included on the process tool 707 . (Process tools conventionally include some type of a tool controller.)
[0058] Whether or not the process tool 707 is executing under the APC, the tool controller 705 conventionally provides the ability to run the recipes on the process tool. In the first implementation 701 , the APC 703 is a separate device, physically separated from the process tool 707 and communicating therewith.
[0059] In the second implementation 709 , the APC 703 is embedded into the process tool 707 . The APC 703 is packaged on the tool, and it communicates on an interface 715 with the tool controller 705 through an application programming interface (API), such as for example a conventional dcom API interface protocol. In the second implementation 709 the API is included in the APC 703 , and the APC 703 is located physically on the process tool 707 .
[0060] The third implementation 711 may be considered to be an extension of an idea embodied in the second implementation 709 . Here, the separate APC 703 it is not provided as a physically separate stand alone hard drive. According to this implementation the APC software advantageously runs on the same hard drive on which the tool controller 703 runs, so that the APC 703 is physically embedded in both the process tool 705 and the tool controller 707 . This presents a more unitary implementation for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0061] Reference is made to FIG. 8, a block diagram of an example process tool 801 . In this example, there are provided three chambers 803 that are on the top and the left and right side (in the plan view). Each chamber 803 includes two processing stations 807 where the wafers sit, so each chamber can process two wafers at a time, on this particular tool. Not all process tools are configured in this manner. The principles discussed here nevertheless apply to other types of process tools. The two stations 807 are referred to as “left” and “right” twins. This particular process tool 801 can be configured with three identical chambers, all depositing the same film, or configured with different chambers, each running a different type of film. The control concepts according to one or more embodiments of the present invention are used to match two or more products produced by two or more selected chambers 803 , and/or left and right twins to each other. A wafer is loaded into a chamber 803 by a loadlock 805 . A number of such process tools can be used in an assembly line. There might be a bank of perhaps five process tools 801 in a row, all running a particular step. These would further be incorporated into several assembly lines. A specific example of a process tool 801 is the Producer (TM) from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif.
[0062] Reference is made to FIG. 9, a graph illustrating an example of matching of different processing stations. This data was generated by a Producer (TM) tool running a PECVD USG (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition undoped silicate glass) process, and shows film thickness data. The left station thickness 903 and right station thickness 901 converge to within 20 angstroms after about 15 wafer pairs. The RF (radio frequency) processing time 905 , 907 in the left 905 and right 907 chambers is adjusted after nine wafer pairs are processed. (An adjustment of the RF processing time will affect the wafer thickness.) There is a target thickness mean, in this case, of 10,000 angstroms, hence, the indicated target film thickness 911 is 10,000 angstroms. The open loop result, i.e., with no process control, is 10,173 angstroms; with process control, the result is 10,003 angstroms. As is illustrated by the graph, without use of the present invention, the mean thickness is 173 angstroms too high. On the other hand, using an embodiment of the present invention, the result is well within tolerances. The standard deviation without the invention is 70, whereas with an embodiment of the invention it is 48, a smaller and therefore more desirable number.
[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 9, embodiments of the invention were used to match the film thickness between the left and right processing station of the same chamber. The chamber had two processing stations internally that were matched using an embodiment of the invention, to match the results of the left processing station with the right station. The results of those two processing stations were brought into convergence toward each other and toward the target results utilizing the invention. This example illustrates one possible use of the invention to do left-to-right matching, within the same chamber. One or more embodiments of the present invention also contemplate chamber-to-chamber matching, and similar results including convergence are anticipated.
[0064] There are up to three chambers on a typical Producer (TM) tool; therefore there are up to six processing stations. So using one or more embodiments of the present invention, one could cause any combination of two or more of those processing stations, even all six processing stations, to converge to the target. Other tools with which the invention might be used might have any number of chambers, with single, double or more wafer processing capacity. The measured stress results are an indication of film integrity. If there is a high stress in the film, the film is more likely to crack or peel or have other defects; hence, typically there is a target stress value as well as a target thickness. There is also a target refractive index (RI) value. While adjusting the thickness under control it is preferable not to negatively affect some other target film property such as stress or RI.
[0065] The results in the graph of FIG. 9 confirm that although the thickness is converging to the target value, this did not have any detrimental impact on the stress or the RI. To the contrary, the data shows that the embodiments of the present invention used to generate the data in FIG. 9 favorably tightened the distribution on both the stress value and RI value as well as the thickness. Use of the invention resulted in data closer to the target results.
[0066] The left axis of the graph shows thickness measurements in angstroms that are taken from wafer pairs from different matched chambers. The right axis shows processing time consumed for RF processing of each wafer, the processing time being the parameter that is being adjusted.
[0067] The RF time, 905 , 907 begins at 71,000 milliseconds. Both left and right RF time 905 , 907 are the same initially because the invention is operating under open loop conditions and so is not making any adjustments. During open loop conditions, all wafers use the same RF time. When the embodiments of the present invention depicted in FIG. 9 began running adjustments at wafer pair number 9 , adjustments were made to the RF time between the left and right processing station, and hence the graph shows a difference in processing time.
[0068] In order to match these two chambers, the system adjusts the right and left RF time 905 , 907 in the right and left chambers, respectively, to make the selected adjustment. The graph illustrates the right RF time 907 after wafer pair number 9 coming down to 69,400, then oscillating around 69,800 after wafer pair number 16 . The left RF time 905 is still staying up around 70,000 milliseconds after wafer pair number 14 .
[0069] Still referring to FIG. 9, the two sets of data showing right and left thickness 901 , 903 on the top part of the graph begin with wafer pair number 1 ; there is a difference in thickness, exhibited out to about wafer pair number 13 . The reason for the initial difference is that the system is running in open loop mode for the first ten wafer pairs. When the present embodiments of the invention begin making adjustments at wafer pair number 10 , the thickness measurements converge about three wafers thereafter. Then once it is converged by about wafer pair number thirteen, the two lines, and hence the left and right thickness 901 , 903 are tracking each other.
[0070] When new lot 909 is introduced a first wafer effect is created and the system needs to recalibrate itself. This may take two or three wafers.
[0071] In this particular example, the system can affect the RF time to adjust the film thickness. (RF is a wafer treatment for depositing film wherein the chamber energizes certain gases therein for a period of time to cause the deposition of film on the wafer.) In other types of processing, other model or recipe parameters would be adjusted to achieve desired different results. Although the example of FIG. 9 is PECVD of USG film, it should be understood that the present invention may be used with any type of process tool and/or other components, with other types of processing, and/or with other adjustments, as would be understood by one of skill in this art, to achieve desired results. However, the invention is not limited to the types of chambers and processing (or other necessary specific results or criteria) which are provided herein by way of example, and these examples are not intended to be exhaustive.
[0072] Reference is made to FIG. 10, illustrating the invention as applied in an example using another alternative embodiment to a different type of process tool, here a Sub-Atmospheric Chemical Vapor Deposition (SACVD) process tool. This example uses a different kind of hardware to deposit the same film, illustrating that one or more embodiments of the present invention can apply to multiple types of processes and multiple types of films. The typical mismatch between the left and right processing station in this example is around 70 angstroms. The graph shows the left-right difference 1001 . The goal is for this difference 1001 to become or approach zero. FIG. 10 shows the difference 1001 approaching zero after closed loop control is initiated.
[0073] In this example, the spacing between the wafer and the shower head is being adjusted to achieve the match. In the previous example, time was adjusted to achieve the match. As shown in the graph of FIG. 10, the left spacing and right spacing 1005 , 1007 are essentially the same up to wafer set number 5 , and then they start to deviate. The Best Known Method (BKM) spacing 1003 or the recommended spacing is 300 mils. for either left or right side. In order to achieve a match of film thickness this embodiment of the invention used 303 mil for the left spacing 1005 and 297 mils for the right spacing 1007 . One may observe from this that there are extremely minute but important changes in the wafer position, relative to the shower head such that a small amount of tweaking enables matching. The adjustment is very sensitive.
[0074] The APC determines the amount of adjustment to be made, according to one or more embodiments, by use of any available model that describes the process. One appropriate model that determines an adjustment is the iAPC configuration option, available from Applied Materials, in connection with tools sold under trademarks including Producer(TM), Centura(TM), Mirra (TM), Reflexion (TM) or Endura(TM). According to one such model, the first wafer is run on the process tool and then the result is measured on the first wafer; the measured result is entered into the model. The model computes what the result should have been, compares it to the actual result, and determines a different set of processing conditions, if any, that would theoretically meet the target. That information includes an adjustment in the recipe for the next wafer. In the time it takes the robot to move the next wafer into the chamber, the calculations are done, the new recipe set point (including the adjustment) is determined, and the adjustment to the process tool is made.
[0075] Reference is made to FIG. 11. This is a block diagram illustrating typical input parameters and measured output for a Black Diamond (TM) (available from Applied Materials) process, used for determining an appropriate adjustment in a recipe. The model 113 simulates for a given inputted value of RF time 1101 , spacing 1103 , and power 1105 , the resulting film thickness 1107 , stress 1109 , and refractive index 1111 .
[0076] A unique model is built for each process and subsequently stored and made available for later reference. Hence, the model illustrated here would be different for other devices. For example, the input parameters could differ. On an etch tool, as one example, the typical adjusted parameters could include RF time, power, and/or one or more gas flow rates. There might be three or four or even more different input parameters, and likewise the outputs that are measured will differ. These and other models for determining adjustments are commercially available, as mentioned above.
[0077] Reference is made to FIG. 12, showing a simulated example Black Diamond (TM) process, with open loop vs. closed loop data. This simulation illustrates that closer chamber matching is possible with closed loop control. In this particular example, 351 pairs were run through the simulated invention. A left chamber 1201 and right chamber 1203 are run under open loop conditions 1209 . The left and right mean is 11,000 angstroms, the standard deviation is 120, and the left to right mean in angstroms is 155. In contrast, a left chamber and right chamber 1205 , 1207 run under closed looped conditions 1211 yield a left and right mean of 11,000 angstroms, a standard deviation of 85, a left to right mean of 1.2 angstroms, and a standard left to right deviation of 99; the left mean is 11,001 angstroms, the standard deviation is 77, the right mean is 11,000 angstroms, and the right standard deviation is 94.
[0078] Reference is made to FIG. 13 illustrating a simulated closed loop run, with RF time adjusted, of Black Diamond (TM) film thickness. This graph illustrates the right and left time 1301 , 1303 , as well as the left and right thickness 1305 , 1307 , under simulated closed loop run conditions. As is illustrated, the left and right mean is 11,000 angstroms, and the standard deviation is 85; the left mean is 11,001 and the left standard deviation is 77, the right mean is 11,000 angstroms, the right standard deviation is 94, the left to right mean is 1.2 angstroms, and the left to right standard deviation is 99. This illustrates that left and right chamber matching is achieved by continuous RF time control.
[0079] Reference is now made to FIG. 14, illustrating a block diagram of a process tool with integrated automatic process control (APC), as envisioned for use with one or more embodiments of the present invention. As is illustrated here, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an APC 1417 is included at least in part on a particular process tool 1405 , and is used to optimize the wafer results by controlling operational performance of a process tool 1405 , using model based control. The APC includes data collection, appropriate hardware and software models to enable the process tool to operate as desired. A customer 1401 will supply its desired wafer result target(s) 1403 to the process tool 1405 . The result target(s) 1403 will be incorporated into the processing by the APC 1417 , which will drive the tool controller 1411 in order to obtain the result target. The APC obtains (and/or shares) behavior information and attempts to converge the results of the process tool to the target utilizing the behavior information to adjust the processing parameters. Note that appropriate communications devices may optionally be included, in this illustrated embodiment including generic equipment model (“GEM”)/SECS interface 1415 and/or a graphical user interface (GUI) 1409 . Additionally, if desired, external data 1407 can be taken into account as input by the process tool 1405 .
[0080] Reference is now made to FIG. 15, showing a block diagram of one or more embodiments of the present invention used with an optional separate module control (“SMC”). The SMC contains module level models that provide for automatically setting process tool results targets, for example in a multi-tool environment. As illustrated, multiple process tools 1503 such as smart tools (i.e. having embedded computer intelligence) are included. Each of the process tools 1503 in this example includes an APC 1505 , which enables the process tool 1503 to become part of a process module, and a tool controller 1507 . The APC obtains (and/or shares) behavior information and attempts to converge the results of the process tool to the target utilizing the behavior information to adjust the processing parameters.
[0081] Reference is now made to FIG. 16, a block diagram illustrating top level control for one or more embodiments of the present invention. The process tool 1601 includes a tool controller 1603 , as well as a SECS 1605 , communicating to a cell controller 1609 . The cell controller communicates with other devices via a fab message bus 1607 . Multiple process tools and/or devices of other types may be connected together via a fab message bus. Moreover, the fab message bus may communicate with a fab controller providing overall control over an assembly line. Communications include, inter alia, behavior information used to coverage processing results. The benefits of tool level control are that the tool monitoring is embedded, which allows a high level performance on control. Further, this enables automatic process results, rather than trial-and-error or manual process parameter settings. Additionally, this enables enhanced process tool performance both on a wafer-to-wafer level and a within-wafer level, together with integrated metrology. Standard interfaces may be utilized to allow monitoring of data. Reference is now made to FIG. 17, a block diagram illustrating a multiple tool level control over peer process tools that may be used in connection with one or more embodiments of the invention. An SMC 1701 is provided to control multiple peer tools 1705 , that is, process tools of a similar type. As illustrated, these peer tools are capable of being configured in a comparable manner. The SMC 1701 communicates with the peer tools 1705 via a message bus 1707 . This allows for unified control over any porting of models, remote viewing of the process tools, and results matching from chamber to chamber and/or process station to station, regardless of process tool, as well as from tool to tool. The level of commonality of the chambers and the results can be analyzed, preferably by the SMC 1701 . Further, the productivity can be matched and the throughput can be balanced by appropriate control in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. Optionally, the SMC 1701 includes GUI 1703 interface.
[0082] Reference is made to FIG. 18, a block diagram illustrating multiple tool level control that may be used in connection with one or more embodiments of the present invention. Here, the SMC 1701 communicates to the process tools 1805 , 1807 via the fab message bus 1809 communicating with an APC 1811 on each process tool 1805 , 1807 . The customer 1803 provides the module target 1801 to the SMC 1701 . The SMC utilizes its typical process models in order to determine the recipes that should be loaded onto each of the process tools 1805 , 1807 . The SMC can adjust each process tool recipe in order to achieve a particular result target. The SMC can also enable chamber matching across the various different types of process tools 1805 , 1807 .
[0083] Reference is now made to FIG. 19, a block diagram illustrating a system having a process module application, which may be used with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The illustrated system includes an SMC 1701 with optional GUI 1901 , communicating with various process tools 1911 , 1913 , 1915 via a fab message bus 1903 . An assembly line is provided, including a chemical mechanical polisher (“CMP”) 1909 , electrico-chemical platter (“ECP”) 1907 and physical vapor deposition (“PVD”) 1905 . Chambers can be matched across process tools that are of the same type, in order to permit assembly line processing through the CMP, ECP and PVD tools. More or fewer tools, or tools of different types and/or configurations, could be implemented in other embodiments.
[0084] Reference is now made to FIG. 20, a block diagram illustrating a system having process module level control for use in connection with one or more embodiments of the invention. A controller 2001 is provided, in this example, a module server on a computer. The controller 2001 communicates with the process tools 2005 via a fab message bus 2003 , using SECS protocol 2011 . Alternatively, the module server may communicate with the APC 2009 via a network connection such as an Ethernet network 2008 . In this illustration, there are provided multiple process tools 2005 connected directly or indirectly to the controller 2001 .
[0085] Reference is now made to FIG. 21, a flow diagram for one or more embodiments of the invention, showing the processing at the process tool level. This example could be executed, for example, on the processing devices corresponding to that shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. Here, at step 2101 , the process tool obtains a wafer for processing. At step 2103 , the process tool (or controller, such as process tool controller or process controller) checks whether behavior information exists for this process tool. At step 2105 , the process tool (or other controller) checks whether the behavior information is appropriate for this type of processing. The “same type” process could be, for example, the identical processed device, or a same recipe (or recipe combination) used for this processing step even if the ultimate processed device is different.
[0086] According to one or more embodiments, steps 2103 and 2105 are also executed when the process tool detects that it has switched to processing a new type of device. If for example the process tool was an etch device, it would detect that it received a new family of recipes, as a result of a user instructing the fab as to the family of recipes to use for that step. The etch recipe can then be tuned, if behavior information exists, to the appropriate recipe for the new product. This allows the system to more quickly characterize and optimize the performance of a process tool.
[0087] The behavior information has been provided in some manner, such as a broadcast from a parallel processing tool, or central storage for example. If there is appropriate behavior information, at step 2107 , the process tool uses the behavior information and parameters to adjust the recipe. By use of behavior information, the process tool “learns” and applies the learning from prior processing that is sufficiently similar or analogous to the current processing.
[0088] At step 2109 , the process tool processes the wafer in accordance with the recipe, which may have been adjusted to take into consideration available behavior information. At step 2111 , the process tool (or other metrology tool) measures the wafer as usual. At step 2113 , having obtained the metrology results, the process tool obtains a process control computation, probably from the process controller. The process control computation, discussed above, may be provided in any appropriate manner, and is intended to adjust the processing to be closer to specification. Process control computations are available to those skilled in the art.
[0089] At step 2115 , the process tool determines whether a recipe parameter was adjusted. This could be determined, for example, because the process tool received an adjusted parameter, or received a new recipe. If the recipe parameter was adjusted, the process tool broadcasts the recipe parameter adjustment to parallel process tools at step 2117 . The broadcast could be accomplished, for example, by transmitting the adjusted recipe and/or adjusted recipe parameters to the process controller, which then broadcasts the adjustment to parallel process tools. Alternatively, if the process tools communicate with each other, the adjustment could be broadcast directly to the parallel process tools. As a further alternative, the recipe adjustments (behavior information) could be stored centrally, and could be accessed by each process tool. The adjusted recipe parameter is also stored at the process tool, at step 2119 . The process tool determines whether it is done processing wafers at step 2121 , and if not, it loops back to obtain the next wafer for processing at step 2101 .
[0090] In connection with the flow chart of FIG. 21, it will be noted that conventional methods can be provided for avoiding collisions between behavior information. If there is a collision, for example, the system could take most recent data, or data having results closest to target, or data from highest numbered process tool, or any combination of the foregoing. It is possible to provide for allocation and de-allocation of storage at appropriate points in the flow chart, if more sophistication is desired. Further, it will be appreciated that the broadcast of behavior information could be provided in a number of ways. For example, a simple transmission could be in accordance with any utilized communication protocol between process tools and/or process controller(s). Moreover, a broadcast of behavior information data could be provided to local and/or remote process tools, even over the Internet. Hence the invention is not necessarily limited to use in a single fab, and indeed the broadcast data could be transmitted among multiple fabs and/or customers and/or users if desired.
[0091] While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
[0092] The invention has been described in connection with specific process tools, although other examples of process tools have been provided. It is not intended to limit the invention to these specified process tools. More specifically, this invention is intended to accommodate any process tool, including any type of process tool used in manufacturing semi-conductors.
[0093] As another example, the advanced process control may be implemented on a general purpose computer or on a specially programmed computer. It may also be implemented as a distributed computer system, rather than a single computer system. Further, some of the distributed systems might include embedded systems; the programming may be distributed among processing devices and/or metrology tools and/or other parts of the process control system.
[0094] Similarly, the processing may be controlled by software on one or more computer systems and/or processors and/or process tools, or could be partially or wholly implemented in hardware. Moreover, the advanced process control may communicate directly or indirectly with relevant metrology tools and processing tools, or the metrology tools and processing tools may communicate directly or indirectly with each other and the advanced process control.
[0095] Further, the invention has been described as being implemented on a closed network. It is possible that the invention could be implemented over a more complex network, such as an Intranet, the Internet, or it could be implemented on a single computer system. Moreover, portions of the system maybe distributed (or not) over one or more computers, and some functions maybe distributed to other hardware, such as tools, and still remain within the scope of the invention.
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The invention relates to a method, system and computer program useful for producing a product, such as a microelectronic device, for example in an assembly line, where the production facility includes parallel production of assembly lines of products on identically configured chambers, tools and/or modules. Control is provided between such chambers. Behaviors of a batch of wafers (or of each wafer) are collected as the first batch (or each wafer) is processed by one of the identically configured chambers in one assembly line to produce the microelectronic device. The information relating to the behavior is shared with a controller of another one (or more) of the identically configured chambers, process tools and/or modules, to provide an adjustment of the process tool and thereby to produce a second batch (or next wafer) which is substantially identical, within tolerance, to the first batch (or wafer).
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to fiber reinforced composite material suitable for aerospace applications, and also relates to prepreg for the production thereof and an epoxy resin composition suitable for use as matrix resin thereof.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] High in specific strength and specific modulus, fiber reinforced composite materials containing reinforcement fiber such as carbon fiber and aramid fiber have recently been used widely for manufacturing structural materials for aircraft, automobiles, etc., and sporting goods such as tennis rackets, golf shafts, and fishing rods, as well as general industrial applications.
[0003] Such fiber reinforced composite materials can be manufactured by, for example, preparing prepreg, which is a sheet-like intermediate material composed of reinforcement fiber impregnated with uncured matrix resin, stacking a plurality of such sheets, and curing them by heating; or placing reinforcement fiber in a mold, injecting liquid resin into it to prepare an intermediate material, and curing it by heating, which is called the resin transfer molding method. Of these production methods, the use of prepreg has the advantage of enabling easy production of high performance fiber reinforced composite material because the orientation of the reinforcement fiber can be controlled accurately and also because a high degree of design freedom is ensured for the stack structure. As the matrix resin of such prepreg, thermosetting resins are mainly used from the viewpoint of productivity-related properties such as heat resistance and processability, and in particular, epoxy resin compositions are preferred from the viewpoint of mechanical characteristics such as adhesion between resin and reinforcement fiber, their dimensional stability, and the strength and rigidity of composite materials produced from them.
[0004] Among others, polyfunctional aromatic epoxy resins, which can form cured resin materials with a small epoxy equivalent and a high crosslink density, have been adopted favorably as matrix resin for reinforcement fiber of fiber reinforced composite materials used for producing fiber reinforced composite materials needed in the field of aerospace applications where materials with increased lightweightness, improved material strength, and durable stability are now required in order to meet demands that are increasing in recent years. Although they accordingly have enabled resin design with high elastic modulus and high heat resistance, cured resins produced from them tend to be low in deformability and ductility. There have been some attempts to solve this problem, such as adding a rubber component or thermoplastic resin, which are inherently high in toughness, to form a phase separation structure with epoxy resin. In this method, however, the resin tend to undergo a large increase in viscosity, which can lead to deterioration in processability and insufficient impregnation of reinforcement fiber.
[0005] Meanwhile, a study has disclosed a method that adopts thermoplastic resin with a medium degree of molecular weight to form prepreg with high tackiness and drape properties (see Patent document 1). Another study has proposed a technique that uses a large quantity of low molecular weight thermoplastic resin to develop high ductility in spite of low viscosity (see Patent document 2). Specifically, a process has been disclosed that uses a large quantity of polysulfone oligomers for amine terminals to realize high ductility while maintaining low viscosity. Patent document 3, furthermore, proposes that not only the solvent resistance is improved, but also the prepreg processability can be enhanced by adding polyethersulfone having a weight-average molecular weight of 21,000.
PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
[0006] Patent document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-167333
[0007] Patent document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. SHO-61-228016
[0008] Patent document 3: International Publication WO2012/051045
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0009] However, the method proposed in Patent document 1 cannot develop toughness because it is not designed for using thermoplastic resin with a largely decreased molecular weight and has difficulty in adding a large amount of thermoplastic resin.
[0010] The method proposed in Patent document 2 has problems such as a decrease in heat resistance and excessive flows of resin during molding, leading to unevenness in fiber's volume content and orientation in moldings and significant variations in mechanical characteristics.
[0011] The method proposed in Patent document 3 cannot realize a sufficiently high processability to provide fiber reinforced composite material having interlayer toughness.
[0012] Thus, currently no resin compositions are available that can develop high ductility while ensuring sufficiently high heat resistance and processability, and no fiber reinforced composite materials are available that have various good characteristics to suite lightweight applications as described above, In particular, in developing fiber reinforced composite materials that contain carbon fiber with high elastic modulus contributing to weight reduction and have large fiber contents, there has been a strong demand for a technique that serves to increase the in-plane shear strength.
[0013] Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an epoxy resin composition that can efficiently impregnate reinforcement fiber, enables an appropriate resin flow during molding, and serves to produce fiber reinforced composite material with high in-plane shear strength, and to provide cured epoxy resin material and prepreg.
Means of Solving the Problems
[0014] The present invention adopts one or more of the following constitutions to meet the above object. Specifically, the present invention has the constitution described below.
[0015] An epoxy resin composition including at least constituents [A], [B], and [C].
[0016] [A] epoxy resin
[0017] [B] polyethersulfone with a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol
[0018] [C] curing agent
[0019] The present invention, furthermore, can provide prepreg composed of reinforcement fiber impregnated with the aforementioned epoxy resin composition and also provide fiber reinforced composite material composed of a cured product of the epoxy resin composition and reinforcement fiber.
Advantageous Effect of the Invention
[0020] The present invention relates to an epoxy resin composition having a specific range of dynamic viscoelasticity, which is so low in viscosity as to realize efficient impregnation of reinforcement fiber and easy control of the resin flow during molding. Thus, the invention provides fiber reinforced composite material as well as an epoxy resin composition, cured epoxy resin, and prepreg that serve for the production thereof. In addition, the use of such an epoxy resin composition serves to provide fiber reinforced composite material having high in-plane shear strength.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The epoxy resin composition according to the present invention includes at least components [A], [B], and [C] specified below.
[0022] [A] epoxy resin
[0023] [B] polyethersulfone with a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol
[0024] [C] curing agent
[0025] The constituent [A] (hereinafter the term “component” may be used instead of “constituent”) used for the present invention is an epoxy resin, which represents the main features of the mechanical properties and handleability of a cured epoxy resin produced therefrom. Such epoxy resin used for the present invention is a compound having one or more epoxy groups in one molecule.
[0026] Specific examples of the epoxy resin used for the present invention include aromatic glycidyl ethers produced from a phenol having a plurality of hydroxyl groups, aliphatic glycidyl ethers produced from an alcohol having a plurality of hydroxyl groups, glycidyl amines produced from an amine, glycidyl esters produced from a carboxylic acid having a plurality of carboxyl groups, and epoxy resins having an oxirane ring.
[0027] In particular, glycidyl amine type epoxy resins are preferred because they are low in viscosity and able to impregnate reinforcement fiber easily and accordingly can serve to produce fiber reinforced composite materials having good mechanical characteristics including heat resistance and elastic modulus. Such glycidyl amine type epoxy resins can be roughly divided into two groups: polyfunctional amine type epoxy resins and bifunctional amine type epoxy resins.
[0028] A polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin is a glycidyl amine type epoxy resin containing three or more epoxy groups in one epoxy resin molecule. Examples include, for instance, tetraglycidyl diarninodiphenyl methane, triglycidyl aminophenol, and tetraglycidyl xylylene diamine, as well as halogen-substituted compounds, alkyl-substituted compounds, aralkyl-substituted compounds, allyl-substituted compounds, alkoxy-substituted compounds, aralkoxy-substituted compounds, allyloxy-substituted compounds, and hydrogenated compounds thereof.
[0029] There are no specific limitations on the polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin to be adopted, but preferred ones include tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane, triglycidyl aminophenol, tetraglycidyl xylylene diamine, and substituted or hydrogenated compounds thereof.
[0030] Available products of tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane as described above include SUMI-EPDXY (registered trademark) ELM434 (manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), YH434L (manufactured by Nippon Steel & Sumikin Chemical Co., Ltd.), jER (registered trademark) 604 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and Araldite (registered trademark) MY720 or MY721 (manufactured by Huntsman Advanced Materials). Available products of triglycidyl aminophenol and alkyl-substituted compounds thereof include SUMI-EPDXY (registered trademark) ELM100 and ELM120 (manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), Araldite (registered trademark) MY0500, MY0510, and MY0600 (manufactured by Huntsman Advanced Materials), and jER (registered trademark) 630 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation). Available products of tetraglycidyl xylylene diamine and hydrogenated compounds thereof include TETRAD (registered trademark) -X and TETRAD (registered trademark) -C (manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc.).
[0031] Polyfunctional amine type epoxy resins are used preferably as epoxy resin to be adopted for the present invention because they can provide cured epoxy resins with heat resistance and mechanical characteristics, such as elastic modulus, in a good balance with the former. According to a more preferred embodiment, the polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin accounts for 30 to 80 mass % relative to the total epoxy resin quantity (100 mass %) in the epoxy resin composition.
[0032] A bifunctional amine type epoxy resin is a glycidyl amine type epoxy resin containing two epoxy groups in one molecule. Examples include, for instance, diglycidyl aniline, as well as halogen-substituted compounds, alkyl-substituted compounds, aralkyl-substituted compounds, allyl-substituted compounds, alkoxy-substituted compounds, aralkoxy-substituted compounds, allyloxy-substituted compounds, and hydrogenated compounds thereof.
[0033] There are no specific limitations on the bifunctional amine type epoxy resin to be adopted, but preferred ones include diglycidyl aniline, diglycidyl toluidine, and halogen-substituted-, alkyl-substituted-, or hydrogenated-cornpounds thereof.
[0034] Available products of diglycidyl aniline as described above include GAN (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co, Ltd.) and PxGAN (manufactured by Toray Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.). Available products of diglycidyl toluidine include GOT (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.).
[0035] Bifunctional amine type epoxy resins are preferred for use as epoxy resin for the present invention because they serve effectively to produce fiber reinforced composite materials having high strength and ensures efficient impregnation of reinforcement fiber even when they are low in viscosity. According to a more preferred embodiment, the bifunctional amine type epoxy resin used accounts for 10 to 60 mass % relative to the total epoxy resin quantity (100 mass %) in the epoxy resin composition. From the viewpoint of the balance between the adhesion to reinforcement fiber and mechanical properties, it is preferably used in combination with a polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin, and it is preferable that the polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin accounts for 40 to 70 parts by mass and the bifunctional amine type epoxy resin accounts for 20 to 50 parts by mass relative to the total quantity of the epoxy resin composition.
[0036] The constituent [B] (occasionally also referred to as component [B]) for the present invention is polyethersulfone with a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol, which ensures the production of a cured epoxy resin, produced by curing the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention, that shows a high yield stress without suffering from a significant decrease in the nominal strain at compression fracture and also ensures that fiber reinforced composite material produced from the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention has a sufficiently high in-plane shear strength. Furthermore, component [B] is very high in compatibility with epoxy resins, and the entanglement of polyethersulfone molecular chains has good effect in the epoxy resin composition, leading to the development of a mechanism that realizes high dynamic viscoelasticity as described later.
[0037] Such polyethersulfone has both the ether bond and the sulfone bond in its backbone chain to form a skeleton that is essential to realize high heat resistance, elastic modulus, and toughness. When the backbone chain is in the form of a polyethersulfone skeleton having a side chain, it is preferable that the side chain also has a highly heat resistant structure, although the backbone may not have a side chain.
[0038] Such a component [B] preferably has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol, more preferably 4,000 to 15,000 g/mol, and still more preferably 4,000 to 10,000 g/mol. If the weight-average molecular weight is less than 2,000 g/mol, cured epoxy resin produced by curing the epoxy resin composition may fail to have a sufficiently high nominal strain at compression fracture, and fiber reinforced composite material produced from the epoxy resin composition may fail to develop a sufficiently high in-plane shear strength. Furthermore, the storage elastic modulus G′ will not be increased sufficiently as compared with the increase in the complex viscosity η*, sometimes making it impossible to control the resin flow rate appropriately during molding. If the weight-average molecular weight is more than 20,000 g/mol, on the other hand, the epoxy resin will be too high in viscosity and difficult to knead when thermoplastic resin is dissolved in the epoxy resin composition, possibly leading to difficulty in prepreg production. Here, the weight-average molecular weight of component [B] is equivalent to the relative molecular weight determined by GPC (gel permeation chromatography) using a polystyrene standard sample.
[0039] Furthermore, it is preferable for the hydroxyphenyl group to account for 60 mol % or more of the terminal groups of the polyethersulfone of such a component [B]. This functional group reacts with an epoxy resin or an epoxy resin curing agent to realize an increase in the affinity with the epoxy resin based phase and develop uniform compatibility, or if failing to develop uniform compatibility, strong interfacial adhesion between the epoxy resin phase and the polyethersulfone phase of component [B], leading to an epoxy resin composition having a high nominal strain at compression fracture that ensures a high yield stress. From this viewpoint, the proportion of the hydroxyphenyl group in the terminal groups of the polyethersulfone of component [B] is preferably as high as possible, and the hydroxyphenyl group most preferably accounts for 100% of the terminal groups. If the hydroxyphenyl group accounts for only less than 60 mol % of the terminal groups (which hereinafter means that the proportion of the hydroxyphenyl group in the terminal groups of polyethersulfone is less than 60 mol %), the compatibility, and hence the nominal strain at compression fracture, may not be sufficiently high depending on the type of the epoxy resin and the curing temperature of the matrix resin. To determine the proportion of the hydroxyphenyl group in the terminal groups, observation in, for example, a deuterated DMSO solvent is performed by 1 H-NMR at 400 MHz with the number of times of integration set to 100. Then, the proton ( 1 HCl)adjacent to the chlorine-substituted aromatic carbon and the proton ( 1 HOH) adjacent to the hydroxyl-substituted aromatic carbon are identified with high resolution at 7.7 ppm and 6.9 ppm, respectively, and the area ratio of'H-NMR represents the number of moles. Accordingly, the terminal functional group composition (mol %) can be calculated by the following equation.
[0000] [Terminal hydroxyl group composition (mol %)]=[ 1 HOH peak area]/([ 1 HOH peak area]+[ 1 HCl peak area])×100
[0040] In the polyethersulfone of component [B] for the present invention, it is preferable for the hydroxyphenyl group to account for 60 mol % or more of the terminal groups to realize the advantageous effect of the invention, but there are no specific limitations on the method to be adopted to produce such polyethersulfone in which the hydroxyphenyl group accounts for 60 mol % or more of the terminal groups, and useful production methods are found in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. SHO-42-7799, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. SHO-45-21318, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. SHO-48-19700. According to these documents, it can be produced through condensation polymerization of a divalent phenol compound such as 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyi sulfone and a divalent dihalogenodiphenyl compound such as 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone performed in the presence of an alkali metal compound such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate in an aprotic polar solvent such as N-methyl pyrolidone, DMF, DMSO, and sulfolane. Actually, a polyethersulfone polymer useful as component [B] intended here can be obtained if good conditions are developed carefully. Depending on the polymerization conditions, however, the proportion of terminal hydroxyphenyl groups may be small in the resulting polyethersulfone product and attempts to increase the proportion of terminal hydroxyphenyl groups will possibly results in a significant decrease in polymer molecular weight or difficulty in collecting the intended polyethersulfone product for component [B] from the reaction solution.
[0041] Thus, a preferred method for the production of a polyethersulfone polymer to be used as component [B] for the present invention is first carrying out condensation polymerization of a divalent phenol compound and a dihalogenodiphenyl compound by a generally known method to prepare high molecular weight polyethersulfone and then heating the resulting high molecular weight polyethersulfone with a divalent phenol compound in an aprotic polar solvent to introduce hydroxyphenyl groups at molecular ends.
[0042] Component [B] for the present invention preferably has a glass transition temperature of 180° C. or more and 230° C. or'less. If it is less than 180° C., the product may have a decreased heat resistance depending on the heat resistance of the epoxy resin, whereas if it is more than 230° C., the matrix resin will have such a high glass transition temperature that the resulting fiber reinforced composite material will have a large residual heat stress, possibly leading to a fiber reinforced composite material with deteriorated mechanical properties.
[0043] For the present invention, component [B] preferably accounts for 20 to 60 mass %, more preferably 30 to 55 mass %, and still more preferably 40 to 50 mass %, of the total quantity epoxy resin (100 mass %) in the epoxy resin composition. If it is less than 20 mass %, it will lead to cured epoxy resin having a decreased nominal strain at compression fracture, resulting in fiber reinforced composite material having insufficient in-plane shear strength. If it is more than 60 mass %, on the other hand, the epoxy resin composition will suffer from an increase in viscosity and accordingly, the epoxy resin composition and prepreg produced therefrom will fail to have sufficiently high processability and handleability.
[0044] The epoxy resin composition according to the present invention contains a curing agent [C]. There are no specific limitations on the curing agent to be adopted as long as it is a compound having an active group that reacts with the epoxy group, and examples thereof include, for example, dicyandiamide, aromatic polyamine, aminobenzoic acid esters, various acid anhydrides, phenol novolac resin, cresol novolac resin, polyphenol compounds, imidazole derivatives, aliphatic amines, tetramethyl guanidine, thiourea-added amine, methylhexahydrophthalic acid anhydride, other carboxylic anhydrides, carboxylic acid hydrazide, carboxylic acid amide, polymercaptan, boron trifluoride-ethylamine complex, and other Lewis acid complexes.
[0045] In particular, the use of aromatic polyamine as the curing agent makes it possible to produce cured epoxy resin having high heat resistance. Among others, diaminodiphenyl sulfone, derivatives thereof, and various isomers thereof are the most suitable curing agents to produce cured epoxy resin having high heat resistance.
[0046] Furthermore, if a combination of dicyandiamide and a urea compound such as 3,4-dichlorophenyl-1,1-dimethylurea, or an imidazole is used as the curing agent, high heat resistance and water resistance can be achieved even when curing is performed at a relatively low temperature. The use of an acid anhydride to cure epoxy resin can serve to provide cured material that has a lower water absorption percentage as compared with curing with an amine compound. Other good curing agents include the above ones in latent forms such as microencapsulated ones, which serve to provide prepreg with high storage stability that will not suffer significant changes particularly in tackiness and drape properties even when left to stand at room temperature.
[0047] The optimum content of a curing agent depends on the type of the epoxy resin and curing agent used. When an aromatic amine based curing agent is used, its blending quantity is preferably such that the number of active hydrogen atoms is 0.6 to 1.2 times, preferably 0.7 to 1.1 times, that of epoxy groups in the epoxy resin, from the viewpoint of heat resistance and mechanical characteristics. If it is less than 0.6 times, the resulting cured product will fail to have a sufficiently high crosslink density, possibly leading to a lack of elastic modulus and heat resistance and resulting in fiber reinforced composite material with poor static strength characteristics. If it is more than 1.2 times, the resulting cured material will have an excessively high crosslink density and water absorption, which lead to a lack of deformation capacity, and the resulting fiber composite material will possibly be poor in impact resistance.
[0048] Commercial products of such aromatic polyamine curing agents include SEIKACURE-S (manufactured by Wakayama Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd.), MDA-220 (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.), jER Cure (registered trademark) W (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), 3,3′-DAS (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.), Lonzacure (registered trademark) M-DEA (manufactured by Lonza), Lonzacure (registered trademark) M-DIPA (manufactured by Lonza),. Lonzacure (registered trademark) M-MIPA (manufactured by Lonza), and Lonzacure (registered trademark) DETDA 80 (manufactured by Lonza).
[0049] The composition may contain these epoxy resins and curing agents, part of which may be subjected to a preliminary reaction in advance. In some cases, this method can serve effectively for viscosity adjustment and storage stability improvement.
[0050] For the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention, the storage elastic modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* at 80° C. preferably meets the relation 0.20≦G′/η*≦2.0. More specifically, if the value of G′/η*, which is calculated as the ratio between the storage elastic modulus G′ at 80° C. of the epoxy resin composition and the complex viscosity η* at 80° C. of the epoxy resin composition, is in the range of 0.20 or more and 2.0 or less, it will be possible to obtain an epoxy resin composition that is relatively high in rubber elastic modulus though being low in viscosity.
[0051] For the present invention, the storage elastic modulus G′ and the complex viscosity η* can be determined by, for example, using a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring apparatus such as ARES (manufactured by TA Instrument) under the measuring conditions of a heating rate of 1.5° C./min, a frequency of 1 Hz, and a strain of 0.1%.
[0052] For the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention, the storage elastic modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* at 80° C. preferably meets the relation 0.20≦G′/η*≦2.0, more preferably 0.25≦G′η*≦1.0, and still more preferably 0.3≦G′/η*≦0.5.
[0053] If the epoxy resin composition has a ratio of G′/η* at 80° C. of 0.20 or more, the resin flow rate during molding can be controlled appropriately, and accordingly the variation in resin content can be maintained small, leading to fiber reinforced composite material having good mechanical characteristics. In particular, a lack of resin can be avoided during molding of fiber reinforced composite material process to enable the production of cured epoxy resin having a sufficiently large nominal strain at compression fracture, leading to fiber reinforced composite material having adequate in-plane shear strength. If the ratio of G′/η* at 80° C. of the epoxy resin composition is 2.0 or less, on the other hand, its viscosity will be maintained at an appropriate level during impregnation when molding fiber reinforced composite material, ensuring efficient impregnation of reinforcement fiber.
[0054] The cured epoxy resin according to the present invention preferably has a glass transition temperature of 120° C. to 250° C., more preferably 140° C. to 210° C., from the viewpoint of maintaining a sufficiently high level of heat resistance and moist heat compression strength required in aircraft material. A relatively high curing temperature is required when prepreg is produced by curing an epoxy resin composition having such a relatively high heat resistance. Currently, prepreg plates used to produce material for airframe structures of aircraft generally require curing and molding temperatures in the range of 180±10° C. When fiber reinforced composite material having sufficiently high strength is to be produced by curing and molding prepreg layers, such a prepreg laminate is generally cured and molded under an increased pressure larger than 1 atm.
[0055] The cured epoxy resin according to the present invention preferably forms a uniform phase without phase separation among components [A], [B], and [C] or forms a structure containing 400nm or less finely separated phases each formed mainly of resin of component [A] or [B]. Here, a “uniform phase” means a state in which crosslinked, cured products of components [A], [B], and [C] are uniformly mixed at the molecular level in a mutually compatible state. Here, it is preferable for such a polyethersulfone component [B] to have reactivity with component [A] and component [C] so that it is incorporated, through curing reaction, in the crosslink structure formed of component [A] and component [C], which serves to enable the formation of a stable uniform phase or a 400nm-or-less fine phase-separated structure. If components [A], [B], and [C] form an above 400nm phase-separated structure in the cured epoxy resin, the phase with a relatively small elastic modulus can act to reduce the compression strength of the fiber reinforced composite material and make it difficult to develop in-plane shear strength stably.
[0056] For the present invention, a phase-separated structure is one in which phases containing different resin constituents as primary components are distributed with a 0.01 μm or more structural period. As compared with this, a state in which components are mixed uniformly at the molecular level is referred to as a mutually compatible state and for the present invention, a state is considered to be mutually compatible if in the state, phases containing different resin constituents as primary components have a phase-separation structural period of less than 0.01 μm.
[0057] For the cured epoxy resin according to the present invention, the phase-separation structural period is defined as described below. Here, such a phase separated structure may be either a bicontinuous structure or a sea island structure, each of which is defined separately below. In the case of a bicontinuous structure, straight lines with a predetermined length are drawn on a microscopic photograph, and the intersections between the straight lines and the phase-to-phase interfaces are determined. Then, the distance between each pair of adjacent intersections is measured and the number average of the distance measurements is adopted as structural period. Such lines with a predetermined length are defined as follows on the basis of microscopic photographs. For a specimen with an assumed structural period of the order of 0.01 μm (0.01 μm or more and less than 0.1 μm), a photograph is taken at a magnification of 20,000 times and three 20 mm lines (1 μm length on the specimen) are selected randomly on the photograph, or similarly, for a specimen with an assumed phase-separation structural period of the order of 0.1 μm (0.1 μm or more and less than 1 μm), a photograph is taken at a magnification of 2,000 times and three 20 mm lines (10 μm length on the specimen) are selected randomly on the photograph. For a specimen with an assumed phase-separation structural period of the order of 1 μm (1 μm or more and less than 10 μm), a photograph is taken at a magnification of 200 times and three 20 mm lines (100 μm length on the specimen) are selected randomly on the photograph. If a measured phase-separation structural period is significantly out of the expected range, the relevant lengths are measured again at a magnification that suits the corresponding order and the measurements are adopted. In the case of a sea-island structure, the minimum distance between island phases is adopted even when the island regions have elliptic or irregular shapes, or others such as two- or more layered circles or ellipses.
[0058] For the cured epoxy resin according to the present invention, a sea-island type phase-separated structure consisting of an [A]-rich phase and a [B]-rich phase may be formed in the cured epoxy resin. Here, the diameter of the island phase means the size of the island phase regions in the sea-island structure and calculated as the number average value in predetermined areas. For an elliptical island phase region, its long diameter is adopted, while for an irregular shaped island phase region, the diameter of the circumscribed circle about it is adopted. In the case of a multilayered region of circular or elliptical shapes, the diameter of the circle or the long diameter of the ellipse of the outermost layer is to be used. For a sea-island structure, all the island phase regions in predetermined areas are examined to determine their long diameters and their number average is adopted as their phase separation size.
[0059] As described above, the phase-separation structural period and island phase diameter are determined on the basis of a microscopic photograph of predetermined areas. Such predetermined areas are selected as follows from a microscopic photograph. For a specimen with an assumed phase-separation structural period of the order of 0.01 μm (0.01 pm or more and less than 0.1 μm), a photograph was taken at a magnification of 20,000 times and three 4 mm×4 mm square areas (0.2 μm×0.2 μm square areas on the specimen) were selected randomly on the photograph. Similarly, for a specimen with an assumed phase-separation structural period of the order of 0.1 μm (0.1 μm or more and less than 1 μm), a photograph was taken at a magnification of 2,000 times and three 4 mm×4 mm square areas (2 μm×2 μm square areas on the specimen) were selected randomly on the photograph. Also similarly, for a specimen with an assumed phase-separation structural period of the order of 1 μm (1 μm or more and less than 10 μm), a photograph was taken at a magnification of 200 times and 4 mm×4 mm square areas (20 μm×20 μm square areas on the specimen) were selected randomly on the photograph. If the measured phase-separation structural period is significantly out of the expected size range, relevant areas are observed again at a magnification that suits the corresponding order and the measurements taken are adopted.
[0060] The structural period of this cured epoxy resin can be examined by observing the cross section of cured epoxy resin by scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy. If necessary, the specimen may be dyed with osmium. Dyeing can be carried out by a common method.
[0061] Other techniques for determination of phase structures in such a cured epoxy resin specimen include the use of a thermodynamic properties analysis method such as DMA and DSC to determine whether the specimen gives only one detected Tg peak or nota For example, the scatter diagram for the loss factor (tanδ) and temperature obtained from DMA heating measurement of such cured epoxy resin is examined, and phase separation is assumed to exist if a tanδ peak attributable to. component [B] appears in the region above room temperature in addition to a tanδ peak attributable to the crosslink structure formed of components [A] and [C].
[0062] The epoxy resin composition according to the present invention may contain a coupling agent, thermosetting resin particles, thermoplastic resin other than component [B], thermoplastic resin particles, elastomer, silica gel, carbon black, clay, carbon nanotube, metal powder, and other inorganic fillers, unless they impair the advantageous effects of the invention.
[0063] For the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention, it is preferable that the constituents other than curing agent [C] be first heated and kneaded uniformly at a temperature of about 150° C. to 170° C. and cooled to a temperature of about 80° C., followed by adding curing agent [C] and further kneading, although methods to be used to mix the constituents are not limited to this.
[0064] Different types of reinforcement fiber can serve for the present invention, and they include glass fiber, carbon fiber, graphite fiber, aramid fiber, boron fiber, alumina fiber, and silicon carbide fiber. Two or more of these types of reinforcement fiber may be used in combination, but the use of carbon fiber and graphite fiber is preferred to provide lightweight moldings with high durability. With a high specific modulus and specific strength, carbon fiber is used favorably, particularly when applied to the production of lightweight or high-strength material.
[0065] In respect to carbon fiber, which is used favorably for the present invention, virtually any appropriate type of carbon fiber can be adopted for varied uses, but carbon fiber to be adopted preferably has a tensile modulus of 400 GPa or less from the viewpoint of impact resistance. From the viewpoint of strength, carbon fiber with a tensile strength of 4.4 to 6.5 GPa is preferred because composite material with high rigidity and high mechanical strength can be produced. Tensile elongation is also an important factor, and it is preferable for the carbon fiber to have a high strength and a high elongation percentage of 1.7% to 2.3%. The most suitable carbon fiber will have various good characteristics simultaneously including a tensile modulus of at least 230 GPa, tensile strength of at least 4.4 GPa, and tensile elongation of at least 1.7%.
[0066] Commercial products of carbon fiber include TORAYCA (registered trademark) T800G-24K, TORAYCA (registered trademark) T800S-24K, TORAYCA (registered trademark) T700G-24K, TORAYCA (registered trademark) T300-3K, and Torayca (registered trademark) T700S-12K (all manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.).
[0067] In regard to the form and way of alignment of carbon fibers, long fibers paralleled in one direction, woven fabric, or others may be adopted appropriately, but if carbon fiber reinforced composite material that is lightweight and relatively highly durable is to be obtained, it is preferable to use carbon fibers in the form of long fibers (fiber bundles) paralleled in one direction, woven fabric, or other continuous fibers.
[0068] The prepreg according to the present invention is produced by impregnating the aforementioned reinforcement fiber with the aforementioned epoxy resin composition. In the prepreg, the mass fraction of fiber is preferably 40 to 90 mass %, more preferably 50 to 80 mass %. If the mass fraction of fiber is too small, the resulting composite material will be too heavy and the advantages of fiber reinforced composite material, such as high specific strength and specific modulus, will be impaired in some cases, while if the mass fraction of fiber is too large, impregnation with the resin composition will not be achieved sufficiently and the resulting composite material will suffer from many voids, possibly leading to a large deterioration in mechanical characteristics.
[0069] There are no specific limitations on the shape of the reinforcement fiber, which may be, for example, in the form of long fibers paralleled in one direction, tow, woven fabric, mat, knit, or braid. For applications that require high specific strength and high specific modulus, in particular, the most suitable is a unidirectionally paralleled arrangement of reinforcement fiber, but cloth-like (woven fabric) arrangement is also suitable for the present invention because of easy handling.
[0070] The prepreg according to the present invention can be produced by some different methods including a method in which the epoxy resin composition used as matrix resin is dissolved in a solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone and methanol to produce a solution with a decreased viscosity, and then used to impregnate reinforcement fiber (wet method), and a hot melt method in which the matrix resin is heated to decrease its viscosity and then used to impregnate reinforcement fiber (dry method).
[0071] The wet method includes the steps of immersing reinforcement fiber in a solution of an epoxy resin composition, that is, matrix resin, pulling it out, and evaporating the solvent using an oven etc., whereas the hot melt method (dry method) includes the steps of heating an epoxy resin composition to reduce the viscosity and directly impregnating the reinforcement fiber with it, or the steps of coating release paper or the like with the epoxy resin composition to prepare a film, attaching the film to cover either or both sides of a reinforcement fiber sheet, and pressing them while heating so that the reinforcement fiber is impregnated with the resin. The hot melt method is preferred for the present invention because the resulting prepreg will be substantially free of residual solvent.
[0072] Plies of the resulting prepreg are stacked and the laminate obtained is heated under pressure to cure the matrix resin, thereby providing the fiber reinforced composite material according to the present invention.
[0073] Here, the application of heat and pressure is carried out by using an appropriate method such as press molding, autoclave molding, bagging molding, wrapping tape molding, and internal pressure molding.
[0074] The fiber reinforced composite material according to the present invention can be produced by a prepreg-free molding method in which reinforcement fiber is directly impregnated with the epoxy resin composition, followed by heating for curing, and examples of such a method include hand lay-up molding, filament winding, pultrusion, resin injection molding, and resin transfer molding. For these methods, it is preferable that the two liquid components, that is, a base resin formed of epoxy resin and a curing agent, are mixed immediately before use to prepare an epoxy resin composition.
[0075] Fiber reinforced composite material produced from the epoxy resin composition according to the present invention as matrix resin is used favorably for producing sports goods, aircraft members, and general industrial products. More specifically, their preferred applications in the aerospace industry include primary structural members of aircraft such as main wing, tail unit, and floor beam; secondary structural members such as flap, aileron, cowl, fairing, and other interior materials; and structural members of rocket motor cases and artificial satellites. Of these aerospace applications, primary structural members of aircraft, including body skin and main wing skin, that particularly require high impact resistance as well as high tensile strength at low temperatures to resist the coldness during high-altitude flights, represent particularly suitable applications of the fiber reinforced composite material according to the present invention. Furthermore, the aforementioned sports goods include golf shaft, fishing rod, rackets for tennis, badminton, squash, etc., hockey stick, and skiing pole. The aforementioned general industrial applications include structural members of vehicles such as automobile, ship, and railroad vehicle; and civil engineering and construction materials such as drive shaft, plate spring, windmill blade, pressure vessel, flywheel, roller for paper manufacture, roofing material, cable, reinforcing bar, and mending/reinforcing materials.
EXAMPLES
[0076] The epoxy resin composition according to the present invention is described more specifically below with reference to Examples. Described first, below are the resin material preparation procedures and evaluation methods used in Examples.
[0077] <Epoxy Resin [A]>
[0078] <Polyfunctional Amine Type Epoxy Resin>
SUMI-EPDXY (registered trademark) ELM434 (tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane, manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.) jER (registered trademark) 630 (triglycidyl aminophenol, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) Araldite (registered trademark) MY0600 (triglycidyl aminophenol, manufactured by Huntsman Advanced Materials)
[0082] <Bifunctional Amine Type Epoxy Resin>
GAN (diglycidyl aniline, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) GOT (diglycidyl toluidine, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)
[0085] <Epoxy Resins Other Than the Above>
jER (registered trademark) 828 (bisphenol A type epoxy resin, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) EPICLON (registered trademark) 830 (bisphenol F type epoxy resin, manufactured by DIC) jER (registered trademark) 1004 (bisphenol F type epoxy resin, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation)) EPICLON (registered trademark) HP7200H (epoxy resin containing dicyclopentadiene backbone, manufactured by DIC)
[0090] <Polyethersulfone>
[0091] <Polyethersulfone [B] With a Weight-Average Molecular Weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol>
Polyethersulfone ([B]) synthesized by the following procedure (Method for production of [B]: based on Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI-5-86186. A detailed procedure for the production is described in Reference example 1.)
Reference Example 1
[0093] In a L flask equipped with a stirrer, thermometer, cooler, distillate separator, and nitrogen supply tube, 4,4′-dihydroxy diphenyl sulfone (hereinafter abbreviated as DHDPS) (50.06 g, 0.20 moles), toluene (100 ml), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (250.8 g), and 40% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution (56.0 g, 0.39 moles) were weighed out and, while stirring, nitrogen gas was supplied to achieve nitrogen substitution of the entire reaction system. Heating was performed up to 130° C. while supplying nitrogen gas. As the temperature of the reaction system rises, reflux of toluene was started to remove water from the reaction system through azeotropic distillation with toluene, and azeotropic dehydration was continued at 130° C. for 4 hours while recovering toluene back to the reaction system. Subsequently, 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone (hereinafter abbreviated as DCDPS) (57.40 g, 0.20 moles) was added to the reaction system together with 40 g of toluene, and the reaction system was heated to 150° C. The reaction was continued for 4 hours while distilling out toluene to provide a high-viscosity, dark brown solution. The temperature of the reaction liquid was lowered by cooling to room temperature, and the reaction solution was poured into 1 kg of methanol to precipitate polymer powder. The polymer powder was recovered by filtration and 1 kg of water was added, followed by further adding 1 N hydrochloric acid and adding a slurry solution to adjust the pH value to 3 to 4 to make the solution acidic. After recovering the polymer powder by filtration, the polymer powder was washed twice with 1 kg of water. It was further washed with 1 kg of methanol and vacuum-dried at 150° C. for 12 hours. The polymer powder obtained was white powder and the yield weight was 88.3 g (yield rate 99.9% calculated from the following equation: yield rate =(92.8/464.53 (molecular weight of intermediate product for polyethersulfone component synthesis)/0.2×100).
[0094] Then, in a 300 mL three-neck flask equipped with a stirrer, nitrogen supply tube, thermometer, and cooling pipe, DHDPS (1.25 g, 4.35 mmol), N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP) 200 ml, and anhydrous potassium carbonate (0.6 g, 4.34 mmol) were weighed with the intermediate product for polyethersulfone component synthesis (5 g, 10.7 mmol (calculated as 5/464.53×1,000), and the reaction temperature was increased to 150° C. while stirring the NMP reaction solution, followed by ending the reaction after a 1 hour reaction period, pouring the reaction solution into 500 ml of methanol, crushing the solid precipitate, washing it twice with 500 ml of water, and vacuum-drying it at 130° C. The polymer powder obtained was white powder, and the yield weight and yield rate were 7.2 g and 96%, respectively (yield rate was calculated as: weight of polyethersulfone, i.e. recovered polyethersulfone component/(feed weight of intermediate product for polyethersulfone component synthesis+feed weight of DHDPS)×100).
[0095] Component [B] is substantially identical to the polyethersulfone described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI-5-86186 except that the weight-average molecular weight of the polyethersulfone disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI-5-86186 is larger than that of component [B]. Thus, polyethersulfone samples, referred to as B-1 to B-4, which differ in weight-average molecular weight and end group conversion rate, were synthesized according to the procedure specified in the above reference example while varying the quantity of DHDPS, quantity of the alkali metal, and reaction time, and the samples were used in Examples. The weight-average molecular weight was measured using, as detector, an R-401 differential refractometer manufactured by WATERS and a 201 D type GPC-5 gel permeation chromatograph manufactured by WATERS. The measuring conditions included: the use of o-chlorophenol/chloroform (volume ratio 2/8) as eluant, column temperature of 23° C., and injection of 0.1 ml of a solution with a specimen concentration of 1 to 2 mg/nil. Two Shodex 80M columns manufactured by Showa Denko K.K. and one Shodex 802 column manufactured by Showa Denko K.K. were connected in series and an eluant was supplied at a rate of 1.0 ml/min. The molecular weight of the polymer was determined by conversion based on a calibration curve for standard polymethyl methacrylate.
[0096] In regard to the glass transition temperature Tg, a 10 mg specimen was taken from the material for component [B] synthesized above, and subjected to measurement at a heating rate of 10° C./min in the temperature range from 30° C. to 350° C. using a DSC2910 (model) apparatus manufactured by TA Instruments. The midpoint temperature determined according to JIS K7121-1987 was assumed to represent the glass transition temperature Tg and used for heat resistance evaluation.
B-1 (polyethersulfone, weight-average molecular weight 4,000, hydroxyphenyl end group 100 mol %, Tg 204° C.) B-2 (polyethersulfone, weight-average molecular weight 7,000, hydroxyphenyl end group 100 mol %, Tg 206° C.) B-3 (polyethersulfone, weight-average molecular weight 14,000, hydroxyphenyl end group 94 mol %, Tg 211° C.) B-4 (polyethersulfone, weight-average molecular weight 18,000, hydroxyphenyl end group 86 mol %, Tg 214° C.)
[0101] <Polyethersulfone Polymers Other Than the Above>
Virantage (registered trademark) VW-10700RP (polyethersulfone, manufactured by. Solvay Advanced Polymers, weight-average molecular weight 21,000) Sumikaexcel (registered trademark) PES5003P (polyethersulfone, manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., weight-average molecular weight 47,000) D-1 (polyethersulfone, weight-average molecular weight 22,000, hydroxyphenyl end group 100 mol %, Tg 217° C.)
[0105] (Method for production of [D-1]: based on Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI-5-86186. It was synthesized according to the aforementioned production procedure for component [B] and subjected to evaluation.)
[0106] <Components Other Than Constituents [A], [B], and [C]>
Virantage (registered trademark) VW-30500RP (polysulfone, manufactured by Solvay Advanced Polymers, weight-average molecular weight: 14,000) Matsumoto Microsphere (registered trademark) M (polymethyl methacrylate, manufactured by Matsumoto Yushi-Seiyaku Co., Ltd., weight-average molecular weight 1,000,000) Particle 1 (thermoplastic resin particle prepared from Grilamide (registered trademark) TR55 used as feed)
[0110] (Production method for particle 1: according to International Publication WO 2009/142231) In a 100 ml four-neck flask, 2.5 g of amorphous polyamide (Grilamide (registered trademark) TR55 manufactured by Emser Werke, Inc., weight-average molecular weight 18, 000) used as polymer A, 42.5 g of N-methyl-2-pyrolidone used as organic solvent, and 5 g of polyvinyl alcohol (Gohsenol (registered trademark) GL-05 manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) used as polymer B were fed and heated at 80° C. and stirred to ensure dissolution of the polymers. After lowering the temperature of the system back to room temperature, 50 g of ion-exchanged water, which was used as poor solvent, was dropped through a water supply pump at a rate of 0.41 g/min while stirring the solution at 450 rpm. The solution turned to white when the amount of ion-exchanged water added reached 12 g. After finishing the addition of the total quantity of water, stirring was continued for 30 min, and the resulting suspension liquid was filtered, followed by washing with 100 g of ion-exchanged water and vacuum-drying at 80° C. for 10 hours to provide 2.2 g of a white solid material. The resulting powder was observed by scanning electron microscopy and found to be formed of fine particles of polyamide with an average particle diameter of 16.1 μm.
[0111] <Curing Agent [C]>
3,3′-DAS (3,3′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, manufactured by Mitsui Fine Chemical, Inc.) SEIKACURE-S (4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, manufactured by Wakayama Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd.) DICY-7 (dicyandiamide, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation)
[0115] <Curing Accelerator>
DCMU99 (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, curing accelerator, manufactured by Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.)
[0117] (1) Preparation of Epoxy Resin Composition
[0118] Predetermined amounts of epoxy resin, polyethersulfone, and other components were put in a kneader and heated to 160° C. while kneading, followed by kneading at 160° C. for 1 hour to provide a transparent viscous liquid. After cooling to 80° C. while kneading, a predetermined amount of <curing agent [C] was added, followed by further kneading to provide an epoxy resin composition.
[0119] (2) Viscosity of Epoxy Resin Composition (G′/η*)
[0120] The viscosity of an epoxy resin composition was determined from the storage elastic modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* at 80° C. measured by simply heating a specimen at a heating rate of 1.5° C./min and taking measurements under the conditions of a frequency of 1 Hz and a gap of 1 mm using a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring apparatus (ARES, manufactured by TA Instruments) equipped with parallel plates with a diameter of 40 mm. From the value of storage elastic modulus G′ at 80° C. and the value of complex viscosity η* at 80° C., the ratio G′/η* between the storage elastic modulus G′ at 80° C. and the complex viscosity η* at 80° C. was calculated.
[0121] (3) Bending Elastic Modulus of Cured Epoxy Resin
[0122] The epoxy resin composition prepared in section (1) above was deaerated in a vacuum and injected in a mold which was set up so that the thickness would be 2 mm by means of a 2 mm thick Teflon (trademark) spacer. Curing was performed at a temperature of 180° C. for 2 hours to provide cured epoxy resin with a thickness of 2 mm. Then, the resulting cured epoxy resin plate was cut to prepare a test piece with a width of 10 mm and length of 60 mm, and it was subjected to three-point bending test with a span of 32 mm, followed by calculation of the bending elastic modulus according to JIS K7171-1994.
[0123] (4) Nominal Strain at Compression Fracture of Cured Epoxy Resin
[0124] The epoxy resin composition prepared in section (1) above was deaerated in a vacuum and injected in a mold which was set up so that the thickness would be 6 mm by means of a 6 mm thick Teflon (trademark) spacer, followed by curing at a temperature of 180° C. for 2 hours to provide a cured epoxy resin with a thickness of 6 mm. This cured epoxy resin was cut to prepare a test piece with a size of 6×6 mm. A plate of cured epoxy resin with a thickness of 6 mm was prepared using an lnstron type universal tester (manufactured by lnstron Corporation). Then, a cubic specimen 6 mm on each side was cut out of the cured epoxy resin plate and subjected to measurement of the nominal strain at compression fracture under the same conditions as specified in JIS K7181 except for a test speed of 1±0.2 mm/min.
[0125] (5) Structural Period of Cured Epoxy Resin
[0126] The cured epoxy resin obtained above was dyed, sliced to produce a thin section, and examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) under the following conditions to provide a transmission electron microscopic image. As the dyeing agent, either OsO 4 or RuO 4 suitable for the resin composition was selected to ensure an adequate contrast to permit easy morphological examination.
Equipment: H-7100 transmission electron microscope (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) Accelerating voltage: 100 kV Magnification: 10,000
[0130] Under these conditions, the structural period of [A]-rich phase regions and [B]-rich phase regions was observed. Results on the phase structural period of cured epoxy resin are given in the column for phase structure size (pm) in Tables 1 to 3.
[0131] (6) Preparation of Prepreg
[0132] An epoxy resin composition was spread over a piece of release paper with a knife coater to prepare a resin film. Then, carbon fibers of TORAYCA (registered trademark) T800G-24K-31E manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. were paralleled in one direction to form a sheet, and two resin films were used to cover both sides of the carbon fiber sheet and pressed under heat to impregnate the carbon fiber sheet with the resin to provide a unidirectional prepreg sheet with a carbon fiber metsuke of 190 g/m 2 and a matrix resin mass fraction of 35.5%. Here, in cases where an epoxy resin composition containing thermoplastic resin particles was used, two-step impregnation was carried out as described below to produce prepreg sheets in which the thermoplastic resin particles were highly localized near the surface.
[0133] First, primary prepreg that was free of thermoplastic resin particles was prepared. An epoxy resin composition was prepared by the procedure described in section (1) above using component materials listed in Tables 1 to 3 excluding thermoplastic resin particles insoluble in epoxy resin. This epoxy resin composition for primary prepreg was spread over a piece of release paper with a knife coater to provide a resin film for primary prepreg with a metsuke of 30 g/m 2 , which corresponds to 60 mass % of the normal value. Then, carbon fibers of TORAYCA (registered trademark) T800G-24K-31E manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. were paralleled in one direction to form a sheet, and two of the resin films for primary prepreg were used to cover both sides of the carbon fiber sheet and pressed under heat using heating rollers at a temperature of 100° C. and an air pressure of 1 atm to impregnate the carbon fiber sheet with the resin to provide primary prepreg.
[0134] To prepare resin films for two-step impregnation, the procedure described in section (1) above was carried out by using a kneader to produce an epoxy resin composition containing thermoplastic resin particles insoluble in epoxy resin, which is among the component materials listed in Tables 1 to 3, in a quantity 2.5 times the specified value. This epoxy resin composition for two-step impregnation was spread over a piece of release paper with a knife coater to provide a resin film for two-step impregnation with a metsuke of 20 g/m 2 , which corresponds to 40 mass % of the normal value. Such films were used to cover both sides of a primary prepreg sheet and pressed under heat using heating rollers at a temperature of 80° C. and an air pressure of 1 atm to provide prepreg in which thermoplastic resin particles were extremely localized near the surface.
[0135] (7) In-Plane Shear Strength of Fiber Reinforced Composite Material
[0136] A required number of unidirectional prepreg sheets were stacked in a lamination structure of [+45/−45] 5S with a fiber direction of ±45° so as to form a molded product with a thickness of 2 mm, and cured by heating at a temperature of 180° C. under a pressure of 6 kg/cm 2 for 2 hours in an autoclave to provide unidirectional composite material. Then, the resulting material was examined according to JIS K7079 (1991) to determine the in-plane shear strength. Measurements were taken from five samples (n =5) and their average was, adopted.
Example 1
[0137] In a kneading machine, 50 parts by mass of SOMI-EPDXY (registered trademark) ELM434 (polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin), 50 parts by mass of GAN (bifunctional amine type epoxy resin), and 180 parts by mass of B-1 (polyethersulfone [B] with a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol) were kneaded, followed by further kneading with 50 parts by mass of 3,3′-DAS added as curing agent [C] to prepare an epoxy resin composition. Table 1 lists the components and proportions (figures in Table 1 are in parts by mass). The resulting epoxy resin composition was examined to determine the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition (′G′/η*) (section (2)), bending elastic modulus of cured epoxy resin (section (3)), nominal strain at compression fracture of cured epoxy resin (section (4)), structural period of cured epoxy resin (section (5)), and in-plane shear strength of fiber reinforced composite material (section (7)). Results are given in Table 1.
Examples 2-10
[0138] Except that the epoxy resin, polyethersulfone, other components, curing agent, and their quantities were as specified in Tables 1 and 2, the same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out to produce an epoxy resin composition. The resulting epoxy resin composition was examined to determine the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition (′G′/η*) (section (2)), bending elastic modulus of cured epoxy resin (section (3)), nominal strain at compression fracture of cured epoxy resin (section (4)), structural period of cured epoxy resin (section (5)), and in-plane shear strength of fiber reinforced composite material (section (7)). Results are given in Table 1 and Table 2.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
Example 7
epoxy resin [A]
(polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin)
SUMI-EPOXY ® ELM434
50
60
70
jER ® 630
40
10
80
Araldite ® MY0600
30
(bifunctional amine type epoxy resin)
GAN
50
30
40
60
90
10
GOT
5
10
(epoxy resin other than above)
jER ® 828
15
10
20
EPICLON ® 830
10
jER ® 1004
EPICLON ® HP7200H
10
polyethersulfone [B]
(polyethersulfone with weight-average molecular
weight of 2,000 to 20,000 g/mol)
B-1
180
230
B-2
125
100
B-3
80
60
B-4
38
(polyethersulfone other than above)
Virantage ® VW-10700RP
SUMI-EPOXY ® PES5003P
D-1
other component
Virantage ® VW-30500RP
Matsumoto Microsphere ® M
particles 1
30
curing agent [C]
3,3′-DAS
50
50
50
SEIKACURE-S
50
50
55
50
DICY-7
curing accelerator
DCMU99
resin composition characteristics
80° C. G/η*
0.23
0.31
0.28
0.20
0.22
0.25
0.24
cured resin characteristics
bending elastic modulus (GPa)
4.3
4.3
4.1
4.2
4.0
4.1
4.2
nominal strain at compression fracture (%)
61
62
55
52
60
58
55
phase structure size (μm)
uniform
uniform
uniform
uniform
uniform
uniform
uniform
fiber reinforced composite material characteristics
in-plane shear strength (MPa)
146
148
140
131
146
142
137
[0000]
TABLE 2
Example 8
Example 9
Example 10
epoxy resin [A]
(polyfunctional amine
type epoxy resin)
SUMI-EPOXY ® ELM434
60
40
50
jER ® 630
50
Araldite ® MY0600
(bifunctional amine
type epoxy resin)
GAN
30
40
GOT
(epoxy resin other than above)
jER ® 828
20
Epicron ® 830
10
jER ®1004
Epicron ® HP7200H
polvethersulfone [B]
(polyethersulfone with weight-
average molecular weight of
2,000 to 20,000 g/mol)
B-1
B-2
50
30
B-3
65
B-4
(polyethersulfone
other than above)
Virantage ® VW-10700RP
SUMIKAEXCEL ® PES5003P
D-1
other component
Virantage ® VW-30500RP
Matsumoto Microsphere ® M
particles 1
curing agent [C]
3,3'-DAS
SEIKACURE-S
50
50
35
DICY-7
curing accelerator
DCMU99
resin composition
characteristics
80° C. G’/η*
0.22
0.24
0.20
cured resin characteristics
bending elastic modulus (GPa)
4.3
4.1
4.0
nominal strain at
50
53
51
compression fracture (%)
phase structure size (μm)
uniform
0.35
uniform
fiber reinforced composite
material characteristics
in-plane shear strength (MPa)
128
135
130
[0139] The cured epoxy resin samples obtained in Examples 1 to 10 had either a non-phase-separated uniform structure or a 400nm-or-less phase-separated structure and they all had good mechanical characteristics. Each of the resulting epoxy resin compositions had a dynamic viscoelasticity in a specific range, resulting in high moldability in fiber reinforced composite material production. It was also found that all fiber reinforced composite material samples obtained had sufficiently high in-plane shear strength.
Comparative Example 1
[0140] Except for using polyethersulfone not meeting the requirements for component [B], the same procedure as in Example 3 was carried out to provide an epoxy resin composition. The resulting epoxy resin composition was examined to determine the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition (G′/η*) (section (2)), bending elastic modulus of cured epoxy resin (section (3)), nominal strain at compression fracture of cured epoxy resin (section (4)), structural period of cured epoxy resin (section (5)), and in-plane shear strength of fiber reinforced composite material (section (7)). As seen from the results given in Table 3, the resulting epoxy resin composition were too high in viscosity and failed to form cured epoxy resin.
Comparative Example 2
[0141] Except for using polyethersulfone not meeting the requirements for component [B], the same procedure as in Example 4 was carried out to provide an epoxy resin composition and fiber reinforced composite material. The resulting epoxy resin composition was examined to determine the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition (G′/η*) (section (2)), bending elastic modulus of cured epoxy resin (section (3)), nominal strain at compression fracture of cured epoxy resin (section (4)), structural period of cured epoxy resin (section (5)), and in-plane shear strength of fiber reinforced composite material (section (7)). As seen from the results given in Table 3, the resulting resin composition was considerably low in G′/η*, resulting in deteriorated moldability in fiber reinforced composite material production. The resulting cured epoxy resin had a slightly large phase-separation structural period and accordingly, it was impossible to obtain a stable nominal strain at compression fracture, resulting in fiber reinforced composite material with insufficient in-plane shear strength.
[0142] Comparison between Example 3 and Comparative example 1 and comparison between Example 4 and Comparative example 2 show that the use of polyethersulfone alone is not sufficiently helpful to solve the problem, but the addition of polyethersulfone [B] with a weight-average molecular weight in a specific range is required to realize the intended effect.
Comparative Examples 3 to 7
[0143] Except that the epoxy resin, polyethersulfone, other components, curing agent, and their quantities were as specified in Table 3, the same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out to produce an epoxy resin composition. The resulting epoxy resin composition was examined to determine the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition (G′/η*) (section (2)), bending elastic modulus of cured epoxy resin (section (3)), nominal strain at compression fracture of cured epoxy resin (section (4)), structural period of cured epoxy resin (section (5)), and in-plane shear strength of fiber reinforced composite material (section (7)).
[0144] As seen from the results given in Table 3, the use of polyethersulfone not meeting the requirements for component [B] in Comparative examples 3 and 4 results in cured epoxy resin with characteristics in deteriorated balance. In particular, the cured epoxy resin had an insufficient nominal strain at compression fracture, resulting in fiber reinforced composite material with insufficient in-plane shear strength.
[0145] As seen from the results given in Table 3, the use of a polymethyl methacrylate component with a large weight-average molecular weight instead of component [B] in Comparative example 5 led to an epoxy resin composition with a dynamic viscoelasticity out of the specific range, resulting in deterioration in the capability to impregnate reinforcement fiber. In addition, the resulting fiber reinforced composite material had insufficient in-plane shear strength.
[0146] Comparative example 6 adopts substantially the same resin components as in Example 7 of Patent document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. SHO-61-228016). As seen from the results given in Table 3, the use of polysulfone instead of component [B] in Comparative example 6 resulted in cured epoxy resin with a largely decreased heat resistance. In addition, the resin composition obtained had a low G′/η* ratio, leading to deterioration in moldability in production of fiber reinforced composite material. Furthermore, the cured epoxy resin had a slightly large phase-separation structural period and the fiber reinforced composite material had insufficient in-plane shear strength.
[0147] Comparative example 7 adopts substantially the same resin components as in Example 6 of Patent document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-167333). As seen from the results given in Table 3, the use of a polyethersulfone component that differs in molecular weight instead of component [B] in Comparative example 7 leads to cured epoxy resin with deteriorated mechanical characteristics. In addition, the resin composition obtained had a low G′/η* ratio, leading to deterioration in moldability in production of fiber reinforced composite material.
[0000]
TABLE 3
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
example 1
example 2
example 3
example 4
example 5
example 6
example 7
epoxy resin [A]
(polyfunctional amine type epoxy resin)
SUMI-EPOXY ® ELM434
50
jER ® 630
40
50
Araldite ® MY0600
30
40
90
100
(bifunctional amine type epoxy resin)
GAN
40
60
GOT
5
10
(epoxy resin other than above)
jER ® 828
15
50
Epicron ® 830
60
jER ® 1004
50
Epicron ® HP7200H
10
polyethersulfone [B]
(polyethersulfone with weight-average
molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000
g/mol)
B-1
B-2
B-3
B-4
(polyethersulfone other than above)
Virantage ® VW-10700RP
65
40
Sumikaexcel ® PES5003P
80
38
D-1
30
other component
Vintage ® VW-30500RP
100
Matsumoto Microsphere ® M
5
particles 1
curing agent [C]
3,3′-DAS
50
60
SEIKACURE-S
50
60
75
35
DICY-7
4
curing accelerator
DCMU99
2
resin composition characteristics
80° C. G/η*
0.10
0.062
0.13
0.080
2.1
0.18
0.14
cured resin characteristics
bending elastic modulus (GPa)
—
4.0
3.5
4.0
3.0
3.9
3.8
nominal strain at compression
—
50
48
45
60
55
47
fracture (%)
phase structure size (μm)
—
3
uniform
uniform
uniform
5
uniform
fiber reinforced composite material
—
characteristics
in-plane shear strength (MPa)
—
119
118
114
145
126
116
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0148] The present invention provides an epoxy resin composition that can efficiently impregnate reinforcement fiber, enables an appropriate resin flow during molding, and serves to produce fiber reinforced composite material with high in-plane shear strength, and also provide cured epoxy resin material, prepreg, and fiber reinforced composite material that in particular can serve favorably for production of structural members. Preferred applications in the aerospace industry include, for instance, primary structural members of aircraft such as main wing, tail unit, and floor beam; secondary structural members such as flap, aileron, cowl, fairing, and other interior materials; and structural members of rocket motor cases and artificial satellites. Preferred applications in general industries include structural members of vehicles such as automobile, ship, and railroad vehicle; and civil engineering and construction materials such as drive shaft, plate spring, windmill blade, various turbines, pressure vessel, flywheel, roller for paper manufacture, roofing material, cable, reinforcing bar, and mending/reinforcing materials. Preferred applications in the sporting goods industry include golf shafts, fishing rods, rackets for tennis, badminton, squash, etc., hockey sticks, and skiing poles.
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Provided are: an epoxy resin composition having exceptional performance with regard to impregnating reinforcing fibers, enabling optimal control of resin flow during molding, and having exceptional in-plane shear strength; a cured epoxy resin product; and a prepreg. An epoxy resin composition comprising at least the following constituent elements [A], [B], and [C]: [A] an epoxy resin, [B] a polyether sulfone having a weight-average molecular weight of 2000-20000 g/mol, [C] a curing agent
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,020. filed Jun. 21, 2004, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/178,057, filed Jun. 21, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,418, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/299,925, filed Jun. 21, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a improved bullet targets. More specifically, the present invention relates to targets which improve the visual stimulation and/or function of the target to improve shooter abilities and to decrease broken targets.
2. State of the Art
In order to maintain proficiency in the use of firearms, it is common for law enforcement officers and sportsmen to engage in target practice. While many perceive target practice as simply a method for improving accuracy, it is important for law enforcement officers and the like to conduct target practice in scenarios which imitate real life situations. While accuracy is important for law enforcement officers, appropriate use of deadly force is even more important. While hitting a perpetrator in the arm or leg may cause some additional risk to the officer, firing at an innocent bystander or firing at a perpetrator who is not a risk raises greater concerns. Each year considerable controversy is raised by law enforcement officers who shoot unarmed individuals or otherwise use deadly force when not appropriate.
In order to properly train police officers, it is important that they develop both hand-eye coordination and that they receive sensor stimulation which is associated with actual conditions. Thus, it is important for law enforcement officers to be able to see when a target has been hit. It is also important that the target remain upright sufficiently to simulate the reactions of a typical target. Thus, for example, a target which falls when hit by a single shot may not provide appropriate stimulus to the officer, when a typical perpetrator would take several rounds before being sufficiently incapacitated that he would no longer pose a threat.
It is also important to train officers by requiring them to repeatedly be in situations in which they are forced to decide whether the target poses a threat within a fraction of a second. In real life situations, hesitating to fire can cost the officer his life. Firing too quickly can result in the death of an innocent party.
While there are high-tech shooting ranges which are configured to place an officer in a variety of situations, such shooting ranges are too expensive for many law enforcement agencies. Additionally, many existing shooting ranges cannot be readily adapted to use the technological advances. Thus, there is a need for simple bullet targets which provide improved situation stimulus and improved wear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide improvements in bullet targets.
In accordance with the above and other objects of the invention, an improved bullet target is provided, including a head plate which is configured to be impacted by a bullet, an arm for holding the head plate in a line of fire and an attachment mechanism for connecting the head plate to the arm.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the attachment mechanism is formed by a rubber block or some other resilient or semi-resilient material. The rubber block attaches the head plate to the arm in such a manner that the head will deflect each time it is hit but will substantially return to its initial position (generally vertical) shortly after the impact. Thus, the head gives the visual appearance of being impacted as it is hit with each bullet, consistent with the reaction of a person who has been struck by a bullet. The head plate, however, does not fall down after being struck by the preliminary round as is currently done in the prior art. Rather it returns to the original position or a position close thereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is more similar to many real life situations in which a perpetrator rushing a police officer will be momentarily stopped or knocked backward when hit by a round, and then will resume rushing the officer.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the improved target includes a head plate which is attached to the arm by a stop. The stop is configured to allow the head plate to rotate between a first presented position and a second retracted position. As the head plate is hit by a bullet, the bullet rotates from the first presented position to the second retracted position. However, because no hinge is directly formed on the head plate, the head is able to withstand a larger number of rounds, and welds on the arms or stops last considerably longer.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the hinge formed between the arm or base and the head plate is formed from flat pieces of steel. Such a hinge is not only more durable than conventional hinges, it can be made relatively inexpensively from scraps of steel left over when making bullet traps, targets and the like.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a pair of targets are disposed behind a chest plate. The targets are then selectively raised so that a user is selectively presented with targets having a color and/or shape representing an enemy and one representing an innocent party. The heads plates may be presented so that a single head is raised requiring the shooter to determine whether it is a target or not and then proceed with firing, if indicated, or the head plates may be advanced in unison so that the shooter first shoots the first target and then shoots the rear target, if appropriate.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the targets can be presented to the shooter in alignment. Thus, the shooter may have to knock down the first target and then decide whether to fire at the second target, thereby forcing the shooter to closely monitor the status of the initial target. As will be appreciated, such a shooting scenario is analogous to shooting at a perpetrator, but ceasing the shooting as soon as the perpetrator falls to prevent shooting by-standers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a fragmented perspective view of an improved target made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another embodiment made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a chest plate and a pair of bullet targets made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of the present invention will be given numeral designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the following description is only exemplary of the principles of the present invention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the pending claims.
Turning now to FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of an improved target, generally, indicated at 10 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The target includes a head plate 14 and an arm 18 , which is used to hold the head plate in a line of fire.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that current targets typically include a head plate which is attached to the arm by a hinge. Often this is formed by welding a pipe to the head plate and passing a bar through the pipe of the head plate so that a shot hitting the head plate causes the head plate to pivot downwardly with respect to the arm.
In accordance with the present invention, the head plate 14 is attached to the arm 18 by a resilient attachment member 22 . Typically, the resilient attachment member 22 is formed from rubber, a spring or some other resilient or semi-resilient material.
The attachment member 22 is attached to the head plate 14 and to the arm 18 by screws 24 , bolts, or some other fastener. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is preferable that such fasteners be configured to decrease the likelihood of ricochets.
In the present invention, the attachment member 22 provides both visual indication of impact on the head plate 14 while returning the head plate to a generally upright or facing position. In training law enforcement officials and military personnel to more accurately shoot, it is important that there be some visual indication when the target has been hit, as well as auditory information confirming the hit. In the prior art configuration, this was accomplished by the head plate making a noise upon impact of the bullet and pivoting downwardly following impact. This, however, allows for only a single shot to hit the target. In most common shooting situations, however, the initial shot is insufficient to bring down the enemy. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the resilient or semi-resilient attachment mechanism deflects with each shot to provide a visual indication that the head plate of the target has been hit. However, the resilient attachment mechanism returns the head plate to a generally upright position allowing the shooter to repeatedly hit the target and thereby insure that a threat is no longer present.
Turning now to FIG. 2 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of an improved target, generally indicated at 50 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The target 50 includes an arm 54 and a head plate 58 . The head plate 58 is held to the arm 54 by one or more stops 62 . The stops 62 are typically formed from flat pieces of steel which have been cut. Because the pieces are flat, scrap steel left over from making bullet traps, head plates and the like can be used to form the hinge with relatively minor handling.
The stops have channels 66 formed therein and which are configured to allow a tab 58 a of the head plate 58 to rotate between a generally vertical and a generally horizontal position. Unlike the previous embodiment, the head plate 58 is configured to fall into a generally horizontal position.
In additional to the above, the head plate 58 could fall 180 degrees if desired by simply modifying the configuration of the channels 66 . Additionally, the configuration of the channel can be used to regulate how forceful of a hit or hits the head plate 58 must take before it will drop. The, for example, ledge 62 a which defines part of the channel 66 could be raised on lowered to respectively increase or decrease the force necessary to tip the target.
In the prior art target, the head plate is pivotably attached to the arm. This is typically accomplished by welding a cylinder to the head plate and then extending a rod therethrough to act as a hinge. During repeat fire situations, the weld which holds the hinge in place breaks due to the vibration of repeated rounds hitting the head. This eventually causes the head plate to fall off. The head plate is then either thrown away, or recycled by welding another cylinder onto the head plate.
By having the head plate 58 pivot with respect to the stops 62 without being directly attached thereto, a substantial amount of the vibration is dissipated before the head plate impacts the back part of the channel 66 of the stop. This, in turn, reduces the amount of vibration which is conveyed to any weld 70 between the stops and the arm (or other base). Even if a weld 70 is present and breaks however, the head plate 58 may still be used so long as some retention interaction, such as a slotted groove engagement (sown by the clashed lines 74 , exists between the head plate and the arm 54 . It is appreciated from FIG. 2 that such a slotted groove engagement, as indicated by FIG. 2 and by dashed lines 74 , may comprise holes formed in the arm 54 which receive a portion of the stops 62 and notches formed in the portions of the stops 62 which are received by the arm 54 and which engage the arm 54 .
Yet another advantage of the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is that the configuration allows for ready replacement of targets. Because the head plate is not fixedly attached to the stops 62 , the tabs 58 a and channels 66 can have sufficiently loose tolerances that a head plate could be changed by simply sliding it to one side and then the other. This would allow an arm 54 /stop 62 configuration to be quickly modified to provide a different target. Thus, for example, a head plate which is generally round could be used. The head plate could then be replaced with an tall, elongate head plate within a matter of a few seconds. By allowing quick changes, fewer arms or base units need to be purchased to use with a full array of head plates.
Turning now to FIG. 3 , there is shown a perspective view of an improved target, generally indicated at 100 , made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The improved target 100 includes a first arm 104 and a second arm 108 . The first and second arms 104 and 108 are positioned behind a chest plate 112 , such as those which are commonly used for pop-up targets.
Attached on top of the first arm 104 is a target 116 having a first configuration. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first target 116 is generally circular. The first target 116 is typically colored a first color, such as blue. In a preferred embodiment, the functional elements of the target can be configured similar to the target shown in FIG. 2 or to the target shown in FIG. 1 .
Disposed on the top of the second arm 108 is a second target 120 . The second target 120 is also preferably formed in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 2 , although other target configurations can be used. The second target 120 may have a second configuration which distinguishes it from the first configuration of the first target 116 . Thus, for example, the second target may be hexagonal and painted a different color than the first target, i.e. red. Each of the arms 104 and 108 are mounted on top of a riser 124 and 128 . The risers 124 and 128 selectively raise the targets 116 and 120 above the chest plate 112 . The risers 124 and 128 allow the person controlling the range to selectively raise and lower either of the targets and thereby change the target which is presented to the shooter. The difference in the configuration of the first target 116 and the second target 120 forces the shooter to distinguish between a perpetrator and an innocent bystander. Thus, the shooter is not only tested on his ability to shoot accurately, but also to make split second decisions on whether or not to shoot.
While the risers 124 and 128 can be used to activate either of the targets, they can also actuate both targets 116 and 120 simultaneously. The person shooting is presented with the first target 116 which may indicate a perpetrator. When the target 116 has been hit sufficiently, the target will fall, revealing the second target 120 . The second target 120 can be configured to represent an innocent bystander. In such a scenario, the shooter must immediately cease firing after the fall of the first target 116 to avoid hitting the innocent bystander represented by the second target 120 .
In the alternative, the second target 120 could also be configured to represent a perpetrator. Thus, when the first target 116 falls, the shooter must quickly determine if the second target 120 represents a threat or not. By selectively changing the scenario, i.e. alternating targets representing an innocent bystander and a target representing a threat, the shooter can be conditioned to properly consider the target and to react accordingly.
Thus, there are disclosed several embodiments of improved targets which can be used to improve the shooting accuracy and decision making capacity of a shooter. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous modifications which can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
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A bullet target configured to improve the skills of a shooter includes, in one embodiment, a head plate which is attached to an arm by a resilient or semi-resilient attachment member to allow the head plate to visually deflect when hit by a bullet and to substantially return to its original position. In another embodiment, the improved target utilizes an attachment mechanism which allows the head to rotate relative to the arm within a stop to minimize transfer of vibrations between the head plate and the arm. In a third embodiment, a plurality of head plates are used in alignment and selectively exposed to the shooter to improve decision making ability.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to the field of a audio systems. More specifically, this invention relates to a system and a method for securing audio equipment to a support structure. Further, this invention relates to a system for that allows for pivotal movement and placement of audio equipment after attachment to a support structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The emergence of high-quality audio systems has made home entertainment a preferred source of entertainment and enjoyment in today's entertainment crazed society. Typically, a home entertainment viewer may have large screen TVs, plasmas or similar visual equipment to view such things as entertainment programming, sporting events and movies, which until the emergence of good audio and visual mediums, could only be viewed at specific, dedicated entertainment outposts such as movie theatres. Additionally, commercial venders such as restaurants, bars, and other venues had no way of communicating information and or transmitting audio medium to their costumers in an efficient manner. Additionally, the lack of good sound quality usually made the home viewing experience inferior to the experience one would find at a movie theatre, or the sound quality one would find at an entertainment venue accustomed to good sound.
[0003] The solution to this problem came in the form of good residential and/or commercial audio systems which could be analogous to larger entertainment venue audio systems. As the audio systems improved, it became necessary to simulate as close as possible, a true surround sound of the audio sounds which gave rise to surround sound systems which employed a plurality of different speakers which controlled different sounds to be projected to the end user to simulate this sensation of surround sound. However, it was necessary to employ speaker wire to connect the surround sound speaker to the transmitter. These speaker wires could be intrusive and have the ability to visually detract from the aesthetics of both the speaker and the whole room, and bring visual notice to the wiring necessary to connect the speaker to the transmitting unit.
[0004] In an effort to eliminate this aesthetic defect, existing speaker housings typically have terminals on the back of the housing unit to connect the speaker housing to the transmitter unit. Additionally, the typical speaker is supported by some sort of support structure, such as a speaker tower, or a bracket that connects the speaker to the wall where it can hang from the wall and project audio signals into the room. The support structures can serve multiple purposes including supporting the audio equipment and may provide some assistance in concealing the wires necessary to connect the audio equipment to the transmitting unit. However, a problem with these existing support structures, is that they pose time consuming installation disadvantages. For example, most wall mounted speakers are coupled to a wall by using brackets that connect to the wall, and use a threaded mechanism to screw the bracket into a speaker housing to mount the speaker to the wall. A problem with this type of application is that once the bracket is screwed into the speaker housing, it is extremely difficult to later adjust the speaker for better audio clarity and/or positioning. In order to adjust the speaker direction and/or positioning, the threaded mechanism must either be removed from the wall, which would be extensively time consuming and cumbersome, or the bracket must be loosened from the audio equipment, which can also be time consuming and cumbersome seeing as the placement of the audio equipment is against a wall and/or positioned rather high on the vertical plane of the wall.
[0005] Additionally, if an individual desires to move the direction in which the speaker is pointed, including tilting the speaker upwards, or conversely, tilting the speaker further downward, the threaded mechanism must be loosened from the speaker and the speaker adjusted. After this has taken place, the threaded mechanism must again be tightened, and the speaker checked to make sure that it is positioned correctly after the individual can stand back from the speaker. If the speaker is not correctly positioned and/or the speaker is not in alignment with other speakers that might also be connected to a support structure in a plane, the individual will have to go through this entire process multiple times to ensure a proper alignment and positioning. As can be readily apparent, this procedure may be overly cumbersome and burdensome for an individual that desire to properly position audio equipment.
[0006] A need therefore exists for an improved bracket system to secure audio equipment to a support structure.
[0007] Further, a need exists for an improved bracket system that may secure audio equipment to a wall surface and may allow for easy fitment into the bracket system and rotation of the speaker relative to the vertical plane of the wall surface when desired by an individual.
[0008] Additionally, a need exists for an improved bracket system that may allow for proper securement of the audio equipment to a wall surface and/or support structure that allows for rotation about the bracket with uniform rotational locking segments to procure proper vertical alignment with a wall surface and/or support structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention provides an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment to a support structure. More specifically, the present invention provides a system and method for using a unique bracket system that may allow for rotation and positioning of a speaker housing relative to a support structure. Additionally, the present invention also provides an improved system and method for mounting a speaker housing to a fixed surface including a wall and allowing for adjustment and/or rotation of the speaker housing without necessitating the removal of the speaker housing from the bracket and/or excessive manipulation of the bracket to properly rotate or adjust the positioning of the speaker housing relative to the wall.
[0010] To this end, in an embodiment of the present invention, an equipment mounting apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a mounting bracket having a back plate having a front side and a rear side wherein said mounting bracket is connected to a support structure. Additionally, the apparatus has at least one arm extending outwardly perpendicular to said back plate and at least one appendage detachably connected to the arm of the mounting bracket. Moreover, the apparatus may have a protuberance on said at least one appendage wherein said protuberance is adapted for attachment to a speaker housing.
[0011] In an embodiment, the apparatus may have a plurality of appendages that are connected to the mounting bracket.
[0012] In an embodiment, the apparatus may have a plurality of arms provided wherein the plurality of arms extend outwardly perpendicular to the back plate of the mounting bracket.
[0013] In an embodiment, the apparatus may have at least one appendage that is coupled to said at least one arm by engagement means.
[0014] In an embodiment, the apparatus may have at least one appendage that has a serrated portion which may be properly fitted into a corresponding serrated portion of the at least one arm of the mounting bracket.
[0015] In an embodiment, the apparatus may have at least one appendage where the arm and the appendage are rotatable respective to one another.
[0016] In an embodiment, the appendage is rotatable about the arm of the mounting apparatus to a plurality of positions relative to the arm.
[0017] In an embodiment, the mounting bracket may have a locking mechanism thereon to lock the at least one arm with the corresponding at least one appendage into a fixed, non-movable position.
[0018] To this end, in another embodiment of the present invention, an audio equipment mounting system is provided. The system has a mounting bracket having a back plate having a front side and a rear side wherein said mounting bracket is connected to a support structure. Additionally, the system has at least one arm extending outwardly perpendicular to said back plate and at least one appendage detachably connected to the arm of the mounting bracket. Moreover, the system has a protuberance on the appendage wherein the protuberance is adapted for attachment to a speaker housing. Further, the system has a speaker housing having a front portion, back portion, bottom portion and top portion. The speaker housing has a transducer contained within the speaker housing and an opening in the speaker housing for reception of the said at least one appendage of the mounting bracket.
[0019] In an embodiment, the system has an appendage that is rotatable about the arm of the mounting bracket.
[0020] In an embodiment, the protuberance of said appendage is detachably connected to the speaker housing.
[0021] In an embodiment, the at least one appendage has a serrated portion which may be properly fitted into a corresponding serrated portion of the at least one arm of the mounting bracket and further wherein said serrated portion of said appendage in conjunction with said serrated portion of the at least one arm of the mounting bracket provides fastening of the speaker housing in a desired position.
[0022] In an embodiment, a locking means may be contained on the mounting bracket for locking the said at least one appendage in position about the at least one arm of the mounting bracket.
[0023] In an embodiment, the speaker housing may have a tubular enclosure contained thereon between said front portion and said rear portion of the speaker housing and further wherein said speaker housing has connectors on the front portion for attachment of the transducer to a transmitting unit.
[0024] In an embodiment, the mounting bracket may have a plurality of appendages and further wherein said mounting bracket may have a plurality of arms corresponding to said plurality of appendages.
[0025] In an embodiment of the present invention, a method for using an audio system assembly is provided. The method comprising the steps of: providing a speaker housing having a front portion, back portion, bottom portion and top portion; providing an opening on said front portion and said bottom portion of the speaker housing; providing a mounting bracket having a back plate having a front side and a rear side wherein said mounting bracket is connected to a support structure; positioning at least one arm extending outwardly perpendicular to said back plate; and arranging at least one appendage in alignment with said at least one arm of the mounting bracket.
[0026] In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of: providing a protuberance located on the end of the appendage wherein the protuberance is fitted for detachable alignment with the front portion of the speaker housing.
[0027] In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of: inserting said at least one appendage to said opening on the top portion and bottom portion of the speaker housing and allowing a protuberance to be aligned with said front portion of the speaker housing.
[0028] In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of: providing a serrated portion on said appendage which is properly fitted into a corresponding serrated portion of the at least one arm of the mounting bracket wherein said serrated portions allow for rotation of the appendage about the arm of the mounting bracket.
[0029] In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of: allowing for rotation of the appendage which is connected to the speaker housing about the arm of the mounting bracket such that movement of appendage about the arm of the mounting bracket causes the speaker housing to be moved in accordance with the movement of the appendage.
[0030] It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment.
[0031] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the audio equipment to be mounted may be a speaker housing.
[0032] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the audio equipment to be mounted may be an enclosed speaker.
[0033] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the mounting system may be used to mount audio equipment to a support structure.
[0034] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the mounting system may be used to mount audio equipment to a support structure wherein the support structure may be a speaker stand.
[0035] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the audio equipment may be a cabinet which may house a transducer and control circuitry.
[0036] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system utilizes a mounting bracket to attach the speaker housing to a support structure including a wall.
[0037] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system utilizes a mounting bracket to connect the speaker housing to a wall.
[0038] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system utilizes a mounting bracket that has adjustable engagement portions thereon.
[0039] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may include a speaker housing or cabinet housing having at least one transducer.
[0040] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may include a speaker housing or cabinet housing having a plurality of transducers wherein the transducer may be configured within the housing to project audio signals to an area.
[0041] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may use a speaker housing wherein the housing may have at least one connector for connection of wiring form a transmitting unit to the transducer contained within the housing unit.
[0042] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may use a mounting bracket wherein the bracket may have two opposing engagement means for attachment of the bracket to a speaker housing.
[0043] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may utilize a mounting bracket that may connect a speaker housing to a wall and wherein said mounting bracket may be constructed of any suitable material including metallic material, polyurethane, plastic, wood, and/or any material capable of connecting a support structure to a speaker housing.
[0044] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a channel contained thereon.
[0045] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a plurality of openings thereon and further wherein the openings may contain edges that may be coupled to a protuberance on the appendage of the mounting bracket.
[0046] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a plurality of channels thereon and further wherein the channels may have an engagement means for engaging a portion of a speaker housing.
[0047] An additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have an engagement means which may correlate to an engagement portion positioned on the speaker housing.
[0048] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have at least one rotatable appendage coupled to the mounting bracket.
[0049] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a plurality of rotatable appendages coupled thereto.
[0050] An additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a plurality of rotatable appendages wherein the rotatable appendages attach to the mounting bracket by way of a fastener.
[0051] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a plurality of rotatable appendages wherein the rotatable appendages are configured to lock to a plurality of preset positions relative to the mounting bracket.
[0052] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket with a plurality of appendages wherein the appendages are rotatable about the mounting bracket.
[0053] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket with a plurality of appendages wherein the mounting bracket may be coupled to the appendages and wherein the mounting bracket may contain a locking means to lock the rotatable appendages into a desired position.
[0054] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket with an appendage wherein the appendage is rotatable three hundred and sixty degrees (360) about the edge of the mounting bracket.
[0055] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket is U-shaped.
[0056] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a back plate and a plurality of arms wherein the arms extend away from the back plate at an angle of 90 degrees.
[0057] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a mounting bracket wherein the mounting bracket may have a back plate and a plurality of arms wherein the arms extend away from the back plate to allow for connection of either an appendage and/or the speaker housing to the arm portion of the mounting bracket.
[0058] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may contain a speaker housing wherein the speaker housing may have a tubular enclosed passage which may connect the front portion of the speaker housing with the back portion of the speaker housing and further wherein the tubular enclosure may have gates positioned thereon for opening and closing of the tubular passage.
[0059] Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may facilitate easier connection of the speaker housing to the transmitting unit.
[0060] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may facilitate connection of the speaker housing to the transmitting unit without the need to remove the speaker from a support structure.
[0061] Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may have a tubular enclosure wherein the tubular enclosure may be positioned anywhere on the speaker housing including the top portion, the bottom portion and the side portions as long as the tubular enclosure allows for connection of the front portion of the speaker housing with the back portion of the speaker housing with needing to remove the speaker housing from the mounting bracket.
[0062] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for mounting audio equipment wherein the system may allow easier access from a bracket or support housing to the connection terminal of the speaker housing.
[0063] These and other objects of the invention will become more clear when one reads the following specification, taken together with the drawings that are coupled hereto. The scope of protection sought by the inventors may be gleaned from a fair reading of the Claims that conclude this specification.
[0064] Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0065] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mounting bracket and accessories in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0066] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the speaker housing and mounting bracket in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0067] FIG. 3 is a back view of the speaker housing in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0068] FIG. 4 is a side view of the speaker housing in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0069] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the speaker housing in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0070] FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the speaker housing in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0071] Turning now to the drawings wherein elements are identified by numbers and like elements are identified by like numbers throughout the 6 figures, the invention is depicted in FIG. 1 that illustrates a mounting bracket 1 for use in the mounting system. As shown in FIG. 2 , the mounting bracket 1 may be detachably coupled to a speaker housing 5 for mounting of the speaker housing 5 to a support structure (not shown). FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may have a back plate 7 which may have a plurality of holes 13 formed thereon. The backing plate 7 in an exemplary embodiment may be of any shape to be adaptable to any support structure. However, in a preferred embodiment, the backing plate 7 may have a front side 9 and a back side 11 . The back side 11 of the backing plate 7 may be adapted for fitment against a wall or any vertical plane. Additionally, the holes 13 in the backing plate 7 may be used for securing the backing plate 7 to a support structure such as a wall.
[0072] The mounting bracket 1 may additionally have a first arm 15 and a second arm 17 positioned thereon. The first arm 15 and the second arm 17 may be positioned adjacent to the backing plate 7 and may be perpendicular to the backing plate 7 . Additionally, in an exemplary embodiment, the first am 15 and the second arm 17 may be parallel to each other in spaced apart fashion, to form a U-shaped bracket. The first arm 15 may have a first side 19 and a second side 21 . The first side 19 may be directed downwards and may be positioned to face the corresponding first side 23 of the second arm 17 . Likewise, the second arm 17 may have a first side 23 and a second side 25 wherein the first side 23 would face upwardly, and would be positioned to face the corresponding first side 19 of the first 15 .
[0073] The first side 23 of the second arm 17 and the first side 19 of the first arm 15 may both have an engagement means 29 for engaging an appendage. A first appendage 31 and a second appendage 33 may be coupled to the first arm 15 and the second arm 17 by way of a first engagement means 35 and a second engagement means 37 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the engagement means 35 , 37 may a first serrated portion 41 which corresponds to a second serrated portion 43 . The first serrated portion 41 may be positioned on the first and second arm 15 , 17 , while the second serrated portion 43 may be positioned on the first and second appendages 31 , 33 respectively. The first serrated portion 41 may correspond to the second serrated portion 43 such that the first serrated portion 41 may be interlock with a corresponding section of the second serrated portion 43 to implement a tight fit between the arms 15 , 17 and the appendages 31 , 33 .
[0074] As further illustrated in FIG. 1 , the engagement means may include a spring therein to allow for rotation of the appendages relative to the arms of the mounting bracket. The spring 51 along with the first and second serrated portions 41 , 43 may allow the appendages to rotate about the arms without the need to unscrew or unfasten the appendage from the mounting bracket arms. The spring 51 is contained within an arm housing 53 on the first and second arm of the mounting bracket. The housing may contain the spring 51 and may be secured by a spring cap 55 which may be fastened to the outside portion 57 of the first arm 15 and the outside portion 59 of the second arm 17 . Moreover, the spring cap 55 may have a locking mechanism 61 thereon which may allow for disengagement of the appendages relative to the arms of the mounting bracket. The locking mechanism 61 may have a switch 63 thereon to effectively allow for locking and unlocking of the locking mechanism, which in turn allows for rotation of the appendages relative to the arm of the mounting bracket. A bolt 65 may extend from the spring cap 55 through the arm housing 53 and subsequently through the appendages as illustrated in FIG. 1 . The bolt 65 may secure the arms to the appendages.
[0075] FIG. 2 further illustrates the mounting bracket 1 wherein the appendages are coupled to the arms of the mounting bracket 1 . As illustrated by FIG. 2 , the mounting bracket 1 may be adapted for alignment with a speaker housing 5 . The speaker housing 5 may have a transducer and/or speaker 73 contained therein. The speaker housing 5 may also be adapted for proper fitment with a particular mounting bracket 1 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the speaker housing may have a corresponding indentation 75 formed into the top portion 77 and the bottom portion 79 of the speaker housing 5 . The indentation 75 may allow for fitment of the mounting bracket 1 to secure the speaker housing. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the speaker housing may additionally have an opening 81 between the top portion 77 of the speaker housing and the transducer 73 . The opening 81 may be adapted for engagement of the appendages into the speaker housing.
[0076] FIG. 2 further illustrates the appendages 31 , 33 wherein the appendages have a first side 85 in close proximity to the back plate 7 of the mounting bracket 1 . Further, the appendage may have a second side 87 which may extend outwardly from the mid point 89 of the appendage wherein the appendages attaches to the arms 15 , 17 of the mounting bracket 1 . The second side 87 of the appendage 31 , 33 may have a tab 91 wherein the end portion 93 of the tab 91 may be adapted for fitment into a corresponding dimple 95 found located on the front side 97 of the speaker housing. The tab 91 may be inserted into the corresponding dimple 95 of the speaker housing wherein the tab 91 may have protuberance 101 that may fit into the dimple 95 and thereby lock the appendages 31 , 33 into place about the speaker housing. When in place, the protuberance 101 may ensure proper securement of the mounting bracket 1 about the speaker housing 5 . When a user desires to remove the speaker housing from the mounting bracket 1 , the user may simply apply measurable force on the protuberance 101 on the front side 97 of the speaker housing 5 to disengage the protuberance 101 from the dimple 95 on the speaker housing 5 .
[0077] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrated the speaker housing showing the corresponding indentation 75 formed near the top portion 77 of the speaker housing 5 and at the bottom portion 79 of the speaker housing 5 . As illustrated, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the indentation 75 extends from the back portion 102 of the housing to a mid point 107 of the top portion of the speaker housing 5 . At approximately the mid point 107 , of the speaker housing 5 , an opening 103 is formed in the top portion 77 of the speaker housing 5 to allow for proper fitment and accommodation of the appendage 31 of the mounting bracket 1 . A second opening 105 may be located at the bottom portion of the speaker housing 5 to perform the same function with respect to the second appendage 33 . FIG. 5 further illustrates the indentation 75 on the top portion 77 of the speaker housing 5 wherein the appendage 31 may be inserted for fitment and securement of the speaker housing 5 to the mounting bracket 1 . Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , the indentation 75 on the speaker housing 5 may end at a midpoint 107 of the top portion 77 wherein an opening 105 may thereby be formed in the top portion 77 for adaptation and securement of the mounting bracket 1 to the speaker housing 5 .
[0078] Moreover, the speaker housing 5 may include a tubular enclosure 109 in an exemplary embodiment and may be positioned below the speaker 73 in a location within the speaker housing 5 that may facilitate easier and more efficient connection of a wire apparatus (not shown) to wire connectors 111 . In an embodiment, the tubular enclosure 109 may be of generally tubular shape, but it should be anticipated that the tubular enclosure 109 may be of any shape to facilitate the insertion of a wire apparatus (not shown) from the back portion 102 of the speaker housing 5 to the front portion 97 of the speaker housing 5 . The configuration of the tubular enclosure 109 is not limited to a generally tubular shape, but can include a plurality of different shapes including rectangular, trapezoidal, oval, triangular and a variety of other geometric shapes.
[0079] Additionally, the tubular enclosure 109 may also have a first gate 115 positioned at the outside edge 117 of the back portion of the tubular enclosure 109 . Moreover, the tubular enclosure 109 may also have a second gate 119 positioned at the outside edge 121 of the front portion of the tubular enclosure 109 . The first gate 115 and the second gate 119 may allow for opening and closing of the tubular enclosure 109 when the enclosure 109 is not in use. The utilization of the tubular enclosure 109 may allow a user to make wire connects to the speaker housing after the speaker housing has been mounted to a support structure (not shown) by use of the mounting bracket 1 . Additionally, the first gate 115 and the second gate 119 may have an opening 125 thereon to allow only the wire apparatus (not shown) to pass through the tubular enclosure 109 . (See FIG. 3 ).
[0080] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.
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An improved system and method for mounting audio equipment to a support structure is provided. The invention provides a system and method for using a unique bracket system that may allow for rotation and positioning of a speaker housing relative to a support structure by mounting a speaker housing to a fixed surface including a wall and allowing for adjustment and/or rotation of the speaker housing without necessitating the removal of the speaker housing from the bracket and/or excessive manipulation of the bracket to properly rotate or adjust the positioning of the speaker housing relative to the support structure. The invention provides an appendage and an arm portion of the mounting bracket that may be rotated to allow for positioning of the speaker housing coupled to the appendage to be rotated in conjunction with the appendage movement relative to the arm of the mounting bracket.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to amusement devices that make humorous statements when activated. More particularly, the present invention relates to the configuration of such amusement devices and the mechanisms used to activate such amusement devices.
[0003] 2. Prior Art Statement
[0004] The prior art is replete with different types of amusement devices that contain voice synthesizer circuitry that is used to make humorous statements when activated. Such prior art devices have been built into greeting cards, toy dolls, pillows and near countless other varieties of novelty items.
[0005] However, with most such prior art amusement devices, the amusement device must be manually activated by a person manipulating the amusement device. For example, if voice synthesizer circuitry is added to a doll, the circuitry is typically activated when the doll is squeezed in a certain area or otherwise manually manipulated. If voice synthesizer circuitry is added to a greeting card, the circuitry is activated when the greeting card is opened.
[0006] Since most prior art amusement devices must be manually activated, the broadcasting of a message by the voice synthesizer circuitry is often anticipated. For example, when a child wants a doll to speak, that child purposely squeezes the doll and expects to hear the doll speak. However, as is well known in comedy, timing is everything. It is often much more humorous to have a novelty item begin to broadcast a message when a person is not expecting it rather than when a person is expecting the broadcast.
[0007] In order for a novelty device to broadcast a message without physical manipulation, that novelty device must contain some type of passively activated controller. Most often, the passively activated controllers used in toys and other amusement devices are timers, motion detectors and sound detectors. Timers activate the device at a preselected time. Motion sensors activate the device when movement near the device is detected. Sound detectors activate the device when sound is detected around the device.
[0008] Timers are not often used in novelty items that are intended to be humorous. This is because the proper timing of when a novelty device should activate is too hard to predict. Furthermore, the novelty device could activate when no one is around, thereby quickly draining batteries. Adversely, novelty devices with motion sensors and sound detectors are commonly used. However, they too have limitations. There is a fine line between a novelty device that is funny and a novelty device that is annoying. Novelty devices with motion detectors can detect whether or not a person is approaching, however, the novelty device cannot tell in what activity that person is engaged. Furthermore, such novelty devices with motion detectors cannot tell the difference between an approaching person or the family pet. As such, by activating at the wrong times, novelty devices with motion detectors can quickly become annoying. Similarly, novelty devices with sound detectors cannot tell the difference between a person's voice and a voice on the television. Therefore, such novelty devices also commonly activate at the wrong times and become annoying.
[0009] The present invention is a novelty device that passively detects when a person in a bathroom is having a bowel movement and provides humorous statements appropriate for the occasion. Since the location and activity of the person can be accurately ascertained when the novelty device is activated, the ability of the novelty device to be perceived as humorous is greatly increased. This new novelty device and its associated method of use are set forth in the specification and claims presented below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is a novelty device that makes humorous statements when a person is having a bowel movement in a confined bathroom. The device includes an automated character, such as a bird in a birdcage, a skunk with a gasmask or some other character. Within the device is a gas sensor for detecting at least one gas emitted during a bowel movement. The device also includes a speaker for transmitting an audible message once such gases are detected.
[0011] To use the novelty device, the novelty device is placed in a bathroom. In the bathroom, the device samples the ambient air. If gases associated with a bowel movement are detected, the novelty device begins to emit humorous statements regarding the bodily function being performed in the bathroom. The emitted statement can be accompanied with synchronized movements in the automated character.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention novelty device; and
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the electronic components of the present invention novelty device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Although the present invention device can be configured in many different amusing ways, such as a toy skunk, a toy soldier in a gas mask, a toy toilet, a roll of toilet paper or the like, the present invention device is presented as a toy bird in a small bird cage. Such a configuration is merely exemplary and should not be considered a limitation as to the appearance the present invention device can take.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention amusement device 10 is shown. In this embodiment, the present invention device 10 is configured as a canary 12 in a birdcage 14 . The configuration of a canary 12 in a birdcage 14 was selected because canaries were often used by miners to detect the presence of gas in coalmines. As such, the image of a canary in a birdcage already provides the impression that the device 10 is a gas detector.
[0017] The present invention device 10 contains a cage base 16 that forms the floor of the birdcage 14 . The cage base 16 contains much of the electronics used in the device 10 as well as the batteries that power the device 10 . On the exterior of the cage base 16 are located a gas intake aperture 18 , a speaker aperture 19 and the operating controls of the device 10 . The operating controls include an on/off switch 20 . The operating controls may also include an optional volume control 22 and a message selection switch 24 .
[0018] The presence of the gas intake aperture 18 on the cage base 16 enables ambient air to diffuse into the cage base 16 for detection. As will later be explained, a gas sensor that senses gas emitted with a bowel movement is present within the cage base 16 . The speaker aperture 19 in the cage base 16 enables sound generated by an internal speaker to be clearly heard outside of the cage base 16 .
[0019] Within the birdcage 14 is perched an artificial canary 12 . To operate the present invention novelty device 10 , the device 10 is placed in a bathroom at some point close to the toilet. When turned on, the device 10 samples the air surrounding the device 10 using an internal gas sensor. When elevated levels of methane are detected, or other gases emitted with human waste, the novelty device 10 activates automatically. Once activated, a humorous audible message is broadcast. The massage may say “What a stench! Somebody open the window! There are rules against cruelty to animals!” A countless number of messages can be used. The messages can be simple and benign or can be highly X-rated.
[0020] If the canary 12 in the birdcage is mechanically articulated, the canary 12 can be caused to move when the device 10 is activated and the message is broadcast. The canary 12 may drop over dead. Alternatively, the canary 12 can flap its wings and its beak can move in synchronization with the audible message being broadcast.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the present invention device 10 contains a processor 30 that controls the electronic functions of the device 10 . A gas detector 32 is coupled to the processor 30 , wherein the processor 30 monitors the signal output of the gas sensor 32 . When the gas sensor 32 detects a concentration of gas over a predetermined threshold level, the signal sent to the processor 30 by the gas sensor 32 is used as a triggering signal by the processor 30 . The triggering signal causes the processor 30 to change the state of the overall device from a dormant state to an activated state.
[0022] The gas sensor 32 is preferably a methane detector. There are many methane gas detectors commercially available. Most any of these methane gas detectors can be adapted for use with the present invention device 10 . However, human waste contains many gases besides methane that are found only in the air of a confined bathroom while being used. Any sensor can be used that is capable of rapidly detecting elevated levels of any of these other gases.
[0023] A small optional draw fan 34 may be provided near the gas sensor 32 . The draw fan 34 can be used to actively draw ambient air past the gas sensor 32 . In this manner, elevated waste product gases can be more rapidly detected.
[0024] The processor 30 activates an audio signal driver 36 once the gas sensor 32 detects elevated levels of gas. The audio signal driver 36 causes an audio message to be broadcast from a speaker 38 . The audio message can be a fixed message or can be one of several messages that are retrieved from a memory 39 . The message can be randomly retrieved from the memory 39 or can be preselected using the optional message selection switch 24 .
[0025] Furthermore, if the canary 12 is mechanically articulated, the processor 30 activates the movement motors 40 that are interconnected to the canary 12 . The movement motors 40 can cause the bird to drop dead, flap its wings, move its head or create any other type of movement.
[0026] As has been previously stated, the use of a canary 12 in a cage is merely exemplary and the present invention device 10 can be manufactured into many different configurations. The configurations can be humorous, such as a skunk in a gas mask. Alternatively, the configurations can be inconspicuous, such as a candle or a fake roll of toilet paper that would hardly be noticed on a bathroom counter. Rather, it should be understood that the heart of the present invention is an electronic assembly that can rapidly detect gases emitted with a bowel movement. The electronic assembly is embodied in an automated character or object. Once the gas is detected, an audible message is broadcast and movement is created in the character or object.
[0027] It will be understood that the present invention novelty device that is described and illustrated is merely exemplary and a person skilled in the art can make many variations to the shown embodiment. All such alternate embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined below in the claims.
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A novelty device that makes humorous statements when a person is having a bowel movement in a confined bathroom. The device includes an automated character, such as a bird in a birdcage, a skunk with a gasmask or some other character. Within the device is a gas sensor for detecting at least one gas emitted during a bowel movement. The device also includes a speaker for transmitting an audible message. When gases from a bowel movement are detected, audible statements are transmitted and synchronized movements are effected in the automated character.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/871,303, filed Sep. 30, 2015, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/467,171, filed Aug. 25, 2014, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/722,247, filed on Dec. 20, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,815,094 Issued Aug. 26, 2014, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/915,150, filed on Nov. 20, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,212 Issued Jan. 1, 2013, which is the National Stage Entry under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/US2006/019718, filed on May 23, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent Application No. 60/683,994, filed on May 24, 2005. Each of these applications is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] This invention most generally relates to fluid conduits, and more particularly to fabric-covered fluid conduits.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Suspended solids have plagued the septic system and wastewater treatment industry more in the last ten or more years than in previous years. The increase in the problem is due in part to the evolution and development of some of the modern day cleaners which now make cleaning easier, in that they cause grease and oil to dissolve into the water. The major problem with the septic tank is that the suspended solids passing through the tank neither cool nor make contact at a slow enough pace to separate from the water.
[0004] Lint and fuzz also have been an ongoing problem for the septic tank to control. This material stays suspended in the septic tank liquid and normally passes through, remaining suspended in the effluent, which subsequently also causes problems in the leach system connected with the septic tank.
[0005] Septic tanks generally available do not effectively provide for the removal, in a manner which does not affect the cost and the performance characteristics of the septic treatment system, of suspended solids that are typically found in septic tank liquid. It is important that the amount of suspended solids that leave the treatment tank be minimal so as not to adversely affect the subsequent treatment of the wastewater/effluent. A leach field, for example, is adversely affected because the suspended solids will clog the layer that receives them and also adversely affect the absorption characteristics of the leach bed.
[0006] Currently there are designs and equipment that attempt the removal of the suspended solids. All of those known to the inventor of the now-patented precipitation apparatus defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,752 have failed to address the problem in an efficient manner, because all the efforts attempt to “filter” the liquid. Filtration creates an additional set of problems. The filters can quickly become plugged, slowing down or completely blocking the flow-through of the liquid through the treatment tank. The filters are expensive and are costly to maintain. Applicant's patented precipitation apparatus greatly reduces the level of suspended solids exiting the treatment tank and entering the leach system.
[0007] The following patents relate to the technology of the present invention, but none of them meets the objects of the disclosed and claimed improved system in a manner like that of the instant invention. Additionally, none are as effective and as efficient as the instant improved conduit system.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,578 to Beane discloses a protective sleeve for corrugated drainage tubes. The protective sleeve is a continuous tubular sleeve of knit fabric material which is slipped over one or more sections of corrugated flexible drainage pipe and acts as a filter to keep rocks, dirt, mud, pieces of clay, and the like from clogging the openings in the corrugated drainage pipe while allowing the water to pass through. Disclosed is a knit fabric preferably formed by lock stitches and is inherently elastic.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,665 to Caouette discloses a fabric-wrapped corrugated structure. The fabric wrapping comprises an outer fabric combined with a grid mesh separation element. It is disclosed that the fabric may be of the woven or non-woven type and that the fabric may be bonded to the grid mesh. Further, Caouette discloses that the grid mesh may take many different forms as long as one set of cross members or other members such as dimples on a planar structure or fibrous material provides some separation of the fabric above the peaks of the corrugated pipe.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,832 to Gonczy et al. discloses a multilayer insulation blanket used in heat transfer technology which can be wrapped around a structure. The Gonczy patent does not disclose the use of multilayer fabrics of varying deniers and does not disclose the liquid permeability of the multilayer blanket.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,321 to Beane discloses a drain tile and a pile fabric filter sleeve. The knit fabric of the '321 patent to Beane is provided over the drainage conduit to facilitate efficient liquid flow. The knit fabric is also impregnated with suitable chemical agents for counteracting anticipated chemical reaction particle intrusions. The knit fabric is further disclosed to be formed of stitches defining a ground and defining terry loops extending from the ground and being directed in a predetermined generally radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the drainage conduit.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,113 to Goddard et al. discloses a highway edgedrain. The edgedrain comprises a tube inserted into a fabric sheath. The fabric sheath of the ‘113 ’patent is preferably of a nonwoven fabric and of a geotextile composition. The sheath acts as a filter to prevent the passage of large particles or rocks into the tube. Further, the sheath is disclosed as being made from a material of a single density.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,778 to Dempsey discloses a drainage mat. Most significantly, the ‘778 ’patent discloses a drainage material with extended surface which is a two-layer composite of polyester non-woven filter fabric heat bonded to an expanded nylon non-woven matting such as ENKADRAINTM brand of three-dimensional composite.
[0014] U.S. Pat. 5,002,427 to Kambe et al. discloses a hydrophobic material used for drainage of a culvert. The '427 patent discloses a textile or knit fabric having large and small mesh portions.
[0015] The patents noted herein provide considerable information regarding the developments that have taken place in this field of technology. Clearly, the instant invention provides many advantages over the prior art inventions noted above. Again, it is noted that none of the prior art meets the objects of the multilayered fabric as used in septic and wastewater treatment in a manner like that of the instant invention. None of them is as effective and as efficient as the instant combination of multilayered fabric and corrugated pipe combination for use in the management of effluent drainage systems.
SUMMARY
[0016] In one aspect, the present invention may be a device including: a conduit including apertures therethrough; a first fabric layer covering a lower section of the circumference of the conduit; a first coarse layer surrounding the first fabric layer; and a second fabric layer over the coarse layer and covering completely the circumference of the conduit. The device may be constructed and arranged such that the first fabric layer covers less than one half the circumference of the conduit. The device may include a third fabric layer and a second coarse layer, the third fabric layer positioned between the first coarse layer and the second coarse layer wherein the third fabric layer covers a greater portion of the conduit than does the first fabric layer and does not cover the entire circumference of the conduit. The device may include a plurality of additional fabric layers and coarse layers, each fabric layer positioned between two coarse layers and wherein each successive fabric layer from interior to exterior covers a greater portion of the circumference of the conduit. The device may be constructed and arranged such that the coarse layer comprises a coarse, random fiber layer. The device may be constructed and arranged such that the coarse layer comprises a plastic grid mesh. The device may be constructed and arranged such that the first fabric layer is a geo-textile fabric. The device may include a biomat on the second fabric layer.
[0017] In another aspect, the present invention may include a method of treating an effluent including: passing the effluent along the interior of a conduit including apertures therethrough; restricting the flow of the fluid out of the apertures with a dense fabric layer; causing at least a portion of the effluent to overflow the upper edges of the dense fabric layer; and flowing the fluid through an outer layer of fabric. The method may utilize a conduit that is substantially horizontal. The method may include passing the fluid through coarse fibers prior to flowing the fluid through the outer layer of fabric. The method may include pretreating the fabric layers with chemicals, bacteria and/or microbes. The method may include forming a biomat on the outer layer of fabric.
[0018] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be an apparatus including: a first fabric layer constructed and arranged to form a series of alternating U-shaped peaks and troughs; spacers within each of the peaks and troughs to retain the shape of the peaks and troughs; a second fabric layer within at least one of the troughs, the second fabric layer extending from the bottom of the trough upwardly along both walls of the trough; and a mesh layer separating the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer. The apparatus may include a biomat layer on the second fabric layer. The apparatus may be constructed and arranged such that the second fabric layer is positioned between a spacer and the first fabric layer.
[0019] This invention most generally relates to a fluid conduit with layered and partial covering material thereon and means and method for configuring with covering material, in partial form and layers, a covering of fluid conduit/conductors resulting in the creation of a novel and very effective, in functionality, component of a fluid conduit/conductive system such as a septic pipe of smooth wall, of corrugated form, of any form of cross sectional configuration including circular, elliptical, rectangular, triangular or any other geometric shape any of which will and can provide for the flow of a fluid of forms such as septic flow fluid and the like. Included herein as a part of the invention are fluid conduits produced by the means and methods of this invention. Substantially, the fluid conduit system having incorporated therein and thereon the form and layers of covering created as a consequence of the means and method of configuring such conduit included as a feature of the invention. Such covering material most generally used, but not totally limited to, is a multilayer fabric of varying deniers for the processing and treatment of fluids which must be treated to remove materials so that the resultant treated fluid may be reused and/or returned to the earth and particularly to the water table. More particularly, the invention of the partial and variable form of fluid conduit coating relates to the use of multilayer fabric, each layer being of selected denier, in combination with conduit/conductor, either smooth-walled or corrugated, used most likely in a drainage field or leaching system usually associated with a septic tank or system. At least one of the layers of the multilayer fabric is formed from an unstructured assemblage of fibers. The unstructured assemblage of fibers provides a large surface area whereon consequent biodegradation of the oils, greases, and chemicals takes place permitting treated fluid to pass omnidirectionally through the unstructured assemblage of fibers and subsequently leach into the ground. Most particularly, the multilayer fabric of varying deniers may be wrapped around a corrugated plastic pipe of the type well known in the field of drainage or leaching fields. Additionally, the fabric layers may be pretreated with chemicals, bacteria, and/or microbes, such as known oil-digesting microbes, in order to particularize the use of the drainage and waste treatment created as a consequence of the invention in forming the consequential resulting fluid processing and treatment apparatus in the processing or treating of fluids.
[0020] The invention has the particular objectives, features, and advantages of:
1. Multiple layers of fabric; 2. Fabric layers of varying deniers; 3. Usefulness in wrapping corrugated plastic pipe; 4. With the selection of fabric, various fabric properties such as denier, thickness, and retention quality, such as hydrophobic or hydrophilic characteristics, can be altered so that specific fluid treatment objectives can be met; 5. The multilayer fabric provides boundaries/interfaces and regions within which specifically chosen bacteria, chemicals, microbes and the like may be introduced to facilitate the biodegradation of specifically chosen undesirable materials; and 6. Improved performance over the currently known leach fields and currently known fluid conduits used for various forms of treatment of conducted fluid with the conduit.
[0027] Even more particularly, the invention is particularly useful in combination with the septic tank maze apparatus defined and described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,752, titled MEANS FOR PRECIPITATING OUT SUSPENDED SOLIDS IN SEPTIC TANK LIQUIDS and issued on Jul. 4, 1995. The septic tank having such a maze incorporated therein has an outflow into a leach system of effluent or leachate which is substantially devoid of solids.
[0028] Some particular aspects of interest for the multilayer fabric wrapped corrugated pipe invention are:
1. Longer life and no shadow effects; 2. Less masking; 3. More storage and breakdown area within the fabric layers; 4. Different grades of bacterial area; 5. Different interfaces for bacteria; 6. The division of different types of material; 7. Less clogging; 8. Septic use and floor drain use; 9. May be used over valley with any material that gives spacing and may also be used over smooth wall pipe; 10. May be used on incoming/outgoing liquids; that is, the process would work for liquid moving from within to without the pipe or moving from without to within; 11. Any pretreatment of surface or subsurface fluids to include trapping collecting or dispersing fluids into and out of the ground; 12. Fabric may be pretreated with chemical, bacteria and/or combinations and such pretreatment may be specific for applications such as oil-spill or the like; 13. Multi-layered fabrics and different deniers and different thicknesses may be combined again to achieve specific functions; 14. Treating liquids on the inside, trapping things inside—different fabrics exhibit retaining properties relative to specific materials, and likewise different materials have varying treatment properties for different substances such as oil and effluent; 15. At all of the interfaces of the multilayered fabric and at the interface of the fabric with the conduit surface and the soil, fluids are being treated in a progressive manner resulting in a treated fluid having an acceptable standard of quality; and 16. May be used on corrugated or smooth-walled structures or any fluid-carrying structure that passes fluids through itself or through holes/slots/cuts over/under/through/around.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] Included herewith in this Application is a series of drawing figures. Included are two drawings identified as ENVIRO-SEPTIC® ORIGINAL A and ENVIRO-SEPTIC® NEW A, and in association with the character of the operation of the invention there are figures identified as STAGE 1A through STAGE 4A. Further included is a drawing identified as ENVIRO-SEPTIC® NEW B, and in association with the character of the operation of the invention, when there is a plurality of thick and/or dense fiber layers and a plurality of coarse fiber layers, there are figures identified as STAGE 1B through STAGE 4B.
[0046] Included herewith as a further identification of this invention, Applicant has provided forms of drawing figures identified as drawing FIGS. 1-12 and having numerical identification of elements included thereon. Further, at least FIGS. 1-7 of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,451 may be included, but are included herewith only by reference thereto.
[0047] FIG. 1 . represents an ENVIRO-SEPTIC® ORIGINAL A and is an illustration of the pipe having a random fiber and a plastic fiber wrapping of the pipe;
[0048] FIG. 2 . represents a new form of ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW A) and is an illustration of the pipe having a random fiber and a plastic fiber wrapping of the pipe and one dense fiber on a portion of the pipe outer surface circumference;
[0049] FIG. 3 . identified as “STAGE 1A” is an illustration of the early stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 2 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW A) and shows effluent starting to build up on the new fabric layer reaching toward its maximum long-term acceptance rate;
[0050] FIG. 4 . identified as “STAGE 2A” is an illustration of stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 2 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW A) and shows effluent has built up on the new fabric layer reaching its maximum long-term acceptance rate;
[0051] FIG. 5 . identified as “STAGE 3A” is an illustration of further stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 2 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW A) and shows effluent has begun to overflow the new fabric layer;
[0052] FIG. 6 . identified as “STAGE 4A” is an illustration of further stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 2 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW A) and shows the outer fabric reaching the maximum long term acceptance rate;
[0053] FIG. 7 . represents another new form of ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW B) and is an illustration of the pipe having a random fibers and a plastic fibers wrapping of the pipe and a plurality of dense fiber on a portion of the pipe outer surface circumference and a plurality of random fiber covering, such random number being 3 in this instance;
[0054] FIG. 8 . identified as “STAGE 1B” is an illustration of the early stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 7 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW B) and shows effluent starting to build up on the first of the 3 new fabric layer reaching toward its maximum long-term acceptance rate;
[0055] FIG. 9 . identified as “STAGE 2B” is an illustration of stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 7 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW B) and shows effluent which has begun to overflow the first new fabric layer is building up on the second of the 3 new fabric layer;
[0056] FIG. 10 . identified as “STAGE 3B” is an illustration of further stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 7 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW B) and shows effluent which has begun to overflow the second of the 3 new fabric layer is building up on the third of the 3 new fabric layer effluent;
[0057] FIG. 11 . identified as “STAGE 4B” is an illustration of further stages of function of the pipe as illustrated in FIG. 7 . ENVIRO-SEPTIC® (NEW B) and shows effluent which has begun to overflow the third of the 3 new fabric layer is building up on the outer fabric which will eventually be reaching the maximum long term acceptance rate; and
[0058] FIGS. 12-20 are a plurality of drawings showing various configurations relative to form and layers of fabric materials so as to illustrate the use with alternative conduits.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0059] It would be advantageous to have a treatment system which would include a leach system which would more efficiently and effectively process the leachate or effluent from the septic tank or precipitation apparatus. Use of such an improved fluid conducting conduit structure within a drainage field would result in longer life, less area needed to handle a specific amount of outflow of liquid, and a cleaner and safer treated liquid returning to the environment. The improved fluid conducting conduit structure defined and claimed herein provides these advantages without a large increase in cost, does not require any additional maintenance, and, in fact, requires less maintenance, is incorporable into standard treatment designs and configurations, would be easily installed as new or replacements into existing and in-place leach fields, and would provide flexibility to incorporate a variety of specially designed uses to result in a custom system based upon special or specific needs within the treatment system.
[0060] There is nothing currently available which satisfies these needs and objectives. However, the present invention disclosed herein addresses these objectives.
[0061] The following is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is clear that there may be variations in the size and the shape of the apparatus, in the materials used in the construction, and in the orientation of the components. However, the main features are consistent and are:
1) Multiple layers of fabric rather than screens; 2) Fabric layers of varying deniers and/or thickness; 3) Useful in wrapping smooth-walled and corrugated plastic pipe; 4) With the selection of fabric and fabric denier, specific fluid treatment objectives can be met; 5) The multilayer fabric provides boundaries/interfaces and regions within which specifically chosen bacteria, chemicals, microbes and the like may be introduced to facilitate the biodegradation of specifically chosen undesirable materials; and 6) Improve performance over the currently known leach fields.
[0068] By using multilayers, one is able to have a medium for different types of bacteria to collect on and break down on, as well as divide them by particle size. All prior systems have structures with members that are pressed tightly against the pipe itself, causing shadowing to take place where the fabric touches the pipe or the members. By using multilayers of fabrics starting with the very coarse denier working down to a fine denier, one is able to alleviate all of the shadowing effect, which has never before been achieved. At the same time, larger particles are being sorted or separated from smaller particles, allowing the bacteria in the effluent to work more efficiently on these particles.
[0069] It should be noted that multilayered fabrics may be used with basically all chamber-type systems, such as, for example, infiltrators, contactors, and bio-diffusers and with smooth-walled perforated pipe as well as corrugated plastic pipe. The multilayer fabric could be used inside of a product known as ELJEN IN-DRAIN™ treatment system to extend the life of the product, as discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 20 .
[0070] Because of the fibers being used in multilayers, the ability of the aerobic bacteria to work on the particles is increased due to the ability of the liquids to be wicked throughout the fabrics (due to capillary action) thereby inducing more air, which will also change the state of the nitrogen content and other chemicals within the effluent so they may change more readily into gas and escape from the soils to the atmosphere above. Within the multiple layers there will be more storage area for the fine suspended particles that frequently clog standard systems. Oils, greases, and chemicals contained in the fluids to be treated and entering within the fluid conducting conduit structure are entrapped within at least one of the first layers and at least one additional layer of fabric and particularly on the unstructured assemblage of fibers. The unstructured assemblage of fibers provides a large surface area whereon consequent biodegradation of said oils, greases, and chemicals takes place, permitting treated fluid to pass omnidirectionally through the unstructured assemblage of fibers.
[0071] With the use of multilayers of fabrics, it is possible that one can set up systems which would handle garage floor drain wastes by allowing the bacteria action to take place in the first few layers, the oil to be trapped on other layers, and the water to pass through the final layers, and then returned back to the clean soils. The floor drain fluid would be directed to a treatment bed or field similar to a leach field. In the treatment field would be conduit having means for allowing the passage of the floor drain fluid outwardly of the conduit and subsequently into the multilayer fabric wrapped around or at least covering the conduit. The fabric may be specially treated to process the particular drain fluid in order to place it in condition to be returned to the earth.
[0072] The INFILTRATOR™ brand of leaching structure, with the MICRO-LEACHING CHAMBERS™ brand of wall perforations is a chamber device used in leaching systems and is considered herein as a conduit. This form of conduit directs fluid flow even though it is somewhat similar to a semicircular cross section of a length of perforated corrugated pipe. That is, if perforated, corrugated pipe was halved along its axis, and the halves were laid in trenches with the opening of the half downwardly directed, a conduit similar to this brand of leaching conduit would result. Multilayer fabric having the characteristics previously noted, placed over this device will result in improved performance. Further, the multilayer fabric placed across the downwardly directed open portion would likewise improve the performance of the leaching system.
[0073] The use of multilayer fabric would also permit cleaning of water coming into a pipe so that it could be possible to take water that has been contaminated (areas of contaminated soil) and pass it through the multilayers and have bacterial growth on the outer surface and have cleaner water as it goes in the system. It would be effective in the removal of oils, greases, and other chemicals. In the application where fluid to be treated is entering the conduit or pipe, the layer of fabric in contact with the pipe may have a denier lower in value which is finer than the denier of the adjacent additional/outer layer of the multilayer fabric. Where there are more than two layers, it is important to note that each additional layer has a denier different from each additional layer adjacent thereto. In other words, where fluid is moving from inside to outside, the first layer will be more coarse than the coarseness of the next layer. Another layer over the next layer need only have a level of coarseness different than that of the next layer. Further, if yet another layer was added, it is only necessary that the coarseness of that layer be different from the layers adjacent.
[0074] It should be noted that the use of such fabrics with any kind of septic system or drainage system will result in improved performance. By allowing multiple layers of bacteria to form around the interior of the different layers, one can ultimately reduce the amount of necessary leach area surface that is needed for the system to operate properly. On most septic systems there is only one bacterial interface surface. By doing multiple layers of fabrics, one not only maintains the initial surface area which is the soil interface with the fabric, but bacterial growth will take place on the multiple layers. For each layer on which bacteria grow, the amount of leach area surface needed to do the job is significantly reduced.
[0075] It is also important to note that with the use of the multilayer fabric, liquids will be diffused/dispersed without channeling the liquids in a forced direction, adding considerably to the life of any septic system.
[0076] One of the particular features of the present invention is now described and disclosed.
[0077] Through testing of the ENVIRO-SEPTIC® wastewater treatment system, surprisingly Applicant/Inventor hereof has learned that, by adding a dense layer of geo-textile fabric in the lower section of the pipe and thus covering a portion of the circumference of the pipe (C)—such portion being preferably less than one-half of the pipe circumference (<½ C) and placed between the pipe outer surface and a layer of coarse random fibers—Applicant was able to get bacteria to grow very quickly. Such result forces the system to generate bacteria more quickly, thereby causing the system performance to be enhanced in quality of performance and in the speed of performance—speed of performance was increased over prior art methods by a substantial amount.
[0078] The extra layer of dense fabric not only helps to treat the effluent better, but also helps to extend the life of the outer layer of fabric wrapped around the pipe. In the prior reference Patents of Applicant, referred to herein on occasion as the original ENVIRO-SEPTIC® pipe, the outer layer of fabric eventually gets a buildup of sludge that escapes through the holes in the pipe settling on the inside of the outer layer of fabric. By adding the new layer of dense fabric, the sludge is trapped on this layer, thereby protecting the outer layer of fabric from this sludge. At the time of initial startup, this new dense fabric layer will screen the effluent better, thereby causing the effluent to travel the whole length of the pipe quickly and uniformly. As the effluent passes through the dense fabric layer, the bacteria will reach a long-term acceptance rate faster, and the effluent will overflow or pond above the upper edges of the dense layer, eventually overflowing down and into the coarse random fibers and passing through the outer layer of fabric. Allowing the effluent to travel the whole length of the pipe results in the spreading of the loading throughout—a process that allows more air and better bacterial growth and action. During this process, a second biomat forms on the inner surface of the outer fabric and now becomes the treatment surface. It is not clogged by the sludge, because it is being protected by the dense layer of fabric next to the pipe.
[0079] This dense layer of fabric does not stop the penetration of effluent. It slows the effluent down and filters it better, allowing the bacteria to grow sooner and in greater numbers.
[0080] This extra layer of dense fabric will allow for longer life expectancy than is now achieved or even expected from the standard and Patented ENVIRO-SEPTIC® system. It will also allow the system to reach its peak environmental performance in a much shorter period of time.
[0081] Yet another of the particular features of the present invention is now described and disclosed.
[0082] It has been discovered surprisingly that incorporating (i.e., adding) a plurality (from 2 to “n” dense layers) of dense layers of geo-textile fabric in the lower section of the pipe, wherein each of the ones of the plurality of dense layers is designed for covering a portion of the circumference of the pipe (C), increases the performance of the present invention. Each of the dense layers beginning with a first dense layer—the layer which is in contact with the outer surface of the pipe—being preferably substantially about equal to about ½ of 1/n th of the pipe circumference (C) and placed between the pipe outer surface and a layer of coarse random fibers. The second (2 nd ) dense layer would be placed onto or over the coarse random fiber layer (note that all of the coarse random fiber layers may be of sufficient size to cover the pipe circumference, or they may be of a dimension to cover a portion of the pipe greater than the dense layer inwardly directed and perhaps less than the dense layer contacting the outwardly directed surface of the 2 nd dense layer. This relationship will be applied to each of the successive dense layers to the final nth dense layer. It is clear that each of the coarse fiber layers may completely encircle the pipe, because the flow-through of the fluid is minimally affected by the material of the coarse fiber layers. Applicant was able to get the bacteria to grow very quickly. Such result forces the system to generate bacteria more quickly, thereby causing the system performance to be enhanced in quality of performance and in the speed of performance—speed of performance was increased over prior art methods by a substantial amount.
[0083] These and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains and after a study of the present disclosure of the invention.
[0084] The following is simply a description and disclosure of the use of the present invention resulting in the creation of pipe produced by the process and including various combinations and materials, all of which are products produced by the process of this invention.
[0085] FIG. 12 shows a pipe with a plastic grid mesh and channels with a partial covering of fiber and plastic grid mesh which will function very well in the process of removing the heavier, more dense material from the effluent fluid and, further, start the bacteria development more quickly, resulting in an improvement in the processing system. The partial layers can be created or designed in such a way that the inner one will cover less surface area and then can have more partial covering layers (with each, a little more surface being covered), so that when the first one overflows and runs into the second one, it has to fully cover that surface with bacteria and particles before it will overflow, thus running into the next/adjacent one. This feature can also be seen on FIGS. 18 and 19 . It is important to note that there may be as many partial layers as needed, i.e., as it takes to clean the water or liquids. Each layer of fiber could actually have a different denier and thickness and alternate in any fashion from thick to thin and back to thick. This whole process will help the bacteria to come up to speed inside the fibers without being blocked as would or could otherwise happen, and consequently the liquids are cleaned faster and more completely, improving thereby the safety of the deposit into the environment.
[0086] FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12 , but the pipe used is a SIMPLE SEPTIC® treatment pipe in form.
[0087] FIGS. 14 and 15 shows ENVIRO-SEPTIC® pipe with a random coarse fiber layer, a fabric layer, a plastic mesh layer, and another fiber layer. This design could be altered to better the processing of certain fluid, such as by having the fiber mesh or the plastic mesh layer in different locations and increasing the number of layers duplicating the arrangement of fabric types. FIG. 15 is a drawing of an original ENVIRO-SEPTIC® pipe with a single layer of partial fabric between the pipe and random coarse fibers.
[0088] FIG. 16 shows a pipe very similar to what is considered an older form of pipe to which is added a fiber and plastic mesh in a partial covering and then a final cover all the way around the pipe.
[0089] FIG. 17 again shows an ENVIRO-SEPTIC® pipe with a partial layer of coarse random fiber and fabric covered with a second partial layer of a plastic grid mesh and fabric slightly wider with another layer of coarse random fiber and fabric that is a little wider than that which is over it. Finally, the entire pipe is covered with a wrapping that is the coarse random fibers and fabric. The partial coverings can alternate between a plastic grid mesh or coarse random fibers or could be all of one type or the other type. Also, one could use any kind of materials which could be used as a separation between the fabric layers. The layers of fabric can be any denier or thickness depending on what is necessary for the type of liquids being cleaned. These multiple layers, when in operation, will allow liquids to pass through all the layers. As the first partial layer becomes blocked from bacterial growth, the pass-through rate of the liquids slows down, and the liquids will start to flow over into the second partial layer. As that layer blocks, the liquids will flow over into the third layer—and so on. When initially put into use, the liquids will pass through all of the different layers, growing a bacterial base in all of them. The screening of the different partial layers will protect the layers below it to allow it a longer life and better bacterial growth thereby protecting the environment. Again, it is important to note that this product produced by this method could be used to clean fluid other than effluent.
[0090] FIG. 18 simply first shows the liquid level flowing over the first partial layer, and FIG. 19 shows the liquid level flowing over the first and the second partial layers.
[0091] FIG. 20 is a simple representation of an ELJEN IN-DRAIN™ system, well known to those of ordinary skill in the field of septic waste processing, simply being shown to illustrate use of the present invention within the cavities of the covering, thereby improving the efficiency and the environmental abilities of the basic ELJEN system (i.e., partial fabric layers are put between the plastic spacers and the original fabric, thereby better accomplishing the objective of the system).
[0092] In all of the above drawings, it is further noted that the seams at the top can be either stitched, heat bonded, or just overlapped.
[0093] It is thought that the present invention, the means and method and the conduits produced thereby and having included therewith a multilayer fabric of varying deniers for primarily the processing and treatment of fluids which must be treated to remove materials so that the resultant treated fluid may be reused and/or returned to the earth, and many of its attendant advantages is understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.
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A fluid conduit with layered and partial covering material thereon is disclosed. The fluid conduit may be used for processing and treatment of fluids which must be treated to remove materials so that the resultant treated fluid may be reused and/or returned to the earth and particularly to the water table. The fluid conduit may be of many forms and types and may have attached thereto and configured thereon covering material in partial form and a selected number of layers. The fluid conduit may be a septic pipe of smooth wall, of corrugated form, and/or of any form of cross-sectional configuration including circular, elliptical, rectangular, triangular, or any other geometric shape. The fluid conduit may be used in combination with conduit in a drainage field or leaching system usually associated with a septic tank or septic system.
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CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/004,131, filed May 28, 2014, entitled “Nanoporous Gold and Silver Nanoparticles and Substrates for Biomolecular Sensing,” the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This disclosure pertains to molecular and biomolecular sensing, and particularly to a methodology for assays and diagnostics in which a nanoporous or corrugated metal-containing surface, fiber or particle, enhances or suppresses the optical detectability of a label or the target molecule of interest itself.
[0003] The detection of hydrocarbons, environmental contaminants, food components, biological molecules and cells, especially pathogens, DNA, mRNA and miRNA, viral RNA, proteins, and modified (e.g., phosphorylated) proteins, as well as biological processes, plays a central role in health, safety and research. There is an ongoing need for increased sensitivity of detection at reasonable cost. The needs of society for such assays are not fully met by any currently available method, and there is continuing development in this area.
[0004] As one example, DNA hybridization, where two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules form duplex through non-covalent, sequence-specific interactions, is a fundamental process in biology. Developing a better understanding of the kinetics and dynamic aspects of hybridization will help reveal molecular mechanisms involved in numerous biomolecular processes. To this end, sequence-specific detection of hybridization at the single-molecule level has been instrumental and gradually become a ubiquitous tool in a wide variety of biological and biomedical applications such as clinical diagnostics, biosensors, and drug development. Label-free and amplification-free schemes are of particular interest because they could potentially provide in situ monitoring of individual hybridization events, which may lead to techniques for discriminating subtle variations due to single-base modification without stringency control or repetitive thermal cycling. To further increase experimental robustness and productivity and reduce complexity, single-step assays are highly desirable.
[0005] For example, “sandwich” assay that involves multiple hybridization steps could generate highly convoluted results. Currently, intermolecular diffusion of DNA molecules is commonly studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) with an observation time limited to the diffusion time of molecules through the observation volume. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) and other fluorescence techniques have also been employed to study conformational changes. Unlike most fluorescence techniques, molecular beacons (MB) provide label-free detection of hybridization. However like most other fluorescence techniques, MB also suffers from rapid photobleaching which prevents prolonged observation for slow processes.
[0006] Of particular interest is the use of plasmonic materials for the sensing and detection of biomolecular components and processes. Metal nanostructures exhibit interesting optical properties due to their nanoscale features and the collective oscillation of conduction band electrons excited by incident light. The associated enhanced electric field near the surface of metal nanostructures, known as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for propagating fields or localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for non-propagating ones, has been well studied and is widely used in optical sensors, photovoltaic devices, waveguides, imaging devices, SHINERS and biomedicine. Both SPR and LSPR strongly depend on the composition, shape and size of metal nanostructures, as well as the ambient environment. Therefore, controlling their composition, shape and size is essential for potential applications.
[0007] In addition to fluorescence techniques, label-free techniques for hybridization detection and biosensing include the use of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), extraordinary optical transmission, electrochemistry, circular dichroism spectroscopy and mass measurements, but these techniques can hardly provide the sensitivity for single-molecule detection.
[0008] Recently, molecular beacon (MB) probes have been immobilized on plasmonic nanoparticles to harness metal-enhanced fluorescence and achieved a limit of detection (LOD) ˜500 pM. Carbon nanotube field-effect transistor has been demonstrated to provide label-free, single-molecule detection at relatively high target concentrations (100 nM to 1 μM). Greater sensitivity is still needed.
SUMMARY
[0009] The present disclosure relates generally to the use of nanostructured materials such as nanoporous gold and silver in biomolecular sensing applications. In particular, the present disclosure relates to monitoring of biological processes using probes immobilized on nanoporous gold or silver nanoparticles. Preferred embodiments pertain to label-free, in situ monitoring of individual DNA hybridization in microfluidics using molecular sentinel probes immobilized on nanoporous gold disks. By immobilizing molecular sentinel probes on nanoporous gold disks, single-molecule sensitivity is demonstrated via surface-enhanced Raman scattering which provides robust signals without photobleaching for more than an hour. Target concentrations as low as 20 pM can be detected within 10 min by diffusion-limited transport.
[0010] Nanoporous gold (NPG) as a bulk nanostructured material is produced by dealloying the less noble constituent of a gold alloy in concentrated nitric acid or via electrochemistry. The nanoporous structure has a bicontinuous and open porosity and demonstrates tunable ligament and nanopore sizes ranging from a few nanometers to several microns. Its high specific surface area, crystalline alignment and clean surface make NPG an attractive active catalyst material requiring no support. Besides its catalytic activity, NPG also shows interesting optical properties such as mixed localized/propagating surface plasmons because of the nanoscale ligaments and pore channels within the unique 3D bicontinuous porous nanostructures. The plasmonic properties of NPG have been explored for molecular sensing using “as-dealloyed”, mechanically stamped, or wrinkled films as well as lithographically patterned monolithic NPG disks with a diameter smaller than the wavelength of natural light. The enhanced electromagnetic fields of LSPR excited in the ligaments are considered to be a major contributor to surface-enhanced optical phenomena such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), surface-enhanced fluorescence, etc.
[0011] In “as-dealloyed” NPG films, the LSPR band centered around 600 nm has a limited tunability of about 50 nm, achieved by varying the pore size from 10 to 50 nm. In mechanically-stamped NPG films, the grating modulation provides a propagating SPR mode coupled with NPG's original LSPR band. However, the grating modulation does not (red)-shift the original NPG LSPR band. In thermally-wrinkled NPG, random plasmonic hot spots form at gaps and junctions due to structural deformation, but do not significantly alter the LSPR over the length scale of interest.
[0012] Methods of nanofabrication of uniform, monolithic disk-shaped NPG nanoparticles have been developed and their plasmonic properties have been investigated. Substrate-bound NPG disks can be released and harvested as colloidal nanoparticles, which differ drastically from existing NPG materials, and can be viewed as a novel functional material. NPG disks feature a well-defined “exterior” disk shape 100-1000 nm in diameter and 30-120 nm in thickness, and an “interior” 3-dimensional porous network with pore size ˜5-20 nm. NPG disks exhibit nanoporosity mimicking that of mesoporous silica while, however, they are plasmonic. NPG disks' structural hierarchy differs from existing plasmonic nanoparticles such as Au or Ag nanospheres, nanorods, nanoshells, and nanocages. An NPG disk is an integral, monolithic construct, which differentiates it from nanoparticle aggregates. Therefore, NPG disks are a new form of nanomaterials which possess well defined exterior parameters, large specific surface areas, plasmonic properties and structural integrity and stability. NPG disks promote coupling between two LSPR, one original to the NPG, and the other from the external disk shape, providing highly tunable plasmonic properties with great utility in assays and diagnostics.
[0013] The present disclosure provides a methodology for assays and diagnostics in which nanoporous or corrugated metal-containing surface, fiber or particle, enhances or suppresses the optical detectability of a label. The resulting optical, electromagnetic, or imaging signal signals the presence of a pathogen or analyte of interest. The described methodology is generally applicable to most amplification independent assays and molecular diagnostics. The present disclosure also demonstrates enhanced sensitivity and convenience of use.
[0014] In principle, NPG can be patterned into any shape. Here disk-shaped NPG disks are used as an example. NPG disks with Raman or fluorescent brightness due to associated organic or inorganic reporter molecules and decorated with antibodies to a target over their whole surface are useful as detection reagents. The antibodies and/or fluors optionally can be destroyed on one side of the disks, e.g., using an ion beam. Antibodies can be replaced or supplemented with DNA probes, aptamers, cells, enzymes, PNA (peptide nucleic acid chimera), lectins, substrates, cells, carbohydrates, etc. Disks can be captured (or analyte-bridged) on a surface, e.g. in a microwell or microfluidic device, or captured in a flow-through or lateral-flow assay matrix. They may be dragged, floated, or settled in or out of an observation location by association with buoyant, dense, or electro-or magnetophoretically-mobile moiety, including a polymer, bubble, particle, or polyelectrolyte. Disks can be fabricated with fluorescent/Raman-active material on one side and antibodies on the other, or with magnetic elements included, or a number of other combinations, to achieve the desired effect.
[0015] As described in more detail below, nucleic acids whose plasmonic-enhanced optical properties can be modulated by analytes (e.g., sentinels, aptamers, etc.) can directly signal the presence of analytes by changes in Raman or fluorescence intensity. Analytes also can competitively suppress the binding of labeled analyte analogs (e.g., nucleic acids bearing dyes, fluors or Raman-active materials) to capture agents (e.g., PNA or DNA probes) on a plasmonic surface.
[0016] Raman or fluorescence detection of label molecules is most sensitive when the label is closely juxtaposed to the surface of the plasmonic material. Modification of the plasmonic surface with affinity agents such as antibodies, etc. impairs this proximity. Non-specific capture of labels directly on a plasmonic surface by adsorption, electrophoresis, or diffusion allows very high sensitivity, but requires that the presence of the labels in a location to be contacted with the plasmonic surface be strictly conditional upon the presence or absence of the analyte. This dependence can be achieved by competitive displacement of labels (or NPG disks or other materials) into a stream or volume which enters an observation point. It also can be achieved by size- or mobility-dependent removal of labels from the stream or volume, e.g. by non-specific adsorbent moieties shielded behind a size-selective moiety, as in the internal-surface reversed phase materials.
[0017] Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is useful as a reporting mechanism for molecular sensing. SERS is an attractive approach for label-free multiplexed DNA/RNA detection because of its single-molecule sensitivity, molecular specificity, and freedom from quenching and photobleaching. These distinct advantages have led to the development of a number of SERS sensing platforms for single DNA hybridization detection, including the crescent moon structures, nanodumbbells, and Au particle-on-wire sensors. These SERS sensing platforms were able to achieve extremely high enhancement of local electromagnetic fields from “hot spots” by careful control of nanostructural assemblies.
[0018] A SERS-based label-free approach capable of in situ monitoring of the same immobilized ssDNA molecules and their individual hybridization events over more than an hour is presented here.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 shows (a) a schematic of the molecular sentinel reporting mechanism on NPG disk substrates and (b) SERS spectra of ERBB2 MS probes on MPG disk substrates;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the fabrication process used to prepare NPG disks, (a) formation of a monolayer of polystyrene (PS) beads, (b) O 2 plasma shrinkage of the PS beads and AR sputter etching, (c) selective dissolver of PS beads by chloroform, (d) formation of NPG disks by dealloying, and (e)-(h) SEM images taken at each step of the process;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows SEM images of NPG disks made using 460±9, 600±12, 800 ±9 and 1100±14 nm PS beads on Si substrates with corresponding diameters of (a) 300±7, (b) 400±10, (c) 500±6 and (d) 700±13 nm, respectively;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows (a) SEM image of high density NPG disk arrays on Si wafer before release, with inset showing 3″ silicon wafer covered by a high-density monolayer of PS beads, (b) SEM image of a single NPG disk with a diameter of 500 nm, (c) NPG disks having different sizes 300±7, 400±10, 500±6, and 700±13 nm (from left to right) after release from the substrates to form colloidal NPG disk suspensions, with an inset of the SEM image of NPG disks released from the substrate by sonication, dropped and dried on a Si wafer, and (d) histogram of 400 nm NPG disk buoyant mass distribution measured by flowing colloidal NPG disks in the microfluidic channel;
[0023] FIG. 5 shows (a) extinction spectra of NPG disks with different diameters in air, (b) plasmonic resonance peak positions versus NPG disk diameter in air, (c) extinction spectra of 400 nm diameter and 75 nm thickness Au disks and NPG disks on glass substrates measured in air, and (d) in-plane dipole resonance peak positions plotted as a function of the diameter/thickness ratio;
[0024] FIG. 6 shows (a) extinction spectra of NPG disks with different diameters in water, (b) extinction spectra normalized to buoyant mass of 400 nm diameter and 75 nm thickness Au disks and NPG disks on glass substrates measured in water;
[0025] FIG. 7 shows (a) extinction spectra of 400 nm NPG disks in various solvent mixtures with known refractive indices, and (b) the peak shift of peaks marked with symbols and ▪ plotted versus n;
[0026] FIG. 8 shows (a) simulated E-field model for NPG disk, (b) simulated E-field model for Au disk, (c) E-field distribution of NPG disk for 1300 nm incidence wavelength, (d) E-field distribution of Au disk for 1300 nm incidence wavelength, (e) E-field distribution of NPG disk for 785 nm incidence wavelength, and (f) E-field distribution of Au disk for 785 nm incidence wavelength;
[0027] FIG. 9 shows schematics illustrating variations (a)-(d) for off-on signaling using ssDNA aptamer probes and NPG disks with or without dye;
[0028] FIG. 10 shows schematics illustrating variations (a)-(b) for off-on signaling using dsDNA aptamer probes and NPG disks with dye;
[0029] FIG. 11 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using an ssDNA aptamer probe and NPG disks with Au nanoparticle or fluorescent dye signal amplifier;
[0030] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using a Hoogsteen aptamer probe and NPG disk with dye;
[0031] FIG. 13 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using a ssDNA aptamer probe and NPG disk with dye and multiple stem-loops;
[0032] FIG. 14 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using a dsDNA aptamer probe and NPG disk with dye coated Au nanoparticle;
[0033] FIG. 15 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using a ssDNA probe and NPG disk with molecular intercalation and trapping in major and minor grooves within dsDNA;
[0034] FIG. 16 shows a schematic illustrating off-on signaling using a ssDNA probe and NPG disk with multiple stem-loops and complete stem to place dye to Au surface;
[0035] FIG. 17 shows the IR spectrum of 400 nm dried NPG disks;
[0036] FIG. 18 shows the XPS spectrum of NPG disks;
[0037] FIG. 19 shows the XPS spectra of the following regions: (a) Ag 3d, (b) Au 4f, (c) O 1s, and (e) Si 2p;
[0038] FIG. 20 shows the extinction spectra of NPG disks having different diameters over the region from 410 to 980 nm: (a) in air and (b) in water;
[0039] FIG. 21 shows (a) Scanning electron micrograph of NPG disks and (b) average SERS spectrum from a single NPG disk;
[0040] FIG. 22 shows (a) averaged SERS spectra before (1) and after (2) MCH treatment and after buffer wash step (3), and (b) Cy3 SERS intensities at different physical positions;
[0041] FIG. 23 shows (a) 5 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 20 nM target DNA, (b) 5 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 5, 10, 20 nM target (cross, circles and diamonds), 20 nM non-complementary DNA (triangles), and 1 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 200 pM target (squares);
[0042] FIG. 24 shows statistical analyses of individual time traces at target concentrations of (a) 5 nM, (b) 10 nM, (c) 20 nM and (d) 200 pM at probe incubation concentrations of 5 nM, 5 nM, 5 nM and 1 nM, respectively; and
[0043] FIG. 25 shows (a) overall Cy3 intensity trace in presence of 20 pM target DNA, SERS images at (b) t=0 min, (c) t=40 min and (d) t=150 min, with the horizontal axis representing the wavenumber, (e) typical individual time traces, and (f) statistical analysis of 64 individual time traces.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0044] The present disclosure demonstrates the successful implementation of molecular sentinel (MS) technology immobilized on nanoporous gold (NPG) disks inside microfluidics. The microfluidic environment prevents sample drying, allows small sample volume, and permits agile fluid manipulation. MS involves the design of the complementary sequence of a target ssDNA into a stem-loop “hairpin”. As shown in FIG. 1( a ) , the hairpin probe has a thiol group at the 5′ end for robust immobilization on gold nanostructures, and a fluorophore such as cyanine 3 (Cy3) at the 3′ end for SERS detection. Cy3 yields a strongly enhanced SERS signal when the probe is in the hairpin configuration. Intense SERS signals are observed due to the short distance between Cy3 molecules and the gold surface. Probes become straight and rigid after hybridization with target ssDNA molecules (right). This signal decreases when the probe is hybridized with the target and moves away from the surface. The SERS signal disappears because Cy3 molecules now are about 10 nm away from the gold surface. FIG. 1( b ) shows the SERS spectra of the ERBB2 MS probes on NPG disk substrates by incubation (500 pM-5 nM) and drop cast (100 pM) immobilization protocols. The spectral baselines were approximated by a 5 th order polynomial and removed.
[0045] MS is label-free, requires only a single hybridization step, and can be multiplexed. MS has been employed to detect breast cancer marker genes ERBB2 and RSAD2 at concentrations of 1-500 nM using colloidal silver nanoparticles. Biomarker Ki-67 at ˜1 μM has been demonstrated using a triangular-shaped nanowire substrate, resembling a “biochip” approach, which is particularly attractive for point-of-care applications where minimal sample preparation is desired.
[0046] The plasmonic substrate of choice here consists of a dense monolayer of NPG disks featuring a unique 3-dimensional internal porous network. The large surface area of NPG disks and hot-spots inside the nanoporous structures have contributed to an average SERS enhancement factor exceeding 10 8 and surprisingly high photothermal conversion efficiency (>50%) among metal nanoparticles of similar size with various shapes and compositions. First, the patterned NPG disk substrates provide enough SERS enhancement to enable single-molecule observation of immobilized MS probes under stringent quantity control. Second, MS on NPG disks can be employed to perform time-lapse in situ monitoring of hybridization. Finally, individual DNA hybridization events can be observed and quantified as early as ˜10 min after introducing 20 pM complementary target ssDNA molecules.
[0047] The present disclosure relates to a label-free technique to detect trace molecules such as hydrocarbons, thiols, various dye molecules, and in situ monitor DNA hybridization using molecular sentinel probes immobilized on patterned nanoporous gold disk SERS substrates. Taking advantage of the ultrahigh SERS sensitivity of these novel substrates, which enables detection of individual Cy3-labeled DNA probe molecules, single DNA hybridization events were observed by in situ monitoring the hybridization process. In addition, the onset of hybridization events was detected within ˜10 min after introducing 20 pM target ssDNA molecules. Given the single-molecule sensitivity, robust SERS signals, and simple detection system, this approach could find potential applications in time-lapsed monitoring of DNA interactions and point-of-care applications.
[0048] In addition to SERS, the present disclosure also relates to surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF), also known as metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF), to monitor various fluorescent molecules such as biological labels and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) which are common environmental toxins. Further, the present disclosure relates to using LSPR to detect local refractive index variations due to surface adsorption and/or binding of molecular analytes. Moreover, the present disclosure relates to using surface-enhanced near infrared (SENIR) detection to measure vibrational overtones and combination bands in the wavelength range of 1000-2400 nm. The types of detectable analytes include neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin; urinary analytes such as creatinine, urea, and various proteins; and other physiological analytes such as glucose.
[0049] In the present method for in situ monitoring of biomolecular processes, the plasmonic material can be NPG, patterned NPG, NPG disk, nanoporous noble metal, patterned nanoporous metal alloy, NPG particle, composite structure with nanoporous and magnetic material, or nanoporous ribbon. The plasmonic particle number can be one to one trillion. The preferred particle density can be one to one billion per microliter. The particle loading with recognition element can be one per particle to one trillion per particle. The particle can be disk shaped, lozenge shaped, square shaped, or oval shaped.
[0050] The relocation/separation aid for analyte-dependent relocation of Raman or fluor-active reporter can be polyelectrolyte, aqueous two-phase system, nanoparticle, gold particle, silver particle, polymer, drag tag, magnetic particle, buoyant particle, microbubble, metal particle, charged moiety, dielectrophoresis tag, smart polymer, or NIPAAM.
[0051] The target analyte can be Cell surface receptor, protein, nucleic acid, mRNA, genomic DNA, PCR product, cDNA, peptide, hormone, drug, spore, virus, SSU RNAs, LSU-rRNAs, 5S rRNA, spacer region DNA from rRNA gene clusters, 5.8S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 10S RNA, RNAseP RNA, guide RNA, telomerase RNA, snRNAs—e.g. U1 RNA, scRNAs, Mitochondrial DNA, Virus DNA, virus RNA, PCR product, human DNA, human cDNA, artificial RNA, siRNA, enzyme substrate, enzyme, enzyme reaction product, Bacterium, virus, plant, animal, fungus, yeast, mold, Archae; Eukyarotes; Spores; Fish; Human; Gram-Negative bacterium, Y. pestis, HIV1, B. anthracis, Smallpox virus, Chromosomal DNA; rRNA; rDNA; cDNA; mt DNA, cpDNA, artificial RNA, plasmid DNA, oligonucleotides; PCR product; Viral RNA; Viral DNA; restriction fragment; YAC, BAC, cosmid, hormone, drug, pesticide, digoxin, insulin, HCG, atrazine, anthrax spore, teichoic acid, prion, chemical, toxin, chemical warfare agent, pollutant, Genomic DNA, methylated DNA, messenger RNA, fragmented DNA, fragmented RNA, fragmented mRNA, mitochondrial DNA, viral RNA, microRNA, in situ PCR product, polyA mRNA, RNA/DNA hybrid, protein, glycoprotein, lipoprotein, phosphoprotein, specific phosphorylated variant of protein, virus, chromosome, enzyme, agricultural chemical, toxin, preservative, species-variant of a protein, pesticide, or herbicide.
[0052] Samples containing the target analyte can be blood sample, air filtrate, tissue biopsy, fine needle aspirate, cancer cell, surgical site, soil sample, water sample, whole organism, spore, genetically-modified reporter cells, Body Fluids (blood, urine, saliva, sputum, sperm, biopsy sample, forensic samples, tumor cell, vascular plaques, transplant tissues, skin, urine; feces, cerebrospinal fluid); Agricultural Products (grains, seeds, plants, meat, livestock, vegetables, rumen contents, milk, etc.); soil, air particulates; PCR products; purified nucleic acids, amplified nucleic acids, natural waters, contaminated liquids; surface scrapings or swabbings; Animal RNA, cell cultures, pharmaceutical production cultures, CHO cell cultures, bacterial cultures, virus-infected cultures, microbial colonies, FACS-sorted population, laser-capture microdissection fraction, magnetic separation subpopulation, or FFPE extract.
[0053] Sample preparation agents can be acid, base, detergent, phenol, ethanol, isopropanol, chaotrope, enzyme, protease, nuclease, polymerase, adsorbent, ligase, primer, nucleotide, restriction endonuclease, detergent, ion exchanger, filter, ultrafilter, depth filter, multiwell filter, centrifuge tube, multiwell plate, immobilized-metal affinity adsorbent, hydroxyapatite, silica, zirconia, magnetic beads, Fine needle, microchannel, deterministic array, size-selective adsorbent, aqueous two-phase system.
[0054] Sample preparation methods can be Filter, Centrifuge, Extract, Adsorb, protease, nuclease, partition, wash, de-wax, leach, lyse, amplify, denature/renature, electrophoresis, precipitate, germinate, Culture, PCR, disintegrate tissue, extract from FFPE, LAMP, NASBA, emulsion PCR, phenol extraction, silica adsorption, IMAC, filtration, affinity capture, microfluidic processing, or selective adsorption.
[0055] The location of the monitoring can be well plate, filter, immunochromatographic assay, immunoassay, hybridization assay, biopsy specimen, in situ, in patient, in surgical incision, surface, cell surface, thin section, self-assembled array, in solution, in suspension, or on a microfluidic chip.
[0056] The recognition element for the detection or monitoring can be antibody, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, aptamer, ligand, chelators, peptide nucleic acid, locked nucleic acid, backbone-modified nucleic acid, lectin, padlock probe, substrate, receptor, viral protein, mixed, cDNA, metal chelate, boronate, peptide, enzyme substrate, enzyme reaction product, lipid bilayer, cell, tissue, insect, microorganism, yeast, bacterium, anti-RNA/DNA hybrid antibody, mutS, anti-DNA antibody, anti-methylation antibody, or anti-phosphorylation antibody.
[0057] The immobilization chemistry can be Avidin/biotin, amine, carbodiimide, thiol, gold/thiol, metal chelate affinity, aldehyde, mixed-ligand, adsorptive, covalent, SAM, DSP, EDC, or Trauton's reagent. Illumination can be by laser, xenon lamp, LED, arc lamp, mercury lamp, incandescent, fluorescent, scanned, time-modulated, frequency-modulated, chopped, time-gated, polarized, infrared, visible, UV, CDMA encoded, multiangle, or ring. Detection can be by eye, camera, digital camera, PMT, scanner, microscope, telescope, detector array, time-gated, chopped, frequency-modulated, wavelength-filtered, polarization-sensitive, Raman, Surface-enhanced Raman, high numerical aperture, color-sensitive, lifetime, FRET, FRAP, intensified, phosphorescence, resistivity, ellipsometer, high-density CCD, in flow, on surface, or in suspension.
[0058] The surface coating for the detection particle can be antibody, nucleic acids, PEG, dextran, protein, polymer, lipid, metal, or glass. The particle can be 1 nm-3 mm in size. The detection volume can be 1 fL to 3 mL.
[0059] The present method could be useful for Clinical Diagnosis; Prognosis, Pathogen discovery; Biodefense; Research; Adulterant Detection; Counterfeit Detection; Food Safety; Taxonomic Classification; Microbial ecology; Environmental Monitoring; Agronomy; or Law Enforcement.
Nanoporous Gold Disks
[0060] Plasmonic metal nanostructures have shown great potential in sensing, photovoltaics, imaging and biomedicine, principally due to enhancement of the local electric field by light-excited surface plasmons, the collective oscillation of conduction band electrons. Thin films of nanoporous gold have received a great deal of interest due to the unique 3-dimensional bicontinuous nanostructures with high specific surface area. However, in the form of semi-infinite thin films, nanoporous gold exhibits weak plasmonic extinction and little tunability in the plasmon resonance, because the pore size is much smaller than the wavelength of light. By making nanoporous gold in the form of disks of sub-wavelength diameter and sub-100 nm thickness, these limitations can be overcome. Nanoporous gold disks not only possess large specific surface area but also high-density, internal plasmonic “hot-spots” with impressive electric field enhancement, which greatly promotes plasmon-matter interaction as evidenced by spectral shifts in the surface plasmon resonance. In addition, the plasmonic resonance of nanoporous gold disks can be easily tuned from 900 to 1850 nm by changing the disk diameter from 300 to 700 nm. Furthermore, nanoporous gold disks can be fabricated as either bound on a surface or as non-aggregating colloidal suspension with high stability.
[0061] Substrate-bound NPG disks can be released and harvested as colloidal nanoparticles, which differ drastically from existing NPG materials, and can be viewed as a novel functional material. NPG disks feature a well-defined “exterior” disk shape 300-700 nm in diameter and 75 nm in thickness, and an “interior” 3-dimensional porous network with pore sizes ˜13 nm. NPG disks inherit LSPR features from both the nanoporous structures and the sub-wavelength disk shape. The coupling between these two LSPR results in intriguing plasmonic properties. Nanoporous plasmonic disks not only possess large specific surface area but also high-density internal plasmonic “hot-spots” with impressive electric field enhancement, which greatly promotes plasmon-matter interactions as evidenced by the high LSPR sensitivity to the ambient environment.
[0062] FIG. 2 ( a )-( d ) illustrate the fabrication process used to prepare NPG disks on a silicon (or glass) substrate: (a) formation of a monolayer of polystyrene (PS) beads on an alloy-coated silicon (or glass) substrate; (b) O 2 plasma shrinkage of the PS beads and Ar sputter etching to form isolated alloy disks; (c) selective dissolver of PS beads by chloroform; (d) formation of NPG disks by dealloying. FIG. 2 ( e )-( h ) shows SEM images taken at each step of the process with a 45° viewing angle. Additional experimental data and discussion is found in Example 1 below.
[0063] Generally, to fabricate NPG disks, both top-down lithographic patterning and bottom-up atomic dealloying are taken advantage of, which together demonstrate great synergy in precisely tuning the plasmonic properties of nanoporous materials. As shown in FIG. 2 , a film of gold and silver alloy approximately 120 nm thick was first sputter deposited onto a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer or glass slide) using an Ag 82.5 Au 17.5 (atomic percentage) alloy target. A monolayer of 460-1100 nm size polystyrene beads (PS) was then formed on top of the alloy film. Over 90% of the alloy surface covered with close-packed PS beads can typically be achieved reproducibly ( FIG. 2( a ) ). Next, a timed oxygen plasma treatment was employed to shrink the PS beads, thus separating them from neighboring beads. The sample was then sputter-etched in Argon plasma to transfer the bead pattern into the alloy film ( FIG. 2( b ) ). Once the pattern transfer was completed, the PS beads were removed ( FIG. 2( c ) ). The alloy disks were dealloyed in concentrated nitric acid, followed by rinsing in deionized (DI) water ( FIG. 2( d ) ) to produce the array format NPG disks. There was substantial size shrinkage during the PS bead etching step as well as the dealloying process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images ( FIG. 2 (( e )-( h )) show the corresponding nanostructures through the fabrication steps. To produce suspended colloidal NPG disks, high-density NPG disk arrays on a 3-inch Si wafer were further sonicated in DI water.
[0064] FIG. 3 shows SEM images of monolayer samples of NPG disks on Si substrates. The mean size and the standard deviation of different NPG disks are determined by measuring ˜100 disks in SEM images for each set of samples. The NPG disks obtained by using PS beads with original sizes 460±9, 600±12, 800±9 and 1100±14 nm were 300±7, 400±10, 500±6 and 700±13 nm in diameter, respectively. The scale bar is 500 nm. The small size dispersion confirms the high fidelity of the pattern-transfer process. Compared to the original sizes of the PS beads, there is an approximate 33-37% decrease in NPG disk diameter, of which ˜5% occurs during the oxygen plasma treatment and up to 32% occurs during the dealloying process. The thickness also shrank from 120 to 75 nm. These values are consistent with ˜30% volume reduction by electrochemical dealloying of Au—Ag alloys because of plastic deformation. Simulations of geometric relaxation in bicontinuous nanoporous metals revealed that surface relaxation played a significant role in the dramatic shrinkage during selective dissolution. Recently, similar size shrinkage ˜29% was reported by Dong and coworkers after dealloying Au—Ag alloy (Ag 77 Au 23 , at %) in nitric acid.
[0065] NPG disks can move off-site during dealloying, as indicated by the presence of off-centered NPG disks with respect to the silicon etch marks during the Ar sputter-etching step. The adhesion between Si and sputtered Au—Ag alloy was weakened due to the oxidation of silicon to SiO 2 by concentrated nitric acid. Therefore, the strong stress generated by volume shrinkage plausibly led to movement of the NPG disks. NPG disks were easily released from the Si substrate by sonication due to the weak adhesion, which was nevertheless sufficiently strong to hold the disks in place while rinsing with water. Furthermore, the “unconstrained” shrinkage led to NPG without cracks, in contrast to NPG disks that were strongly immobilized on Au substrates in our previous study. Crack-free NPG disks are essential for preserving the monolithic structural integrity during and after the release process, as well as the uniformity of the nanoporous network. The corresponding pore sizes for the 300-700 nm diameter NPG disks were 13.8±2.2, 13.7±2.9, 12.5±2.0 and 12.8±2.4 nm, respectively (Table 1 below). The total surface area was about seven-fold the projected geometrical area with pore size ˜13 nm by SEM image analysis based on ImageJ software (See Table 1).
[0066] Table 1 shows the average diameter, pore size, roughness factor, and zeta potentials (ζ) of the as-prepared NPG disks. The thickness of the NPG disks was 75±1 nm.
[0000]
TABLE 1
NPG
Average
Average
disk
diam-
pore
FWHM of
sam-
eter
size
Roughness
the in-plane
ples a
(nm)
(nm)
factor b
ζ (mV) c
peak d (nm)
1
300 ± 7
13.8 ± 2.2
6.56 ± 0.38
−28.5 ± 2.1
421.9
2
400 ± 10
13.7 ± 2.9
7.38 ± 0.41
−26.4 ± 3.2
460.9
3
500 ± 6
12.5 ± 2.0
7.71 ± 0.11
−19.0 ± 1.3
717.6
4
700 ± 13
12.8 ± 2.4
7.65 ± 0.27
−22.7 ± 1.2
1329.8
a NPG disks were made by using 460, 600, 800 and 1100 nm PS beads as masks and identical alloy thickness.
b The roughness factor was obtained by using expression 3 hβ/r, where h, β, and r are the NPG disk thickness, 2-dimensional porosity, and mean pore radius, respectively. The analysis was based on ImageJ software (NIH).
c Zeta potentials were measured in DI water.
d The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the in-plane peaks of NPG disks obtained in air (n = 1) was measured by the GRAMS/AI.
[0067] FIG. 4 shows SEM images of NPG disks taken at a 45° viewing angle, stored in DI water, and single disk buoyant mass measurements. FIG. 4( a ) shows high density NPG disk arrays on Si wafer before release. The inset is a 3″ silicon wafer covered by a high-density monolayer of PS beads. FIG. 4( b ) shows a single NPG disk with a diameter of 500 nm. FIG. 4( c ) shows NPG disks having different sizes 300±7, 400±10, 500±6, and 700±13 nm (from left to right) after released from the substrates by sonication in DI water to form colloidal NPG disk suspensions. The inset is the SEM image of NPG disks released from the substrate by sonication, dropped and dried on a Si wafer. FIG. 4( d ) shows a histogram of 400 nm NPG disk buoyant mass distribution measured by flowing colloidal NPG disks in the microfluidic channel, with an average of 6.04×10 −14 ±7.6×10 31 15 g.
[0068] FIG. 4 displays three different views of NPG disks to further show the capability of preparing the both arrayed and colloidal NPG disks. FIGS. 4 a and b show high-density NPG disk arrays on a 3-inch Si wafer and SEM image of a single NPG disk, respectively. With the aid of sonication, NPG disks were released from the substrates into DI water to form colloidal NPG disk suspensions ( FIG. 4 c ). The inset shows colloidal NPG disks dried on a Si wafer. Surfactant-free NPG disks were easily transferred to DI water without aggregation. Therefore, by flowing individual colloidal NPG disks in microfluidic channels, single disk (400 nm diameter) buoyant mass was determined to be 6.04×10 −14 ±7.6×10 −15 g as shown in FIG. 4 d. For comparison, 400 nm diameter Au disks were fabricated without porous structures through nearly identical procedures. These Au disks immediately formed aggregates in millimeter size range in an aqueous solution upon release from the substrates. To understand the unique colloidal stability of the NPG disks, their zeta potentials were measured to elucidate their surface charge state (see Table 1 above). In general, when the absolute value of the zeta potential is larger than 25 mV, a nanoparticle suspension has a high degree of stability due to strong electrostatic repulsion between particles. The zeta potentials of the 300 and 400 nm NPG disks were −28.5±2.1 and −26.4±3.2 mV, respectively, suggesting that both sizes of colloidal NPG disks had negatively charged surfaces and were quite stable in solution, which was consistent with observations. Although the 500 and 700 nm diameter NPG disks possess negative surface charges but with slightly smaller zeta potentials, these larger NPG disks also exhibit practically-useful long-term stability (i.e., no/minimal aggregation when stored in DI water at 4° C. for 4 months).
[0069] The observed negative surface charge could be explained by the presence of deprotonated hydroxyl groups at the surface of NPG disks in aqueous solutions, which would plausibly form during the dealloying process in nitric acid. Hydroxyl groups formed on metal or metal oxide surfaces exhibit a stretching band at 3710 cm 31 1 in infrared (IR) spectroscopic analysis. As shown in FIG. 17 , the observed OH stretching band of dried 400 nm NPG disks at 3710 cm −1 was consistent with the presence of hydroxyl groups on the surface of NPG disks. Inter-particle van der Waals forces are known to be affected by surface roughness and geometric factors, where surface roughness minimizes van der Waals interaction by limiting the contacts between the particles. In the case of NPG disks, where the surfaces are unquestionably rough, the aggregation could also be suppressed by reduced van der Waals forces. Therefore, NPG disks exhibit much greater stability than Au disks because of their negative surface charge and their unique nanoporous structures. Their superior stability and potential for facile surface modification/functionalization would offer a wide range of applications in a variety of fields ranging from biosensing and drug delivery to catalysis and plasmonics.
[0070] In the past few years, various NPG material parameters have been extensively studied, including grain size and boundaries by X-ray diffraction, crystal-facet orientations by high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and atomic composition by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). NPG materials are known to contain residual silver content and other process-associated or environmental substances, and can be characterized by XPS, which is sensitive to the top ˜10 nm of non-porous substrates. The XPS spectrum from 0 to 1200 eV of NPG disks drop-coated on a Si wafer, shows major peaks originated from Au and Ag and other elements such as Si, O, N and C. The Si wafer as well as the surface layer of SiO 2 on the wafer mainly contributed to Si and O. Trace amounts of nitrogen are observed, and a peak of N is at 400.2 eV can be assigned to N − in metal-N species formed during the sputtering etching. The XPS spectrum indicates that the porous structures of NPG disks generated by concentrated nitric acid had a clean surface except for minor surface contamination by carbon, which can plausibly come from the environment.
[0071] The chemical states of the NPG disks can also be identified by XPS. Ag 3d peaks of NPG disks show the binding energy of 3d 5/2 was 367.9 eV, slightly lower binding energy than that of metallic Ag (368.3 eV). The shift to lower binding energy is typical for oxidized Ag species. The oxidation of Ag likely occurred during the dealloying process. In addition, rehybridization effects in the Au—Ag alloy that reduce the electron density of silver, could also lead to lower Ag binding energies. For Au, both the peak shapes and the Au 4f binding energies (4f 5/2 83.9 and 4f 7/2 87.6 eV) were consistent with a metallic state. XPS surface compositional analysis revealed that ˜24% residual Ag remains on the surface of the NPG disks. Segregation of Ag from the bulk to the surface region is known to occur in metal alloys. Consequently, NPG disks exhibit a clean surface with little contamination and negligible interference from residual silver, which can be important for sensing, SERS and catalysis applications.
[0072] The plasmonic properties of NPG disks can be first understood by comparing with semi-infinite NPG thin films. FIG. 5 shows size-dependent plasmonic properties of NPG disk and comparison with Au disk. FIG. 5( a ) shows extinction spectra of NPG disks with different diameters: 300, 400, 500, and 700 nm. The samples consisted of high-density NPG disk monolayers on glass substrates in air (n=1). FIG. 5( b ) shows plasmonic resonance peak positions versus NPG disk diameter in air. FIG. 5( c ) shows extinction spectra of 400 nm diameter and 75 nm thickness Au disks and NPG disks on glass substrates measured in air. Both spectra were normalized to buoyant mass. The inset shows the in-plane and out-of-plane resonance modes. FIG. 5( d ) shows the in-plane dipole resonance peak positions plotted as a function of the diameter/thickness ratio. NPG disks, Au experimental results and Au theoretical calculations are shown, respectively. All extinction spectra were collected at 0° normal incidence.
[0073] As shown in the extinction spectra in FIG. 5( a ) , three peaks have been assigned as NPG LSPR (“▴”), out-of-plane resonance (“▪”), and in-plane resonance (“”). The NPG LSPR mode originated from the nanoporous structures, whereas the in-plane and out-of-plane modes were associated with the external disk shape. Size-dependent plasmonic shifts in these peaks have been observed when the disk diameter was increased from 300 to 700 nm. Among these peaks, the in-plane resonance clearly dominates and only exists in NPG disks but not in semi-infinite NPG thin films. NPG thin films were reported to exhibit two plasmonic resonance peaks near 490 and 515 nm in air. While the 490 nm peak assigned to out-of-plane resonance (“▪”) was nearly fixed, the peak at 515 nm assigned to NPG LSPR (“▴”) exhibited limited tunability with respect to pore size and ambient refractive index. A red-shift of this peak to 540 nm in air was observed when the pore size was varied from 10 to 30 nm. In contrast, NPG disks have highly tunable plasmonic properties for all peaks as shown in FIG. 5( a ) , due to plasmonic coupling between the nanoporous structures and the patterned disk shape. Also according to previous reports, unpatterned NPG thin films with pore size ˜13 nm should exhibit an NPG LSPR peak (“▴”) between 510 and 530 nm in air. However, with 13 nm pore size, this peak shifted to ˜600 nm and nearly 800 nm for NPG disks with a diameter of 300 and 500 nm, respectively ( FIG. 5( b ) ). In addition, the out-of-plane resonance mode (“▪”), though fixed in NPG thin films, became mobile and shifted from 552 nm to 706 nm as the diameter increased from 400 to 700 nm. The peak position versus NPG disk diameter in air are summarized in FIG. 5( b ) .
[0074] The plasmonic properties of NPG disks can be further understood by comparing with those of Au disks having the same diameter and thickness on glass substrates ( FIG. 5( c ) ). The two Au disk absorption peaks at 858 and 587 nm are assigned to the in-plane (“”) and out-of-plane (“▪”) resonance modes, respectively. At normal incidence, it is noted that the out-of-plane resonance mode begins to appear when Au disk diameter size is larger than 250 nm (thickness ˜20 nm). With the large diameter, Au disk and NPG disk exhibit the out-of-plane resonance mode around 500˜600 nm that agrees with the previous report. For NPG disks, as mentioned previously, there are three peaks at 1100, 690 and 552 nm. The peaks at 1100 and 552 nm correspond to the in-plane (“”) and out-of-plane (“▪”) resonance modes due to the disk shape, respectively, while the additional peak at 690 nm originates from the NPG LSPR (“▴”) generated by the nanopores and nanoscale Au ligaments. Compared to Au disks, the plasmonic bands of NPG disks exhibits a remarkable red shift (i.e., the in-plane resonance) from 858 to 1100 nm compared to Au disks. It could be interpreted by plasmonic coupling (or plasmon hybridization). As for simple metal nanoparticles, plasmonic coupling gives rise to a red shift in the plasmon as the distance between two nanoparticles decreases. However, in the case of NPG disks, the distances between disks on the substrates are random in the region from 0.1 to 1 μm, and thus the coupling effect caused by the inter-disk distances is greatly reduced. The red shift must be caused by coupling between the 3-dimensional bicontinuous porous nanostructures and the outer geometrical size and shape. Such coupling is observed as spectral overlap between the in-plane resonance and the NPG LSPR. By normalizing the extinction spectra to their respective buoyant mass measured on a single-particle basis ( FIG. 5( d ) ), it is found that the peak height of the in-plane mode of NPG disks is about twice that of Au disks of the same external geometry. The NPG disk also shows a much broader in-plane peak compared to the Au disk: 460.9 versus 284.0 nm for the full width at half maximum (FWHM). Overall, the total extinction per buoyant mass for NPG disks is 3.3 times that of Au disks. The peak broadening can be attributed to random nanoporous structures and nanoscale Au ligaments.
[0075] Since it is known that Au disks exhibit a size-dependent shift in one or more of the plasmonic resonance peaks due to changes electromagnetic retardation, similar behavior is expected in NPG disks. As shown in FIG. 5( b ) , the UV-VIS-NIR extinction spectra of NPG disks of different sizes indicate that the in-plane dipole resonance mode (“”) red shifted from 906 to 1896 nm when the disk diameter was increased from 300 to 700 nm. For Au disks, previous results revealed that the red shift of the in-plane resonance mode peak was around 40 nm per diameter-to-thickness ratio (DTR) (λ/dDTR). In contrast, NPG disks exhibit a 4.5 times larger dλ/dDTR of 187 nm, suggesting larger tunability than that of Au disks by geometrical modifications. Peak positions vs. the DTR for NPG disks and Au disks are shown in FIG. 5( d ) . As alluded to earlier, another feature of NPG disks is the peak broadening compared to Au disks as the diameter increases from 300 to 700 nm (Table 1). Besides the in-plane resonance peak (“”), the out-of-plane (“▪”) and the NPG LSPR (“▴”) peaks have qualitatively similar red shifts as the diameter increases. This has never been observed in NPG-related materials as discussed previously.
[0076] NPG disk plasmon resonance is variable due to refractive index changes in the ambient environment. It is well known that plasmon resonance is sensitive to the surrounding medium and exhibits peak shifts, which can be quantified by a sensitivity factor dλ/dn with the units of nm per refractive index unit (nm/RIU). The plasmonic properties of NPG disks and Au disks were examined in water (n=1.33). FIG. 6 shows (a) extinction spectra of NPG disks with different diameters: 300, 400, 500, and 700 nm in water (n=1.33), and (b) extinction spectra normalized to buoyant mass of 400 nm diameter and 75 nm thickness Au disks and NPG disks on glass substrates measured in water. The extinction spectra shown in FIG. 6( a ) suggest the sensitivity factor dλ/dn for the NPG LSPR peak (“▴”) of 400 nm NPG disks was ˜456 nm, much larger than those observed for NPG thin films. Indeed, the unique nanoporous structure makes NPG disks more sensitive to the surrounding medium than either Au disks or unpatterned NPG thin films. As shown in FIG. 6( b ) , the peaks of the in-plane resonance modes exhibited dλ/dn of 190 and 518 nm/RIU for Au disks and NPG disks by changing the ambient environment from air to water, respectively. The out-of-plane dipole resonance mode of Au disks at 587 nm did not shift, while that of the NPG disks still red shifted, with a dλ/dn of ˜152 nm/RIU.
[0077] NPG disks can be used as plasmonic sensors due to the excellent sensitivity factor. To further extend the range of index sensing into those for common solvents, peak shifts of 400 nm NPG disks over the index range of 1.36 to 1.495 using pure ethanol, ethanol/toluene mixtures and pure toluene were investigated. FIG. 7 shows (a) extinction spectra of 400 nm NPG disks in various solvent mixtures with known refractive indices (n) varying from 1.36 to 1.495: ethanol (n=1.36), 3:1 ethanol/toluene (n=1.39), 1:1 ethanol/toluene (n=1.429), 1:3 ethanol/toluene (n=1.462), and toluene (n=1.495). FIG. 7( b ) shows the peak shift of peaks marked with symbols and ▪ plotted versus n. FIG. 7 a illustrates the extinction spectra of the 400 nm NPG disks in these various solvents. As quantified in FIG. 7 b the peaks “” and “▪” red-shifted with sensitivity factors of 869.5 and 235.4 nm/RIU, respectively. Peak shift in the NPG LSPR peak was unclear due to overlap with the broad peak “”. Overall, the sensitivity of NPG disk in-plane peak (“”) is larger than those of spherical Au nanoparticles, Ag@Au nanoshells, SiO 2 @Au nanoshells, Au disks, Au nanorods, nanocages and silver nanoprisms, and comparable to nanorices and nanorings which range up to 800 nm/RIU.
[0078] To further elucidate the observed extraordinary size- and environment-dependent plasmonic behavior of NPG disks, finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations were performed and compared with Au disks having identical external shape parameters: 500 nm in diameter and 75 nm in thicknesses. FIG. 8 shows the E-field distribution of NPG disk and Au disk with 500 nm diameter and 75 nm thickness. FIG. 8( a ) and ( b ) are simulated models for NPG disk and Au disk, respectively. E-field distribution was simulated using FDTD with plane wave incidence perpendicular to the disks, horizontally polarized. FIG. 8 ( c ) and ( d ) show E-field distribution of NPG disk and Au disk for 1300 nm incidence wavelength, respectively. FIG. 8 ( e ) and ( f ) show E-field distribution of NPG disk and Au disk for 785 nm incidence wavelength, respectively. The NPG disk model shown in FIG. 8 a was constructed directly from the SEM image shown earlier. FIG. 8 c displays the calculated electric-field (E-field) distribution for 1300 nm incident wavelength, matching the in-plane resonance previously discussed. “Hot-spots” in the pores around the edges are observed with a maximum E-field enhancement factor ˜100. In contrast, the Au disk in FIG. 8 b produced a maximum E-field enhancement of ˜15, confined to either side of the disk ( FIG. 8 d ). Next, the E-field distribution of NPG disk for 785 nm incident wavelength was examined, matching the NPG LSPR peak previously discussed. As shown in FIG. 8 e, uniformly distributed hot-spots within the entire disk are observed with a maximum E-field enhancement factor about 32. In contrast, the E-field distribution of Au disk as shown in FIG. 8 f appears similar to that in FIG. 8 d with a maximum enhancement factor about 6. Thus, NPG disk maintains ˜6-fold higher E-field enhancement compared to Au disk.
[0079] The different patterns of hot-spot distribution in NPG disk for 1300 and 785 nm incident wavelengths are most intriguing ( FIG. 8 c and e ). At 1300 nm, the hot-spot distribution appears to be concentrated near the pores around edges, supporting the previous interpretation of coupling between the in-plane resonance and the pores around edges. In contrast, the uniform hot-spot distribution for 785 nm supports the interpretation that it is NPG LSPR. Of course, coupling was still present since the NPG LSPR sits on the tail of the in-plane resonance mode (See FIG. 5 a ). The 785 nm results also shed new light on the previous observation of excellent SERS with an enhanced factor exceeding 10 8 by 785 nm excitation. Overall, the FDTD results provide further support that the plasmonic coupling originating from the random nanoporous structure and the disk shape plays a key role in the unique plasmonic properties of NPG disks.
[0080] Overall, shape- and size-controlled monolithic NPG disks were demonstrated as a new type of plasmonic nanoparticle in both substrate-bound and non-aggregating colloidal formats. NPG disks feature large specific surface area due to their internal nanoporous network. NPG disks also contain numerous plasmonic hot-spots throughout the internal volume, which has enabled the demonstration of the high LSPR sensitivity to ambient index changes. Putting NPG disks into the context of existing repertoire of gold nanoparticles, which permits tunability by varying parameters in design dimensions such as material composition, particle size, shape (e.g., sphere, rod, cube, triangle, and cage) and configuration (core-shell), the work strongly advocates porosity as yet another potential design dimension for plasmonic engineering. In addition to its excellent plasmonic properties, the gold material permits facile binding of a wide range of thiolated molecular and biomolecular species through the Au—S bond. The synergy of large specific surface area, high-density hot spots, and tunable plasmonics would profoundly impact applications where plasmonic nanoparticles and non-plasmonic mesoporous nanoparticles are currently employed, e.g., in in-vitro and in-vivo biosensing, molecular imaging, photothermal contrast agents, and molecular cargos.
Detection of Immobilized Probes on NPG Disks
[0081] There are multiple possible variations for signal detection using probes immobilized on NPG disks.
[0082] FIG. 9 shows an example of off-on signaling with a ssDNA aptamer probe, with or without dye. In a first variation, a labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 9( a ) ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding. In a second variation, an unlabeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 9( b ) ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding. In a third variation, a labeled probe molecule is mixed with a target molecule and then immobilized on NPG disks followed by (optional) wash and signal detection ( FIG. 9( c ) ). An unlabeled probe molecule is mixed with a target molecule and then immobilized on NPG disks followed by (optional) wash and signal detection ( FIG. 9( d ) ).
[0083] FIG. 10 shows an example of off-on signaling with a dsDNA aptamer probe with dye. In a first variation, a labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 10( a ) ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding. A labeled probe molecule is mixed with a target molecule and then immobilized on NPG disks followed by (optional) wash and signal detection ( FIG. 10( b ) ).
[0084] FIG. 11 shows an example of off-on signaling with a ssDNA aptamer probe with Au nanoparticle or fluorescent dye signal amplifier. An unlabeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 11 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding. Another labeled probe with Au (or other materials) nanoparticles is introduced to bind the target with (optional) wash and signal detection.
[0085] FIG. 12 shows an example of off-on signaling with a Hoogsteen aptamer probe with dye. A labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 12 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding.
[0086] FIG. 13 shows off-on signaling using a ssDNA aptamer probe with dye and multiple stem-loops. A labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 13 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding.
[0087] FIG. 14 shows off-on signaling using a −dsDNA aptamer probe with dye coated Au nanoparticle. A labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 14 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding.
[0088] FIG. 15 shows off-on signaling using a ssDNA probe with molecular intercalation and trapping in major and minor grooves within dsDNA. An unlabeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 15 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding. Many label molecules are introduced to bind with (optional) wash and signal detection.
[0089] FIG. 16 shows off-on signaling using a ssDNA probe with multiple stem-loops and complete stem to place dye to Au surface. A labeled probe molecule is immobilized on NPG disks ( FIG. 16 ) with signal detection. A target molecule is then introduced and binds with the probe with (optional) wash and signal detection during or after the binding.
EXAMPLE 1
Fabrication of NPG Disks
[0090] The alloy sputtering target Ag 825 Au 17.5 (atomic percentage) was provided by ACI Alloys, INC. Argon gas (99.999%) was used for RF-sputter etching. Fusion classic syringe pumps and microliter syringes (250 μl) were purchased from Chemyx Inc. and Hamilton Company, respectively. Silicon wafers (3″) were obtained from University Wafers, and the micro coverglasses (22×40 mm, No.1) were purchased from VWR. Ethanol (200 proof) was from Decon Laboratories, Inc. Nitric acid (ACS reagent, 70%), sodium dodecyl sulfate (ACS reagent, ≧99.0%), chloroform (anhydrous, ≧99.0%), and Latex beads (polystyrene beads, 10% aqueous suspension) with mean particle sizes 0.46, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.1 μm were purchased from Sigma Aldrich.
[0091] Purchased polystyrene (PS) beads were further purified by centrifugation with a mixture of ethanol and DI water (1:1, volume ratio), and then dried in oven at 50° C. for 24 h. A 1% PS beads solution (weight ratio) was then prepared by redispersing dried PS beads in the water-ethanol solution (1:1 volume ratio). The 120-nm thick Au/Ag alloy film was deposited on the substrates such as 3″ silicon wafers and the micro coverglass using an Ag 82.5 Au 17.5 alloy target, and then the substrate was first placed into a Petri dish (3.5″ in diameter) containing DI water. The as-prepared PS bead solution was slowly injected at the air/water interface with a syringe pump at a rate of 50 μL/min. The monolayer of PS beads spontaneously formed at the air/water interface. Formation of the highly patterned monolayer was further driven by the addition of 5 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solution at the water surface. Finally, the assembled monolayer was transferred onto a substrate with the alloy film by carefully lifting it out from the air/water interface and then dried at room temperature.
[0092] The Au/Ag alloy film covered with PS the bead monolayer was first etched in oxygen plasma between 2 and 5 min to shrink the PS beads (2 min for 460 nm PS beads, 3 min for 600 and 800 nm PS beads, and 5 min for 1100 nm PS beads). The pressure and power were 30 mTorr and 100 W, respectively. After treatment with oxygen plasma, the sample was further etched in a 2 mTorr/100 W Argon plasma for 12 min to obtain Au/Ag alloy disks. The remaining polystyrene was removed by sonication in chloroform for 1 min. Finally, the NPG disks were formed by dealloying Ag in 70% nitric acid for 1 min. The sample was washed in DI water to remove the dealloying reaction products and excess nitric acid.
[0093] The NPG disks were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (PHILIPS FEI XL-30 FEG SEM). The buoyant mass of NPG disks was measured in an aqueous suspension using Archimedes particle metrology system (Affinity Biosensors, CA) to characterize further the distribution of NPG disks with single particle resolution. XPS spectra were obtained using a PHI 5700 system equipped with a monochromatic Al Kα X-ray source (hv=1486.7 eV). IR spectra were recorded with a Nicolet iS50 FT-IR spectrometer. A zeta potential analyzer from Particle Sizing Systems, Inc. (Nicomp 380 ZLS), operating in PALS mode, was used to measure the zeta potential of different aqueous NPG disk solutions at room temperature. A Cary 50 Scan UV-visible spectrometer was used to measure the UV-vis spectra ranging from 400 to 1000 nm, and the NIR region from 915 to 3000 nm was recorded with a Bruker Tensor 27 FT-NIR spectrometer.
[0094] FIG. 17 shows the IR spectrum of 400 nm dried NPG disks. The aqueous NPG disk solutions were completely dried in a vacuum oven at 50° C. for 4 h before the measurement. FIG. 18 shows the XPS spectrum of the NPG disks. Aqueous NPG disk samples were drop-cast on a Si wafer and then dried in air prior to analysis by XPS. FIG. 19 shows the XPS spectra of the following regions: (a) Ag 3d, (b) Au 4f, (c) O 1s, (d) N 1s, and (e) Si 2p.
[0095] The histogram of 400 nm NPG disk buoyant mass distribution, with an average of 6.04×10 −14 ±7.6×10 −15 g, is shown in FIG. 4( d ) . A Hi-Q sensor purchased from Affinity Biosensors, CA, was calibrated using NIST standard 335 nm polystyrene particles (Bangs Labs) to obtain a sensitivity (S) of mHz/fg. The buoyant mass m b ) is calculated using the equation m b =ΔƒS, where Δƒ is the change in resonant frequency of the sensor.
[0096] The buoyant mass of Au nanodisk was calculated using the equation:
[0000]
m
b
=
m
o
(
1
-
ρ
f
ρ
o
)
[0000] where m b is the buoyant mass, and m o is the dry mass of the sample. The parameters ρ ƒ and √ o are the densities of the sample and the fluid, respectively. The calculated buoyant mass of a single Au nanodisk was 17.2×10 −14 g. Thus, the mass ratio of a NPG disk to an Au nanodisk is ˜0.35.
[0097] FIG. 20 shows the extinction spectra of NPG disks having different diameters over the region from 410 to 980 nm: (a) in air and (b) in water. This represents a closer view of the images shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 6( a ) , between 410-980 nm.
EXAMPLE 2
Molecular Sentinel Probes
[0098] The ERBB2 gene (also known as ERBB2 or HER2/neu), a critical biomarker of breast cancer, was selected as the ssDNA target molecules in this example. The hairpin probe consists of a complementary sequence of ERBB2 as shown in Table 2 below (“ERBB2-sentinel”). Table 2 also shows the sequences of the ssDNA target (“ERBB-target”) and non-complementary ssDNA (“Non-complementary control”). The underlined portion indicates the complementary stem sequences of the MS probe, and the bolded portion represents the target sequences complementary to the loop region of the MS hairpin probe. All ssDNA molecules were purchased from Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT, Coralville, Iowa).
[0000]
TABLE 2
Oligo-
SEQ
nucleotide
Sequence
ID NO.
ERBB2-
5′-SH- CGCCAT CCACCCCCAAGACC
1
sentinel
ACGACCAGCAGAAT ATGGCG -Cy3-3′
ERBB2-
5′- GTTGGCATTCTGCTGGTCGTGGTC
2
target
TTGGGGGTGGTCTTTG -3'
Non-
5′-GCCAGCGTCGAGTTGGTTTGCAGC
3
complementary
TCCTGA-3′
control
[0099] Monolithic hierarchical nanoporous gold disks, 500 nm in diameter, 75 nm in thickness and 5 nm in pore size, were fabricated on silicon in house. Briefly, a monolayer of 600 nm polystyrene (PS) beads was first coated onto a substrate with pre-deposited Au—Ag alloy, followed by oxygen plasma shrinkage to ensure bead separation. Argon sputter etching was then employed to transfer the pattern into the Au—Ag alloy. After the removal of the PS beads by sonication in chloroform, a 15 s dealloying was performed in concentrated nitric acid to form the NPG disks. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factor of ˜5*10 8 was obtained on individual disks using a benzenethiol self-assembled monolayer with 785 nm laser excitation.
[0100] MS hairpin probes were immobilized onto NPG disk substrates at the bottom of a PDMS microwell (2 mm diameter, 4 mm height) by incubation. 10 μL hairpin probe solutions were dispensed into the PDMS well and incubated for 40 min, following which the PDMS wells were removed and the substrates rinsed thoroughly in DI water. They were then immersed in 0.1 mM 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) for 10 minutes to displace the non-specifically adsorbed probe and passivate the gold surface, followed by another DI water rinse. The substrates were then mounted inside a temperature-controlled microscope microfluidic cell culture stage (FCS2, Bioptechs) with ˜100 μL volume. The microscope stage was locked to ensure SERS measurements from a fixed area on the NPG disk substrates.
[0101] To better quantify and calibrate the surface density of the immobilized MS probe molecules at the low end of the tested concentration range, an alternative technique for probe immobilization was utilized by drop casting 5 μL of probe solution directly onto the NPG disk substrate. After the solution dried, the spot area (˜3 mm diameter) was carefully inspected under an optical microscope and a Raman microscope to verify the coating was uniform. This allowed the estimation of the surface density of MS probes. After drop cast, the substrate was processed by the same rinse-MCH-rinse procedure described in the incubation approach.
[0102] SERS measurements were carried out using an in-house line-scan Raman microscopy system with 785 nm excitation. The laser was focused on the sample as a line with a length of 133 μm and width of 1 μm. Raman scattered photons from the entire line were imaged with 60× magnification onto the entrance slit of a dispersive spectrograph coupled to a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The spatial and spectral resolution were ˜1 μm and ˜8 cm −1 , respectively. The acquisition time for each CCD frame was 10 s at a laser power density of 0.1 mW/μm 2 . Full-frame data of dimension 133 (spatial)×1340 (λ) were collected, equivalent to 133 “point-spectra”, each from a 1-μm 2 spot. A “line-spectrum” was obtained by averaging the 133 point-spectra in one CCD frame.
[0103] MS probes in the hairpin configuration were immobilized onto NPG disk substrates by either incubating the substrate inside a microwell filled with known concentrations of probe molecules, or drop casting 5 μL probe solution of known concentration onto the substrate, followed by rinsing with DI water. The substrate was then incubated in 0.1 mM 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) for 10 min, followed by another DI water rinse to remove non-specific molecules and passivate the gold surface. FIG. 1( b ) shows SERS line-spectra from different concentrations of ERBB2-sentinel probes on NPG disk substrates by incubation (500 pM-5 nM) and drop cast (100 pM), respectively. Each line-spectrum is an average of 133 point-spectra from a single CCD frame (133 (spatial)×1340 (λ)). The baselines were approximated by a 5 th order polynomial and removed. 37 The major peaks at 1197 cm −1 , 1393 cm −1 , 1468 cm −1 and 1590 cm −1 were assigned to Cy3. The presence of these major peaks indicates that the probe molecules were in their hairpin configuration, with the 3′-Cy3 near the gold surface. The Raman band at 1078 cm −1 (marked with an asterisk) is assigned to MCH. In the following experiments, the Cy3 peak height at 1197 cm −1 was used as the SERS intensity indicator. The immobilized probe density of drop cast onto NPG disk substrates was estimated from the number of probe molecules pipetted onto the NPG disk surface. Drop cast of 5 μL 100 pM probe solution resulted in about 2 probe molecules/μm 2 after previously described rinse-MCH-rinse protocol. The probe density on NPG disk substrates using the incubation method was estimated by calibrating against the SERS intensity obtained from drop cast substrates.
EXAMPLE 3
Probe Density Estimation
[0104] The NPG disks were fabricated using a combined top-down and bottom-up approach. The initial film stack, consisting of a 75 nm thick Au:Ag=28:72 alloy film over a 300 nm thick base layer of Au, was deposited by DC sputtering. The gold target was a 99.99% pure, Maple Leaf coin (Royal Canadian Mint); the alloy target was provided by ACI Alloys. The deposition rates for the gold and alloy films were 37.5 nm/min and 25 nm/min, respectively. The stack was patterned by RF-sputter-etching in 99.999% argon gas through a drop-coated mask of 500 nm polystyrene (PS) beads. RF-etching was timed to produce completely isolated alloy disks each sitting on a 65 nm thick solid gold pedestal; the remaining gold film provides a ground plane about 235 nm thick. The PS spheres were removed by sonication in isopropanol for 30 s. Ag was selectively dissolved by dipping in 70% room temperature HNO 3 followed by deionized water rinse and nitrogen dry to form the NPG disks. The entire dipping-transfer procedure took ˜5 sec. The resulting NPG disks are shown in FIG. 21( a ) . Benzenethiol molecules were employed to characterize the enhancement factor (EF) since they can form self-assembled monolayer on gold surface. NPGDs was soaked in 5 nM benzenethiol solution for 30 min and rinsed in ethanol for 1 min. FIG. 21( b ) shows the average SERS spectrum from a single NPG disk. The EF is calculated to be ˜5×10 8 .
[0105] The average surface density of MS probe was estimated based on the measured spot area from drop cast and the volume and concentration of the MS probe solution. SERS intensity of Cy3 was used to characterize the number of probe molecules on the surface. For example, five SERS measurements were taken near the center of the dried spot by 2 μL 100 pM MS probe solution. This was to avoid taking data from the circumferences where “coffee ring” effect is apparent. The average SERS spectra are shown in FIG. 22( a ) . The round shaped area was ˜3 mm diameter, resulting in a surface density of 42.6 molecules/μm 2 . A˜80% intensity decrease after MCH rinse was observed, suggesting the probe density was 8.5 molecules/μm 2 . An additional 50% intensity drop was observed after the following DI water rinse, leading to 4.2 molecules. Considering the surface coverage of the NPG disks to be ˜50%, the average probe density on NPG disks was about 2 molecules/μm 2 . This represents a conservative estimate (i.e. upper bound) because the circumferences where more molecules accumulated were intentionally avoided.
[0106] The probe density distribution was also studied over the entire dried spot. Four SERS measurements were performed at the center, halfway and circumference of the dried spot, respectively. FIG. 22( b ) shows the Cy3 intensities at different positions just after the final rinse. The 12 dots and the circle schematically in the lower right corner represent measurement positions with respect to the dried spot. Cy3 intensities were lower at the center and higher at the edge. This again suggests the probe density estimate likely represents an upper bound. The probe density on NPG disk substrates using the incubation method was estimated by comparing the SERS intensity with the drop cast method. As shown in FIG. 1( b ) , the average SERS intensity from substrates incubated in 1 nM probe solution was similar to substrates using drop cast. Thus it was concluded that the probe density was about 2 molecules/μm 2 for NPG disk substrates incubated in 1 nM probe solution. Similarly, the probe density for NPG disk substrates incubated in 5 nM probe solution was estimated to be about 10 molecules/μm 2 .
EXAMPLE 4
In Situ Monitoring of DNA Hybridization
[0107] Before introducing the target ssDNA molecules for hybridization, fresh phosphate buffer was flowed through the microfluidic chamber for ˜1 hour, during which stable SERS signals were observed, confirming reliable probe immobilization and the stability of the technique. Hybridization was then carried out using the syringe pump to deliver target solutions of known concentration into the microfluidic chamber.
[0108] In the first series of experiments, the incubation technique was employed to immobilize 5 nM sentinel probe solutions, along with target concentrations from 5 to 20 nM. SERS monitoring began after the substrate was mounted into the microscope microfluidic chamber with 10-15 min acquisition intervals. For experiments using incubation at 5 nM for MS probe immobilization, a temperature of 37.5° C. was used. For the experiment using incubation at 1 nM for MS probe immobilization, 50° C. was used. FIG. 23 shows (a) 5 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 20 nM target DNA, (b) 5 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 5, 10, 20 nM target (cross, circles and diamonds) and 20 nM non-complementary DNA (triangles); 1 nM ERBB2-sentinel probe hybridization time trace in the presence of 200 pM target (squares). The dashed lines are the exponential fits for the curves from the hybridization phase. FIG. 23( a ) shows the Cy3 intensities at 1197 cm −1 from the line-spectra after introducing the target ssDNA molecules. Three representative line-spectra from the hybridization and the plateau phases of this experiment are shown in the upper-right corner.
[0109] As shown in FIG. 23( a ) , the SERS intensity began to decrease due to hybridization events after introducing the 20 nM target solution. The SERS intensity reached a plateau phase at ˜170 min, indicating the completion of hybridization. Measurements over another 40 min indicated that no further hybridization occurred. A 60% SERS intensity decrease was observed from the 5 nM/20 nM (probe/target) experiment, i.e., 60% of the immobilized probes reacted with the target ssDNA molecules. A plausible explanation for the incomplete consumption of all immobilized probes is inefficient mass transfer of target ssDNA molecules to the NPG disk surface. According to the adsorption kinetics model of biomolecules, the calculation showed that only 0.003% of target ssDNA molecules were able to react with probes in the current configuration.
[0110] FIG. 23( b ) shows the hybridization and plateau phase of experiments with different target concentrations and non-complementary ssDNA molecules. The dashed curves are exponential fits. A greater time constant was observed at higher target concentrations, suggesting that the target concentration can be determined by monitoring the decrease rate of Cy3 intensity. Alternatively, the final intensity value was also indicative of the target concentration. In the negative control experiment, 20 nM non-complementary ssDNA molecules did not cause a statistically meaningful SERS intensity change (±5%). Since the non-complementary ssDNA molecules could not react with the ERBB-sentinel probe, the Cy3 label remained close to the gold surface, thus maintaining a strong and stable SERS signal. Furthermore, the stable SERS signal indicated that there was no photobleaching during experiments and the probe immobilization was robust. Any signal decrease after adding target ssDNA molecules was thus attributed to hybridization. To explore the detection limit in terms of number of target DNA molecules for the sensor, the concentration of the sentinel probe was reduced to 1 nM for immobilization by incubation, resulting in a probe density of about 2 molecules/μm 2 . The Cy3 SERS intensity time trace after adding a 200 pM target solution is displayed as squares in FIG. 23( b ) . The Cy3 intensity decreased significantly within the first 13 min after the introduction of target and reached a plateau phase 90 min later. About 80% overall intensity decrease was observed.
[0111] Instead of the overall time trace extracted from the line-spectra as shown in FIG. 23( a ) and ( b ) , individual time traces from point-spectra were studied by taking advantage of the spatial resolution of the line-scan Raman system. Ideally, there were 133 time traces, each from a 1-μm 2 spot. Since the probe density was estimated to be about 2 molecules/μm 2 for substrates incubated in 1 nM MS probe solutions, and an average SERS intensities of 200 CCD counts was observed, each 100 CCD counts was interpreted as a single immobilized probe. Equivalently, each intensity decrease of 100 CCD counts during hybridization is attributed to a single hybridization event. An interval of 100 CCD counts is used between centers of bins in the following statistical analyses.
[0112] FIG. 24 presents the histograms of immobilized probe counts and hybridization event counts by studying individual time traces. FIG. 24 shows statistical analyses of individual time traces at target concentrations of (a) 5 nM, (b) 10 nM, (c) 20 nM and (d) 200 pM at probe incubation concentrations of 5 nM, 5 nM, 5 nM and 1 nM, respectively. The bars centered toward the right of the histograms show the frequency of immobilized probe counts. The bars centered toward the left of the histogram represent the frequency of hybridization event counts. The total number of time traces under statistical analysis is 106, 101, 112 and 93 for target concentrations 5 nM, 10 nM, 20 nM and 200 pM, respectively. The histogram of probe counts are compared with Poisson distributions (shown as diamonds) with averages of 10 and 2 for substrates incubated with 5 nM and 1 nM probe solution, respectively. Similarly, the histogram of number of hybridization events are also compared with Poisson distribution (shown as circles in FIG. 24( a )-( c ) , diamonds in FIG. 24( d ) ) with averages of 2, 4, 6 and 2 for 5 nM, 10 nM, 20 nM and 200 pM target concentrations, respectively.
[0113] The point-spectra showing extremely high SERS intensities at different peak locations different from Cy3, likely from impurities in the solution, were excluded from the statistical study. The number of time traces involved in the statistical analyses are 106, 101, 112 and 93 for probe-to-target pairs of 5 nM/5 nM, 5 nM/10 nM, 5 nM/20 nM and 1 nM/200 pM, respectively. The bars centered toward the right of the histogram in FIG. 24 represent the frequency of the probe molecule counts immobilized on 1-μm 2 NPG disk surface before hybridization. Both Gaussian and Poisson distributions with least square regression were employed to fit the histograms. These histograms appear to be better fitted by Poisson distributions with an average of 10 and 2 for substrates incubated in 5 nM and 1 nM probe solutions, respectively. This agrees well with the previous interpretation that 100 CCD counts represent a single probe.
[0114] The bars centered toward the left of the histogram show the frequency of hybridization event counts. More hybridization events were observed at higher target concentrations in 5 nM incubation experiments, which is consistent with the intensity time traces in FIG. 23( b ) . Similarly, the histograms of hybridization event counts fit better with Poisson distributions with averages of 2, 4, 6, and 2 for 5 nM, 10 nM, 20 nM and 200 pM target solutions, respectively. In other words, 2, 4, 6, and 2 hybridization events were observed on average for 5 nM, 10 nM, 20 nM, and 200 pM target solutions, respectively.
[0115] In a next series of experiments, drop cast was employed as an alternative approach for probe immobilization. A temperature of 50° C. was used. The probe surface density by drop cast of 100 pM probe solutions is equivalent to that from incubating in 1 nM solutions, with both method resulting in about 2 probe molecules/μm 2 before hybridization. A protocol identical to the previous experiment was followed except that a 20 pM target solution was used. FIG. 25 shows (a) Overall Cy3 intensity trace in presence of 20 pM target DNA; SERS image at (b) t=0 min, (c) t=40 min and (d) t=150 min; the horizontal axis represents the wavenumber. Each row in the SERS image is a single point-spectrum. The major bands of Cy3 are labeled. FIG. 25( e ) shows typical individual time traces: Trace 1, Trace 2 and Trace 4 has a stepwise intensity decrease of 100 CCD counts, 200 CCD counts and 400 CCD counts, respectively; Trace 3 has two stepwise intensity decreases, with 200 CCD counts in first decrease and 100 CCD counts in the second. FIG. 25( f ) shows statistical analysis of 64 individual time traces, the bars on the left present frequency of immobilized probe counts during the probe stabilization phase, the bars on the right show the frequency of hybridization event counts. Both frequency distributions compared well with a Poisson distribution with λ=2.
[0116] As shown in FIG. 25( a ) , the line-spectra SERS intensity decreased substantially after the 20 pM target was introduced. Hybridization events were detected as early as 10 min after adding the target ssDNA molecules. FIG. 25( b ), ( c ) and ( d ) show the full-frame SERS images just before adding the target, during hybridization and at the last measurements (time points 1, 2 and 3 in FIG. 25( a ) ), respectively. The major peaks from Cy3 clearly visible in FIG. 25( b ) all disappeared in FIG. 25 ( d ) . Finally, it was observed that Cy3 intensity decreased by ˜80% by 90 min after introducing the target. As shown in FIG. 25( f ) , the histograms of the immobilized probe counts agree well with Poisson distribution with average equal to 2. A similar distribution is observed in the histogram of hybridization event counts as discussed later. Analyzing the point-spectra from 64 spots, four representative intensity patterns are observed and shown in FIG. 25( e ) . Trace 1, Trace 2 and Trace 4 exhibit a single-step intensity drop of 100 CCD counts, 200 CCD counts and 400 CCD counts, respectively. Trace 3 exhibits a two-step intensity drop with 200 CCD counts in the first step and then 100 CCD counts in the second. The observation of quantized intensity decreases in individual time traces provide further evidence that individual hybridization events were observed. In the experiment using incubation in 1 nM probe solution, similar quantized intensity decreases in individual time traces were also observed. The intensity patterns 1-4 correspond to 1-4 hybridization events taking place on the 1-μm 2 spots.
[0117] Using the representative intensity patterns shown in FIG. 25( e ) , statistical analysis of 64 individual hybridization time traces were performed with results shown in FIG. 25( f ) . As mentioned earlier, the bars on the left represent the statistics of immobilized MS probes. The bars on the right represent total hybridization events during the hybridization phase over individual 1-μm 2 spots. Both histograms can be better fitted with a Poisson distribution of λ=2 (diamonds in FIG. 25( f ) ) than with Gaussian distribution. Although there has been debate on whether to expect a Poisson distribution of SERS intensities at ultra-low concentrations, here it is only employed to provide additional insight for the results, not to justify the claim of single-molecule detection. In addition, the enhancements of SERS signals of the NPG disk substrates were uniform across a large area (at least 100×100 μm 2 ). Therefore, measurements of SERS intensities are reliable, and not affected by factors that could potentially invalidate interpreting Poisson statistics as single-molecule events.
[0118] Within the context of microfluidic sensors, the static or laminar flow nature poses significant challenges for achieving low LOD. Unlike sensors implemented in un-restricted fluidic environments, e.g., beaker, where active mixing is readily available, the transport of target molecules to the sensing surface largely depends on diffusion in microchannels. Compared with several recently published label-free microfluidic sensors, the demonstrated LOD (20 pM) is respectable even without any attempt of optimization. After all, the technique does have single-molecule sensitivity. Also, it is quite possible to lower the LOD with the help of active concentrating mechanisms such as dielectrophoresis.
EXAMPLE 5
Detection of Pathogens
[0119] NPG disks functionalized with dithiobis succinimide propionate molecules coupled to antibodies to a specific pathogen and bearing adsorbed 3,3′-Diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide are suspended into solution containing an opacifying substance which absorbs visible wavelengths of light. A set of buoyant silica microbubbles with secondary antibodies to this pathogen is placed into the solution and binds to the cubes when the agent is present. The microbubbles are floated up to the top of the solution to an observation point and appear bright if they have an NPG disk bound to them by said pathogen.
EXAMPLE 6
Detection of Mirna
[0120] A human blood sample is subjected to nucleic acid isolation by phenol/chloroform extraction and silica adsorption. The isolated nucleic acids are mixed with a suspension of 200 nm NPG disks decorated with DNA probe oligonucleotides specific to a particular microRNA, and a Raman-active dye, and then a suspension of 20 nm gold particles bearing an antibody specific to RNA/DNA hybrids is added. Single-particle tracking by Raman imaging is used to measure the scattering brightness and mobility of 10,000 disks. The presence and number of a lower-mobility, higher-brightness population of particles at higher fractional concentration than seen in a control sample containing only the two types of particles is used to infer the presence and concentration of the miRNA.
EXAMPLE 7
Detection of Protease Activity
[0121] A tumor biopsy specimen is macerated and centrifuged, and the extract placed in a 96-well of a microtiter plate coated with a composite of collagen and NPG disks with a lower magnetic layer and bearing a fluor whose brightness is enhanced by the NPG surface. After 30 min incubation at 37C with gentle agitation, the plate is placed on a magnetic stand and the wells washed. The magnet is then removed, any free NPG disks are suspended by addition of buffer to each well, the liquid phase is transferred to another plate, and the NPG disks pulled down by a plate magnet and counted by fluorescence imaging. The number of particles found in a well corresponding to a given specimen is used to infer the protease activity of that specimen.
EXAMPLE 8
Magnetic Force Discrimination
[0122] In this approach, the magnetic properties of the NPGD bearing magnetic elements can be used to discriminate against non-specifically bound disks prior to detection by fluorescence or Raman (intensity or imaging).
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A methodology for assays and diagnostics utilizes a nanoporous or corrugated metal-containing surface, fiber or particle which enhances or suppresses the optical detectability of a label. The resulting optical, electromagnetic, or imaging signal signals the presence of a pathogen or analyte of interest. Preferred embodiments pertain to label-free, in situ monitoring of individual DNA hybridization in microfluidics using molecular sentinel probes immobilized on nanoporous gold disks. By immobilizing molecular sentinel probes on nanoporous gold disks, single-molecule sensitivity is demonstrated via surface-enhanced Raman scattering which provides robust The described methodology is generally applicable to most amplification independent assays and molecular diagnostics.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and method for nondestructive and noncontact detection of faults in a test piece. In particular, the present invention relates to fault detection using measurements of an eddy current or magnetic flux leakage. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device and a method for detecting electrically conductive particles in a liquid flowing in a pipe segment using the eddy currents induced in the particles being detected.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional nondestructive and noncontact detection of faults in a test piece of a semi-finished metallic product is performed by inducing and measuring eddy currents in the test piece. In doing so, the test piece is exposed to periodic alternating electromagnetic fields through a sinusoidally energized transmitter coil. The resulting eddy currents induced in the test piece induce a periodic electrical signal in a coil arrangement which is used as a probe. This periodic electrical signal has a carrier oscillation according to the transmitter carrier frequency whose amplitude and/or phase is modulated by a fault in the test piece when a fault travels into the sensitive region of the probe. Conventionally, when scanning the test piece, the test piece is moved linearly with respect to the probe; however, arrangements with a rotating probe also known. For example, an eddy current measurement device with a linearly advanced test piece is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,498.
Similarly, electrically conductive particles in a liquid, which flows through the coils, cause eddy current losses. These eddy currents can be determined by measuring the impedance change of the coils. In this way electrically conductive particles in a liquid flowing in a pipe can be detected by means of an inductive coil arrangement. This is especially advantageous for detection of the concentration of metallic particles in the lubricant circuit of a machine in order to draw conclusions about the machine state such as measurements of machine wear.
Another conventional measurement method for nondestructive and noncontact detection of faults in a test piece is magnetic flux leakage measurement (or stray magnetic field measurement), by means of an induction coil with a magnetic yoke, which magnetizes the test piece resulting in a magnetic flux leakage produced by the test piece. The magnetic flux is measured by means of a suitable sensor. Faults in the test piece are detected based on their effects on the magnetic flux leakage. One example of this flux leakage measurement can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,088.
In eddy current measurement devices containing probes which rotate around the periphery of the test piece, measuring the distance between the probe head and test piece is performed in order to correct the measurement with respect to the distance because the distance fluctuates during the course of one revolution. The measurement of the distance is performed because of decentering or asymmetry of the cross section of the test piece occurs during one revolution. One example of this arrangement can be found in German Patent Application No. 40 03 330 A1.
International Patent Application Publication WO 2006/007826 A1 discloses an eddy current measurement device with a digital front end, such that the A/D converter stage is triggered with a n-th integral fraction of the frequency of the carrier oscillation, where n is selected depending on the fault frequency, i.e., the quotient of the relative velocity between the test piece and probe and the effective width of the probe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,744 describes an eddy current measurement device which has a test means which simulates signals that are typical of faults in a test piece in order to perform fundamental checking of the electronics. However, only a single amplitude and a defined primary fault frequency can be simulated. Even if the simulated fault signal were provided with variations, all the electronics cannot be tested. Furthermore, such a simulated fault signal cannot be traced to a certified reference element without dismounting all the electronics and sending them to a laboratory.
International Patent Application Publication WO No. 01/22075 A2 describes an eddy current measurement device within the framework of self-calibration of the system. The intensity of the signal originates from a segment of a test piece which does not contain a fault.
GB Patent Application No. 2 192 064 describes an inductive test device where the device is detuned to simulate a fault by a self-test means and by connecting a LED.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of this invention is to devise a device and method for nondestructive and noncontact detection, especially by means of eddy current measurement, or flux leakage measurement, of faults in a test piece or by detecting electrically conductive particles in a liquid flowing in a pipe segment, to ensure that measurement is as reliable as possible.
The above object of the invention is achieved in a device as described below.
In the approach in accordance with the invention, the self-test unit undertakes systematic quantitative checking of the signal processing functions of the signal processing unit, the transmitting coil arrangement, and the receiver coil arrangement, and upon request to undertake calibration of the signal processing unit with a calibration standard which is to replace the transmitter coil arrangement and/or the receiver coil arrangement. This is advantageous because it allows for comprehensive checking of the functions of the front-end, especially of the filters and amplifiers as well as the probe, and thus, high reliability of the measurement results is achieved. In particular, calibration of the device is also easily enabled. This applies especially to calibration with respect to the adjustable preamplifier.
Altogether, increased reliability of the test results is achieved since faults in the individual electronic components of the device can be reliably detected. In particular, high reliability is achieved compared to the calibration known in the prior art on a simulated sample fault since the latter in practice generally does not emerge in the precise form of the simulated fault and thus the meaningfulness of calibration on such a sample fault is relatively low. Further, the individual components cannot be separately quantitatively checked.
Instead of using the invention only in the nondestructive and noncontact detection of faults in a moving test piece, i.e., in an eddy current test device or a stray flux measurement device, as described herein, the invention can also be used in the detection of electrically conductive particles in a liquid flowing in a pipe segment with a velocity, such as a particle counter.
Preferably, the self-test unit is made to switch the signal processing unit for checking the signal processing functions such that the signal for the transmitter coil arrangement is fed directly as a periodic input signal into the signal processing unit, with the input signal being systematically varied. Typically the signal processing unit has amplifiers and frequency filters, the self-test unit being made to check by means of variation of frequency and amplitude of the signal for the transmitter coil arrangement whether the measured gain of the amplifiers and the measured corner frequencies and steepnesses of the frequency filters are within the given specification, and a corresponding fault signal is output if the specification is not satisfied.
Preferably, the driver for the transmitter coil has a current sensor. The self-test unit monitors and determines the impedance of the transmitter coil from the transmitter coil current and the transmitter coil voltage. Preferably, the receiver coil is made in a difference coil arrangement. The self-test unit is determining and monitoring the offset voltage of the receiver coil. Advantageously, the self-test unit is made to store the transmitter coil current and the receiver coil offset voltage as a function of time in order to enable observation of long-term changes of the transmitter coil and the receiver coil.
The device can be made with several channels, the transmitter coil arrangement and the receiver coil arrangement have several coils which are each assigned to one certain measurement frequency.
Preferably, the calibration standard is at least one RC element, and by means of a calibrated measurement resistance of the RC element the A/D converter, or other converters of the signal processing unit, can be checked with respect to their accuracy, and the sampling frequency of the processor of the signal processing unit can be checked by means of the corner frequency of the RC element. The calibration standard can be a voltage divider which has been certified by a test laboratory. Thus, the sensitivity of the entire system can be checked with a calibrated reference element so that the entire system can be checked at least with a typical setting.
Preferably, the front-end is made digital, i.e., the receiver coil signal is sampled by means of a triggerable A/D converter stage and then filtered by means of frequency filters to obtain a demodulated useful signal. The A/D converter stage is triggered with the n-th integral fraction of the frequency of the carrier oscillation of the signal for the transmitter coil arrangement, n is chosen depending on the fault frequency which arises as the quotient of the relative velocity between the test piece and the receiver coil arrangement and the effective width of the receiver coil arrangement, and the frequency filters being set as a function of the fault frequency.
Typically, the signal processing unit has an adjustable preamplifier for the receiver coil signal, and the preamplifier can be checked by the calibration standard made as a RC element being exposed to a fixed sinusoidal voltage whose amplitude is chosen such that in the least sensitive setting of the preamplifier a sinusoidal signal can be digitally converted with the desired accuracy by means of the A/D converter stage so that at higher gains of the preamplifier, the sinusoidal signal is overdriven. The overdriven sinusoidal signal is reconstructed with a mathematic approximation, for example, by means of adjustment theory, in order to determine the actual signal amplitude.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an inductive measurement device with a self-test function and calibration function in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an aspect of the invention which is used for detecting faults in a moving test piece;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one example of an inductive measurement device according to an aspect of the invention which is used for detecting electrically conductive particles in a flowing liquid;
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a longitudinal section through a pipe through which a liquid is flowing and which is provided with a transmitter and receiver coil for use with the measurement device as shown in FIG. 3 , and
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the wiring of the coils from FIG. 4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an inductive measurement device with a self-test function and calibration function according to an aspect of the invention. A signal processor 60 communicates with a programmable array logic (PAL) element 68 . The PAL element 68 is designed to control the A/D converter and D/A converter. The PAL element 68 also supplies a transmitter coil driver 70 which is provided with a current sensor 72 , and delivers the signal for the transmitter coil arrangement (not shown in FIG. 1 ) of the probe 11 (i.e., measurement head). The receiver coil signal of the receiver coil arrangement (not shown in FIG. 1 ) of the probe 11 is provided to a low-noise amplifier 74 which is used as a preamplifier. The gain of the low-noise amplifier 74 is controlled or variably set by the processor 60 by way of the PAL element 68 . The signal amplified by the amplifier 74 passes through a resonance filter 78 and is supplied to the PAL element 68 and then the processor 60 for processing, or evaluation, of the signal after digitization in an A/D converter 80 , which can be designed to handle 18 bits. In this way, from the receiver coil signal a usable signal is produced which is then evaluated by an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit can be implemented in the form of the processor 60 and/or externally, for example, as a personal computer (PC) 64 .
Furthermore, the system can have a distance sensor 82 with a transmitter coil and a receiver coil (not shown) in order to produce a distance signal from the receiver coil signal of the distance sensor 82 . The distance signal constitutes a measure of the distance between the test piece and the probe 11 . There is a driver 84 for the transmitter coil of the distance sensor 82 which has a current sensor 86 and which is supplied by the PAL element 68 . The receiver coil signal of the distance sensor 82 is supplied to a unit 88 which performs amplification, offset and rectification of the distance signal. The unit 88 , like the amplifier 74 , is controlled by the PAL element 68 . The distance signal is supplied to the PAL element 68 , and then to the processor 60 for evaluation by an A/D converter 90 , which can be designed to handle 16 bits. Further, there can be several distance sensors 82 .
The elements 68 , 70 , 74 , 76 , 78 , 80 , and optionally 60 , as well as elements 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 are part of the signal processing unit which produces a signal for evaluation by the evaluation unit from the receiver coil signals.
A self-test unit 62 is implemented in the processor 60 . The self-test unit 62 performs systematic quantitative checking of the signal processing functions of the signal processing unit of the front end and systematic quantitative checking of the probe 11 and of the distance sensor 82 . Further, the processor 60 performs the checking automatically, at system startup, or at the request of the user interface which can be PC 64 or a touch display 65 .
A switch arrangement 66 with three switches 63 , 67 , 69 is used for monitoring the signal processing unit. The three switches 63 , 67 , 69 can be actuated by the self-test unit 62 (in doing so the switches 63 and 67 are opened and the switch 69 is closed) in order to feed the signal for the transmitter coil of the probe 11 as a periodic input signal into the signal processing unit, i.e., into the input of the amplifier 74 by bypassing the transmitter coil directly.
In the self-test, the self-test unit 62 provides the signal for the transmitter coil which is varied with respect to frequency and amplitude in order to check whether the measured gain of the amplifier 74 and the measured corner frequencies and steepness of the frequency filter 78 are within the required specifications. A corresponding fault signal is output to the user interface 64 , 65 if the specification is not satisfied.
According to aspects of the invention, the device can be made with several channels. Transmitter coil driver 70 , the probe 11 and the self-monitoring switch arrangement 66 are provided once for each channel, and a multiplexer 76 is connected upstream of the amplifier 74 (for each transmitter coil there is then its own frequency).
A self-test switch arrangement 92 is provided between the driver 84 and the unit 88 . The self-test switch arrangement 92 has three switches 89 , 91 , 93 which can be actuated by the self-test unit 62 (in doing so the switches 89 and 91 are opened and the switch 93 is closed) to induce a self-test of the unit 88 , or of the A/D converter 90 by a signal which is output by the transmitter coil driver 84 , and which is bypassing the transmitter coil of the distance sensor 82 . This signal is being sent directly to the input of the unit 88 , and by means of the self test unit 62 the frequency and amplitude of the coil driver signal can be systematically varied.
In addition to the output signal of the unit 88 , the current signal of the current sensor 72 and the current signal of the current sensor 86 are supplied to the multiplexer 94 , which is connected upstream of the A/D converter 90 . The sensor current signals are supplied, in this way, to the self-test unit 62 for evaluation. The complex impedance of the respective transmitter coil can be determined and monitored by means of the self-test unit 62 from the transmitter coil current and the transmitter coil voltage detected by current sensors 72 and 86 . Also, a fault signal can be optionally output by way of the user interface 64 and 65 . As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the transmitter coil voltages are measured at the sites labelled 1 and 3 and are supplied to the PAL element by way of the multiplexer 94 and the A/D converter 90 .
Furthermore, the offset voltage of the receiver coil of the probe 11 can be monitored by means of the self-test unit 62 (Note: only difference coils have an offset voltage, which arises in any difference coil arrangement since two coils are never exactly identical).
The offset voltage can be eliminated from the receiver signal by means of a high-pass filter. The difference of the voltage before and after the high-pass filter then yields the offset voltage.
Advantageously, the self-test unit 62 is made such that the transmitter coil current and the receiver coil offset voltage are stored as a function of time allowing for observation of long-term changes of the transmitter coils and the receiver coils. This monitoring is especially important when the system is designed as an inductive particle counter because the coils cannot be easily dismounted and checked.
Furthermore, the self-test unit 62 is configured such that calibration of the signal processing electronics is enabled by means of a certified calibration standard 96 which can replace the coil 11 . The calibration standard 96 is connected on the input side to the transmitter coil driver 70 and on the output side to the multiplexer 76 and to the amplifier 74 . When the calibration standard 96 has several reference elements, such as, different resistances, which are switched over in the course of calibration, the calibration standard 96 has one terminal 98 , for example an I 2 C bus, which is connected to the processor 60 and the self-test unit 62 for undertaking the corresponding switchovers of the reference elements.
The points labeled “2” and “4” allow for direct measurement of the voltages upstream of the input channels of the amplifier 74 and of the unit 88 . Thus, it is possible to directly measure the voltage drop with the calibration standard 96 which was set instead of the corresponding coil, for example.
It is preferable that the calibration standard has at least one RC element with at least one calibrated measurement resistance for checking the precision of the A/D converter of the signal processing electronics. The sampling frequency of the processor 60 can also be checked with the RC element by using the corner frequency of the RC element which is precisely known. The measurement resistance of the calibration standard 96 is a lowpass filter to suppress interference. As a reference element, the measurement resistance of the calibration standard 96 provides for a defined voltage at the input of the A/D converter 80 so that unwanted fluctuations of the sampling frequency are detected.
It is preferable that calibration be performed once a year.
The calibration standard 96 may be a separate unit independent of the measurement device and connected to the measurement device only during calibration. This example embodiment is advantageous because the calibration of the calibration standard can be easily checked by a certified calibration laboratory.
Alternatively, the calibration standard 96 can be made as a part of the measurement device such as a component provided on a board of the measurement device which is connected in place of the corresponding coil at need. This example embodiment has the advantage that the measurement device does not need to be opened for preparation of calibration. However, in this case, the calibration of the calibration standard cannot be checked.
The calibration standard 96 is helpful especially for calibration of the adjustable preamplifier 74 . When the calibration standard 96 for economic reasons has only a single or only a few reference resistance values, it is possible to proceed as follows. The RC element of the calibration standard 96 obtains a fixed sinusoidal voltage from the transmitter coil driver 70 . The fixed sinusoidal voltage is so large that a sinusoidal signal can be digitally converted with a desired accuracy by means of the A/D converter 80 in the least sensitive position of the amplifier 74 . If the gain is increased by means of the PAL element 68 , the sine is cut off at some time, and the truncated sine then can be reconstructed again via mathematical approximation, such as a adjustment theoretical calculation. As a result, the actual amplitude of the signal can be measured. The prerequisite for this method is that the electronics used do not have a latchup effect and the input stage of the A/D converter 80 is protected against destruction by overvoltage.
The following equation of the adjustment theoretical computation for a sine may be used:
A 0 *n+A 1*[sin( x )]+ A 2*[cos( x )]=[ yi]
A 0*[sin( x )]+ A 1*[sin 2 ( x )]+ A 2*[sin( x )*cos( x )]=[ yi *sin( x )]
A 0*[cos( x )]+ A 1*[sin( x )*cos( x )]+ A 2*cos 2 ( s )]=[ yi *cos( x )]
where yi is a measured value such that y(i)=A0+A1*sin(x)+A2*cos(x) and x=2*π*f*i*dt, where f indicates the frequency. The brackets stand for summations over the running variable i from zero to n. Those measured values which are outside the allowable range, i.e., the “truncated” values, may not be used here. The value x represents the current angle, which need not be equidistant.
By computing the amount of A1 and A2, the original amplitude A=SQRT(A1*A1+A2*A2) and the phase offset PHI=arctan(A2/A1) are obtained.
It goes without saying that the described signal reconstruction can be used not only in the checking of the variable amplifier 74 , but also in an eddy current test, if as a result of certain circumstances the receiver coil signals arise which overdrive the A/D converter. Ultimately, the measurement range can be expanded by this signal reconstruction using only software.
The relatively simple checking of the variable amplifier 74 described above allows for the storage and use of correction values for the respective gain, allowing for more economical amplifiers of the same quality.
There are resonance filters, like the resonance filter (or a combination of highpass and lowpass) 78 , allowing for operation with a variable transmitter frequency. The most favorable sampling frequency arising as a function of the velocity of the test piece, effective coil width, and transmitting frequency. As already described, in a self-test using variation of the frequency and amplitude of the input voltage, the corner frequencies and the edge steepness of the filters can be determined.
Changes of the sensor hardware, especially damage, can be ascertained early by the described impedance measurements of the transmitter and receiver windings using the self-test unit 62 so that test times with damaged sensor hardware can be avoided as much as possible. As a result, measurement becomes more reliable.
The described measurement of the receiver coil offset voltage by the self-test unit 62 enables early detection of overdriving problems, for example, in conjunction with certain test piece materials. This allows for preventive reactions to problems and increases in the reliability of the test.
The possibility of calibration of the system by means of the self-test unit 62 and the calibration standard 96 enables simple calibration of the system on site, eliminating the necessity of installation and dismounting of a test adapter in the system. As a result, production and servicing of the system is more economical, because an adaptation of a front end in a testing device is not needed.
The calibration standard 96 , itself, if it is made as a separate unit, can of course also be calibrated at regular intervals by a certified calibration laboratory, as previously described.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example of an inductive measurement device according to an aspect of the claimed invention which is used for detecting faults in a moving test piece and a digital demodulation method. Aside from the self-test function and signal reconstruction, this device is described in WO 2006/007826 A1. Here, a test piece 13 in the form of a semi-finished industrial article, for example, a slab, which is tested when it moves linearly with a variable velocity v past the probe 11 . The velocity is detected with a velocity detector 21 which can deliver for example a signal essentially proportional to the velocity v. The signal can be, for example, a rectangular signal (possibly also two-track in order to be able to distinguish forward and backward) which contains one pulse, for example, per 5 mm advance of the test piece 13 .
The probe 11 has a transmitter in the form of a transmitter coil 18 and a receiving coil 15 . With an alternating electromagnetic field with at least one given carrier frequency, the transmitter coil 18 is used to induce eddy currents in the test piece 13 . These eddy currents in turn induce an AC voltage in the receiving coil 15 which AC voltage acts as a probe signal and has a carrier oscillation with the carrier frequency of the transmitter coil 18 . The amplitude and the phase of the probe signal is modulated by a fault 23 when the fault 23 travels into the effective width WB of the receiving coil 15 . The receiving coil 15 is preferably made as a difference coil, i.e., a coil with two windings which are wound in the opposite direction, and react only to changes of the electrical properties due to the presence of a fault 23 of the test piece. Difference coils are suitable mainly for detection of sudden changes in the test piece 13 . An absolute coil can also be used as the receiving coil 15 which comprises several windings wound in the same direction, and suitable especially for detection of long homogeneous changes in the test piece 13 .
The voltage for the transmitter coil 18 can be produced by a binary signal produced by a timer unit 44 and delivered to a generator 48 as the input frequency which produces a rectangular signal or a sinusoidal signal which travels through the curve shaper 40 and then is amplified by a power amplifier 42 before being sent to the transmitter coil 18 . Preferably, the signal has a sinusoidal shape and in the simplest case contains only a single carrier frequency, but measurements with several carrier frequencies at the same time and/or carrier signals which differ distinctly from sinusoidal oscillations are also possible. Typically the carrier frequency is in the range from 1 kHz to 5 MHz.
Fundamentally, the transmitter coil can also be operated with a digital signal based on the pulse duration modulation. This has the advantage of greatly reducing the power loss in the driver stage.
The probe signal received by the receiving coil 15 travels through a bandpass filter 19 and an adjustable preamplifier 17 before being supplied to an A/D converter stage 35 . The bandpass filter 19 is used, on the one hand, as an (anti-)aliasing filter with respect to signal digitization by the A/D converter stage 35 , and on the other hand, to mask out high frequency and low frequency noise signals. The adjustable preamplifier 17 is used to bring the amplitude of the analog probe signal to the amplitude optimally suitable for A/D converter stage 35 .
The A/D converter stage 35 has two A/D converters 32 and 34 which are connected in parallel and have high resolution with a resolution of at least 16 bits, preferably at least 22 bits. It is also preferable that the A/D converter stage 35 is able to carry out at least 500 A/D conversions per second. The A/D converters 32 , 34 are preferably flash converters or SAR (successive approximation register) converters.
The version with two A/D converters is one example. It is important that the fault signal is orthogonally sampled, which may also be performed with only one converter.
The A/D converter stage 35 is triggered by a trigger means 37 , which has the aforementioned timer unit 44 , a cosine generator 48 , a sine generator 46 located parallel to the cosine generator 48 , and a frequency divider 30 . The signal which has been generated by the cosine generator 48 and which has the frequency of the carrier frequency of the supply signal of the transmitter coil 18 is provided to the frequency divider 30 . The signal of the sine generator 46 which corresponds to the signal of the cosine generator 48 , but with a phase-shift of 90° thereto, is also provided to frequency divider 30 . In the frequency divider 30 these two signals are divided with respect to their frequency by a whole number n. The corresponding frequency-reduced output signal is used to trigger the A/D converter 32 and the A/D converter 34 . The selection of the number n for the divider 30 is undertaken by a digital signal processor 60 depending on the fault frequency, i.e., the quotient of the current velocity of the test piece v and the effective width WB of the receiving coil 15 . Preferably, n is chosen to be inversely proportional to the main fault frequency in order for the trigger rate of the A/D converter stage 35 to be at least roughly proportional to the main fault frequency. This results in that if the effective width WB in the first approximation is assumed to be constant, at a higher test piece velocity v and thus a high fault frequency the analog probe signal is sampled more frequently.
Preferably, the divider 30 is made as a so-called PAL (Programmable Array Logic) component in order to ensure that the trigger signals arrive synchronously, to the output signal of the cosine generator 48 and the sine generator 46 without phase jitter at the A/D converter stage 35 .
Due to the corresponding phase shift of the two input signals of the divider 30 , the two A/D converters 32 , 34 are also triggered with a fixed phase offset of 90°. In this way the analog probe signal can be evaluated in a two-component manner, i.e., with respect to amplitude and phase. It goes without saying that the phase delay between the trigger signal of the A/D converter signal 35 and the signal of the transmitter coil 18 should be as small as possible, and especially so-called phase jitter should also be avoided, i.e., the phase relations should be constant in time as exactly as possible.
With the illustrated trigger means 37 the analog probe signal is sampled by each A/D converter 32 , 34 at most once per full wave of the carrier oscillation (in this case n is equal to 1). Depending on the current fault frequency, i.e., the velocity of the test piece v, n can be much larger than 1 so that sampling is performed only in each n-th full wave of the carrier oscillation.
As already mentioned, what matters is that sampling is taken orthogonally. When sampling is done at 0° and 90° the complex components of the fault signal are obtained. At 180° and 270° the same components are obtained, but in the inverse to those taken at 0° and 90°. By inverting these components an average can be formed and thus an increased sampling rate can be used. Such sampling methods have advantages with respect to noise and design of the input filter.
The demodulated, digital, two-channel output signal of the A/D converter stage 35 travels through a digital bandpass filter 52 which can be the signal processor 60 . The digital bandpass filter 52 is used to mask out noise signals outside the bandwidth of the fault signal. For this purpose, the corner frequency of the highpass filter (software filter) is preferably chosen such that it is less than one fourth of the fault frequency, while the corner frequency of the lowpass filter is preferably chosen such that it is at least twice the fault frequency to avoid masking out the signal portions which still contain information of the fault.
The digital bandpass 52 is clocked with the sampling rate of the A/D converter stage 35 , i.e., the trigger rate. This has the advantage that the corner frequencies of the bandpass are automatically entrained with the fault frequency when the fault frequency changes, i.e., when the velocity of the test piece v changes, since the corner frequencies of a digital bandpass filter are proportional to the clock rate and the clock rate is automatically adapted to the change of the fault frequency by way of the sampling rate which is stipulated by the trigger unit 37 .
This also applies analogously when the transmission frequency has been changed. This reduces the cost of digital filtration with respect to different types of filter stages.
The information necessary for determining the main fault frequency with respect to the effective width WB can be either manually input to the signal processor 60 made available directly by the probe 11 , as described, for example, in European Patent Application No. 0 734 522 B1.
It goes without saying that the measurement system reacts analogously to the change of the fault frequency which is caused when the velocity v of the test piece remains constant, but the receiving coil 15 is replaced by another with a different effective width WB.
The useful signal, which is obtained after filtration by the digital bandpass filter 52 , is evaluated in a known manner by an evaluation unit 50 in order to detect and locate faults 23 of the test piece 13 . For detection both the amplitude information and the phase information of the fault signal is used.
In particular, for relatively large values of n, i.e., when only a relatively small number of full waves of the carrier oscillation are sampled, the transmitter coil 15 and/or the evaluation electronics, especially the signal processor 60 , can be turned off or put on stand-by in order to reduce power consumption during the sampling pauses. Such capability is important especially for portable measurement devices.
In the processor 60 the self-test unit 62 for the monitoring and calibration functions named above in conjunction with FIG. 1 is implemented. Thus, the self-test unit 62 controls the switch arrangement 66 with three switches 63 , 67 , 69 in order to feed the signal for the transmitter coil 18 of the probe 11 bypassing the transmitter coil 18 and the receiver coil 15 directly as a periodic input signal into the signal processing, i.e., into the input of the bandpass filter 19 .
FIGS. 3 to 5 show one example of an inductive measurement device according to an aspect of the claimed invention used to detect electrically conductive particles in a flowing liquid using a digital demodulation method. Aside from the self-test function, this device is described in the German patent application not published beforehand, with application number of 10 2007 039 434.0 and corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0051350. Fundamentally, the signal processing, especially the signal reconstruction when the A/D converter is being overdriven, and the self-test functions are performed analogously to the above described approach shown in FIG. 2 .
As shown in FIG. 4 , a pipe segment 10 is surrounded by a first inductive receiver coil 12 and a second inductive receiver coil 14 which is spaced apart from the receiver coil 12 in the axial direction so that a liquid 16 flowing in the pipe segment 10 flows through the coils 12 and 14 in the axial direction. The axial distance of the two coils 12 , 14 and the axial dimensions of the coils 12 , 14 are, for example, 2 mm. The two receiver coils 12 , 14 are surrounded on the outside by a transmitting coil 18 which is located coaxially to the two coils 12 , 14 and has a larger diameter than coils 12 , 14 . The axial dimensioning of the transmitter coil 18 is such that the two receiver coils 12 , 14 are located completely within the transmitter coil 18 . Preferably the extension of the transmitter coil 18 in the axial direction is at least twice as great as the axial extension of the arrangement of the receiver coils 12 , 14 , i.e., the distance plus the axial extension of the coils 12 , 14 . The coils 12 , 14 , 18 are located in a housing 22 which surrounds the pipe segment 10 and form a probe 11 .
Typically, the pipe segment 10 is part of the lubricant circuit of a machine, then the liquid 16 , for example, is a lubricant containing metal particles which are typically abrasion from moving parts of the machine. A typical value for the lubricant flow rate in the main flow is 10 liters/min. At much higher flow rates it is advantageous to measure a secondary flow, instead of the main flow.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the two receiver coils 12 , 14 are connected subtractively as a difference coil 15 , i.e., they are wound in opposite directions, so that a voltage with the same amount but with opposite signs is induced in the two coils 12 , 14 . The transmitter coils 18 and the receiver coils 12 , 14 form a transformer arrangement, where the transmitter coil 18 forms the primary side and the receiver coils 12 , 14 form the secondary side. The transformer core is formed by the materials or media fed through the coils 12 , 14 , 18 , e.g., air, the housing 22 , the pipe 10 , and the liquid 16 with the particles 20 .
The impedance difference of the coils 12 , 14 caused by the particles 20 , i.e. the difference of the impedance of the two coils 12 , 14 caused by the instantaneous presence of a particle 20 in one of the two coils 12 , 14 (the particles 20 are much smaller than the distance of the coils 12 , 14 ), is imaged by the measurement signal output by the coils 12 and 14 .
FIG. 3 shows one example of the structure of the eddy current measurement device that uses the probe 11 according to an aspect of the present invention.
The transmitter coil 18 is used, by means of an alternating electromagnetic field with at least one given carrier frequency, to induce eddy currents in the particles 20 , which in turn induce an AC voltage that acts as the probe signal in the receiving coil 15 , which is a difference coil. The induced AV voltage in the receiver coil has a carrier oscillation with the carrier frequency of the transmitter coil 18 . The amplitude and the phase of the probe signal are modulated by a particle 20 when the latter travels into the effective width WB of the receiving coil 15 .
The voltage of the transmitter coil 18 can be produced, for example, by a binary signal produced by a timer unit 44 input to a generator 48 producing a rectangular signal or a sinusoidal signal, which travels through the curve shaper 40 and then is amplified by a power amplifier 42 before being sent to the transmitter coil 18 . Preferably the signal has a sinusoidal shape and in the simplest case contains only a single carrier frequency, but may also contain several carrier frequencies at the same time and/or carrier signals which differ distinctly from sinusoidal oscillations. Typically the carrier frequency is in the range from 5 kHz to 1 MHz.
The probe signal received by the receiving coil 15 travels through a bandpass filter 19 and an adjustable preamplifier 17 before being supplied to an A/D converter stage 35 . The bandpass filter 19 is used, on the one hand, by means of a lowpass filter as an (anti-)aliasing filter with respect to signal digitization by the A/D converter stage 35 , and on the other hand, by means of a highpass to mask out low frequency noise signals. The adjustable preamplifier 17 is used to bring the amplitude of the analog probe signal to the amplitude optimally suitable for the A/D converter stage 35 .
The A/D converter stage 35 has two A/D converters 32 , 34 which are connected in parallel and have high resolution with a resolution of at least 16 bits, preferably at least 22 bits, and are able to carry out at least 500 A/D conversions per second. The A/D converters 32 , 34 are preferably made as flash converters or SAR (successive approximation register) converters.
If offset voltage compensation takes place by means of an additional D/A converter and subtractor, a resolution of the A/D converter of 12 bits is sufficient.
The A/D converter stage 35 is triggered by a trigger means 37 which has the aforementioned timer unit 44 , the cosine generator 48 , the sine generator 46 which is located parallel to the cosine generator 48 , and the frequency divider 30 . A signal is provided to the frequency divider 30 . The signal has been generated by the cosine generator 48 and has the frequency of the carrier frequency of the supply signal of the transmitter coil 18 , and the signal of the sine generator 46 which corresponds to the signal of the cosine generator 48 , but which is phase-shifted by 90° to with respect to the signal of the cosine generator 48 . In the frequency divider 30 these two signals are divided with respect to their frequency by a whole number n. The corresponding frequency-reduced output signal is used to trigger the A/D converter 32 and the A/D converter 34 . The selection of the number n for the divider 30 is undertaken by a digital signal processor 60 depending on the particle frequency, which is the quotient of the flow velocity v of the liquid 16 , i.e. the velocity v of the particles 20 , and the effective width WB of the receiving coil 15 . Preferably, n is chosen to be inversely proportional to the particle frequency in order for the trigger rate of the A/D converter stage 35 to be at least roughly proportional to the particle frequency. Therefore, if the effective width WB in the first approximation is assumed to be constant, at a higher flow/particle velocity v and thus higher particle frequency the analog probe signal is sampled more frequently.
Preferably, the divider 30 is made as a so-called PAL (Programmable Array Logic) component in order to ensure that the trigger signals arrive with minimum delay i.e. as synchronously as possible with the output signal of the cosine generator 48 and the sine generator 46 and without phase jitter at the A/D converter stage 35 .
Due to the corresponding phase shift of the two input signals of the divider 30 , the two A/D converters 32 , 34 are also triggered with a fixed phase offset of 90°. In this way, the analog probe signal can be evaluated in a two-component manner, i.e., both with respect to amplitude and phase. It goes without saying that the phase delay between the trigger signal of the A/D converter signal 35 and the signal of the transmitter coil 18 should be as small as possible, and especially so-called phase jitter should also be avoided, i.e., the phase relations should be as constant in time as possible.
It is ensured that the analog probe signal is sampled by each A/D converter 32 and 34 at most once per full wave of the carrier oscillation (in this case n is equal to 1) with the illustrated trigger means 37 . Depending on the current particle frequency, i.e., the velocity of the liquid v, n however can be much greater than 1 so that sampling only takes place at each n-th full wave of the carrier oscillation.
Since sampling takes place at most once per full wave per A/D converter 32 , 34 , the frequency of the carrier oscillation, i.e., the carrier frequency, is eliminated from the digital signal by this undersampling, i.e., demodulation of the analog probe signal takes place by means of undersampling.
Preferably, n is chosen such that a noticeable particle signal is observed in the time interval. That is, a time interval is chosen such that one point of a particle 20 moves through the effective width WB of the receiving coil 15 in this time interval which corresponds essentially to the inverse of the main particle frequency, which is at least 5, preferably at least 20 samples are taken by each A/D converter 32 and 34 to obtain enough information contained in the particle signal sufficient for reliable particle detection. Generally however not more than 50, at most 100, samplings will be necessary during this time interval, a minimum of 10 samplings.
The frequency of the carrier oscillation should be chosen such that it is at least ten times the particle frequency, since otherwise the particle signal is carried by too few full waves of the carrier oscillation and the reproducibility of particle detection becomes a problem.
The demodulated, digital, two-channel output signal of the A/D converter stage 35 travels through a digital bandpass filter 52 which may be the signal processor 60 and which is used to mask out noise signals which are outside the bandwidth of the particle signal. For this purpose, the corner frequency of the highpass is preferably chosen such that the corner frequency is less than one fourth of the particle frequency, while the corner frequency of the lowpass filter is preferably chosen such that it is at least twice the particle frequency in order to avoid masking out the signal portions which still contain information with respect to particle passage.
The digital bandpass filter 52 is clocked with the sampling rate of the A/D converter stage 35 , i.e., the trigger rate; this entails the major advantage that the corner frequencies of the bandpass filter when the particle frequency changes, i.e., when the velocity of the particles v changes, are automatically entrained with the particle frequency since the corner frequencies of a digital bandpass filter are proportional to the clock rate which is automatically adapted to the change of the particle frequency by way of the sampling rate which is stipulated by the trigger unit 37 .
The information which is necessary for determining the main particle frequency with respect to the effective width WB can be either input manually to the signal processor 60 or provided directly by the measurement head 11 , as is described for example in European Patent Application No. 0 734 522 B1 and corresponding to International Patent Application Publication. No. 95/16912.
It goes without saying that the measurement system reacts analogously to the change of the particle frequency which is caused when the particle velocity v is kept constant, but the receiving coil 15 is replaced by another with a different effective width WB.
In particular, for relatively large values of n, i.e., when only a relatively small number of full waves of the carrier oscillation at all is sampled, for example the transmitter coil 18 and/or the evaluation electronics, i.e., especially the signal processor 60 , can be turned off or put on stand-by during the sampling pauses in order to reduce power consumption. This is important especially for portable measurement devices.
The useful signal obtained after filtration by the digital bandpass filter 52 is evaluated in an evaluation unit 50 in order to detect the passage of particles 20 using the amplitude and phase information of the particle signal.
Advantageously, the evaluation unit 50 is made such that the detected particle passages are counted so that conclusions can be made about the particle concentration in the liquid 16 , and the state of the machine.
Fundamentally, in a difference coil, as a result of difference formation (the individual coils of the difference coil are never exactly alike in practice), the so-called coil offset voltage arises that can exceed the actual fault signal by several orders of amplitude, for example, by 100 to 30000 times. The resulting relatively large amplitude of the receiver coil signal compared to the actual useful signal imposes high demands on the electronics, especially on the resolution of the A/D converter.
Monitoring and calibration functions, which are named above in conjunction with FIG. 1 , are implemented in the self-test unit 62 of the processor 60 . Thus, the self-test unit 62 controls the switch arrangement 66 with three switches 63 , 67 , 69 in order to feed the signal for the transmitter coil 18 of the probe 11 by bypassing the transmitter coil 18 and the receiver coil 15 directly as a periodic input signal into the signal processing, i.e., into the input of the bandpass filter 19 .
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Method for nondestructive and noncontact detection of faults in a test piece, with a transmitter coil arrangement with at least one transmitter coil that transmits periodic electromagnetical AC fields to a test piece, a receiver coil arrangement with at least one receiver coil for detecting a periodic electrical signal having a carrier oscillation whose amplitude and/or phase is modulated by a fault in the test piece. A signal processing unit produces a useful signal from the receiver coil signal, and an evaluation unit evaluates the useful signal to detect a fault in the test piece. A self-test unit undertakes systematic quantitative checking of signal processing functions of the signal processing unit and/or of the transmitter coil arrangement and/or of the receiver coil arrangement and/or upon external request undertakes calibration of the signal processing unit using a calibration standard which replaces the transmitter coil arrangement and/or of the receiver coil arrangement.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION
[0001] This application relates to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/053,524, filed on Mar. 31, 1998, entitled “Manufacturing System and Method for Assembly of Computer Systems in a Build-to-Order Environment,” naming Lois Goss as inventor. The co-pending application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
DEFINITIONS
[0002] Assembly—An operation where all of the parts of a computer are put together.
[0003] Boxing—An operation where the shipping box is erected, packing material is inserted into the box, the assembled computer is placed inside the box, the Doc-Box is included, the box is closed and then sealed, and a shipping label is applied.
[0004] Build to Order (BTO)—The capability to build each computer to a unique customer specification.
[0005] Burn—An operation, where a computer system is activated, software is downloaded to the hard drive, and final testing is performed to ensure proper function.
[0006] Chassis Prep—An operation where a power supply and cooling fan are installed into a computer chassis.
[0007] Distribution center—A dedicated area or building usually separate from the manufacturing plant, used for organizing and routing all of the computer hardware orders to the shipping loading bays.
[0008] Direct Ship—The traditional Distribution Center is incorporated into the manufacturing plant, to reduce staging of product, and excess handling.
[0009] Document Kitting—An operation where all of the documentation, Software, Keyboard, Mouse, and computer cables are gathered into a special Doc-Box (Documentation Box).
[0010] Electrical Mechanical Repair (EMR)—Any computer system that fails a test, is repaired in a special area by a certified technician.
[0011] FCC Test—An operation where the computer is tested for Federal Communication Commission (FCC) compliance, and a certification label is applied.
[0012] HI POT Test—An Industry standard test is performed on the computer, to ensure electrical safety compliance.
[0013] Kitting—An operation where all the components necessary for constructing a computer, are gathered into a container, before being transported to the assembly area.
[0014] Missing and Wrong—A quality metric, that measures and tracks the accuracy of a customer order.
[0015] Motherboard Prep—An operation where the (CPU Central Processor Unit, (RAM) Ream and Write Memory, CPU Heat sink is installed into the computer Motherboard.
[0016] Order Purity—A customer driven requirement, where all of the components of an order are kept together, so they can be shipped and received at one time.
[0017] Quick Test—An intermediate test is performed on a computer motherboard, to ensure proper function before final assembly into the computer chassis.
[0018] Transformation Process—A term used to describe all of the steps involved in assembling and testing a computer order.
[0019] Traveler—A paper document that details the complete customer order.
[0020] Wipe Down—An operation where the computer is inspected for cosmetic defects (i.e. scratches) and is then wiped down with a special cleaning solution to remove any dirt or finger prints.
BACKGROUND
[0021] The disclosures herein relate generally to computer systems, and more particularly, to a process and apparatus for physically consolidating and streamlining the manufacturing of computer systems in a build-to-order environment.
[0022] Traditionally, manufacturing systems have been designed and constructed based upon a build-to-stock model where large quantities of identical products are assembled to meet forecasted demand and warehoused until that demand occurs. Such manufacturing systems provide economies of scale based upon the large quantities of identical units and can be optimized by increasing the speed with which each manufacturing step is completed. Because build-to-stock manufacturing systems rely on known product configurations, each step in the manufacturing process is known in advance, and so the manufacturing system utilizes progressive build techniques to optimize each stage in the serial assembly process. For products (e.g. a computer system) that include sensitive components, progressive build manufacturing systems can be carefully planned in advance to protect those sensitive components. Once the manufacturing system becomes operational, it will build the same product repeatedly, using the optimized steps.
[0023] However, when the process is adapted to build a different product, or a different version of the same product, the manufacturing system must be modified and re-optimized to ensure that the system still protects sensitive components. Moreover, since the progressive build process is serial, each stage depends on timely completion of the previous stage, and thus the entire process is susceptible to problems, inefficiencies, and failures in any of the stages of the system. Additionally, progressive-build manufacturing systems operating in a build-to-stock environment are relatively inflexible, limiting the ability of the manufacturing system to fill small orders economically and to control inventory.
[0024] One method used to increase performance in progressive-build manufacturing processes is to include a process step in which identical kits are prepared that hold the components needed to assemble a particular product or to complete a particular manufacturing step. In this way some of the time normally required to select parts for a particular product or manufacturing step can be reduced, and some manufacturing steps can more easily be performed in one location or by one operator or piece of manufacturing equipment (e.g. an industrial robot). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,815.190 discloses the use of automated and manual kitting stages for producing identical kits for automobile sub-assemblies. One advantage to using identical kits is that it is relatively easy to know if all of the parts needed to assemble a particular product are present in the kit; a missing part stands out because each kit should always have the same set of components.
[0025] As an alternative to progressive-build manufacturing systems which are often faced with the problem of large dwell times. i.e. time periods where a product being assembled must wait before moving to a subsequent assembly stage, some manufacturing systems have been shifted to continuous flow manufacturing (CFM) methods. In general, CFM methods employ a demand-driven pull system for inventory control and movement of components into the assembly process. This can include the use of kanban techniques for inventory control and movement. CFM also supports mixed-model manufacturing continuous flow production lines. CFM systems offer continuous flow of value added activities, eliminating wasted motion and dwell times. Other terms often used for CFM include Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing, Flexible and Agile Manufacturing, Synchronous Manufacturing and Demand Based Conversion.
[0026] Personal computers, servers, workstations, portables, embedded systems and other computer systems are typically assembled in manufacturing systems designed for build-to-stock environments. A typical personal computer system includes a processor, associated memory and control logic and a number of peripheral devices that provide input and output (I/O) for the system. Such peripheral devices include, for example, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives, hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and other mass storage devices such as tape drives, compact disk recordable (CD-R) drives, digital video/versatile disk (DVD) drives, or the like.
[0027] Manufacturing computer systems becomes inefficient when the number of identical units is decreased and process steps are changed as orders change, both of which are characteristics of a build-to-order environment where computer systems (or products generally) are manufactured or assembled only after an order for that particular computer system has been placed. As a result, the conventional manufacturing systems do not adapt well to the build-to-order environment and can limit the ability to fill small orders, require extra inventory, generate more work-in-process and be globally constrained by the slowest process step. This process also requires line changeovers and new tooling when change is required. One attempt to adapt and to improve the efficiency of conventional manufacturing systems has been to reduce the number of components prepared in advance of orders. By limiting such in-process inventory the line can change configurations more easily as orders change. However, this scheme is still limited in its efficiency for smaller orders in the build-to-order environment.
[0028] Because computer systems manufacturers have recognized that a build-to-order environment is advantageous and often can better react to the speed with which product designs and customer expectations change, there is a need to provide manufacturing systems and methods that more efficiently integrate with the build-to-order model while ensuring that high quality, defect free products are produced.
[0029] Current manufacturing of build-to-order computers is limited by the particular manufacturing line used. For instance, to double the productivity of a current factory manufacturing line process for a given floor space (in terms of units/hour/square foot (Units/Hr./Sq.Ft.)), additional manufacturing plants will be necessary to meet an increased demand. The cost of building new manufacturing plants can be substantial, for example, at an average cost of approximately $ 100 Ml or more per plant. Product quality and manufacturing flexibility suffer wherein generally only one product line can be built on any given assembly line at a time. Merely doubling the existing manufacturing line process further suffers from an inability to adjust to changes in product demand and an inability to improve floor space utilization. In addition, profitability and customer experience suffer degradation with a mere doubling of an existing manufacturing line process.
[0030] Referring briefly to FIG. 1, a flow diagram view of a computer build-to-order manufacturing process is illustrated. In general, the manufacturing process 10 includes receipt of a customer order 12 , kitting of parts 14 , motherboard preparation 16 , assembly and quick test 18 , burn (i.e., software download and extended test) 20 . Federal Communication Commission testing (FCC test and label application) 22 , high 20 potential (HI POT) testing 24 , wipe down (inspection and cleaning of computer chassis) 26 , document kitting 28 , boxing 30 , transport to the distribution center 32 , shipping 34 , and finally customer receipt 36 .
[0031] [0031]FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of various portions of the distributed manufacturing line in the manufacture of build-to-order computer systems. The distributed manufacturing line is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 a . Separate stations or areas are provided for each of the portions of the distributed manufacturing line, for example, as follows. Motherboard preparation is generally indicated by reference numeral 16 a. Assembly/quick test is generally indicated by reference numeral 18 a. Electrical mechanical repair (EMR) is generally indicated by reference numeral 19 . Burn or extended test is generally indicated by reference numeral 20 a. HI POT is generally indicated by reference numeral 24 a. FCC is generally indicated by reference numeral 22 a. Wipedown is generally indicated by reference numeral 26 a. Lastly, boxing is generally indicated by reference numeral 30 a.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 3 is a plan view layout of the various portions of the distributed manufacturing line of FIG. 2. The layout is generally indicated by reference numeral 50 . The physical layout of equipment for performing the various portions of the distributed manufacturing process are illustrated from left to right. The layout includes kitting 14 a. mother board preparation 16 a. assembly 18 a. EMR 19 , burn 20 a . a combination of FCC HI POT/wipedown ( 22 a. 24 a. 26 a ), boxing and documentation 30 a, and direct skip 36 (or distribution center 32 and ship 34 The distributed manufacturing line of FIG. 3 characterized in that it requires on the order of 22.120 sq. ft. for a potential production yield or rate on the order of 240 units/hour, with a potential plant capacity of on the order of approximately 1200 units/hour.
[0033] Furthermore, in the manufacturing of build-to-order computing devices, direct ship is an important strategic initiative. Direct ship is a method for reducing cost per box and speeds product delivery. Direct ship involves adding special material handling equipment and loading dock doors at the end of a manufacturing process line. A drawback to direct ship, however, is that direct ship consumes valuable manufacturing floor space. In order to implement direct ship into existing build-to-order manufacturing line buildings, and maintain and/or increase production, a new, higher performing manufacturing line design is needed.
[0034] In addition to direct ship, competitive pressures are causing the average computer price to drop dramatically. In order to maintain margins, it is critical that new ways to lower manufacturing costs be developed. Accordingly, an improved method of manufacturing of computing devices is needed.
SUMMARY
[0035] One embodiment accordingly, provides a consolidated computer system manufacturing cell. The cell includes an overhead delivery conveyor for delivery of a kit of parts according to a customer order, a conveyor elevator for transporting the kit of parts from the overhead delivery conveyor to a first work surface of the work cell, an assembly area proximate to the conveyor elevator, said assembly area suitable for use in assembling a computer system from the kit of parts received, a plurality of burn slots for receiving assembled computer systems assembled at the assembly area, and a dispatch elevator for dispatching an assembled computer system to an available burn slot,for receiving an assembled computer system in a first orientation and for dispatching the computer system in a second orientation.
[0036] A principal advantage of this embodiment is that the new consolidating manufacturing assembly work cell provides automation, furniture, fixtures and intelligent controls which physically consolidate the steps of the transformation process (i.e., hassis prep. mother board prep, assembly. EMYR,burn, test and boxing).
[0037] The new consolidated manufacturing assembly work cell provides a streamlined process, furniture, fixtures, automation and intelligent controls which physically consolidate the steps of the transformation process (i.e., chassis prep. mother board prep, assembly, ENIR. burn, test and boxing). Clearly, this consolidated work cell and process are quite different from prior manufacturing facilities in which the assembly/EMR/burn/test/box steps are carried out in physically separate areas. The consolidation provides numerous current advantages, as well as provide for future adaptability and scalability.
[0038] The consolidated assembly cell of the present disclosure also strengthens existing Continuous Flow Manufacturing. For example, the consolidated manufacturing assembly cell provides on the order of approximately four times (4×) productivity impact over the prior manufacturing line process. Throughput on the order of 1050 units per hour are believed possible for a typical line. An improvement on the order of approximately 250% gain in labor efficiency is estimated, in which a previous ratio on the order of 2.3 units/hr/employee is compared to a new ratio on the order of 5.8 units/hr/employee. Furthermore, the present embodiments provide a four times (4×) improvement in factory floor space utilization. i.e., in terms of units per hour per square foot (units/hr./sq.ft.).
[0039] The present embodiments also support a one team/one unit build process. The consolidated assembly cell includes a modular design which greatly simplifies future build-to-order factory expansion and/or reduction requirements. The consolidated assembly cell further provides for improved team communication. The manufacturing process which includes the consolidated assembly cell also facilitates order purity (i.e. customer orders are able to be built and tested and shipped collectively).
[0040] The consolidated assembly cell and manufacturing process still further provide for improved ergonomics, for instance, by the elimination of manual material handling carts. The need for a separate burn area distal from the assembly area is also eliminated. Accordingly, an improved flexibility in the build-to-order manufacturing of custom configured computer systems is accomplished. The use of overhead material delivery dramatically improves flow and clears previously obstructed or occupied floor space. In addition, the present embodiments enable fact response to manufacturing problems/quality control issues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] [0041]FIG. 1 illustrates a flow diagram view of a computer system build-to-order manufacturing process.
[0042] [0042]FIG. 2 is a plan view of various portions of a distributed manufacturing line in the manufacture of build-to-order computer.
[0043] [0043]FIG. 3 is a plan view layout of the various portions of the distributed manufacturing line of FIG. 2.
[0044] [0044]FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system that the present disclosure can build-to-order.
[0045] [0045]FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram view of a computer system build-to-order manufacturing process including use of a consolidated manufacturing cell according to the present disclosure.
[0046] [0046]FIG. 6 is a plan view layout of the manufacturing process according to the present disclosure.
[0047] [0047]FIG. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the layout of FIG. 6, enlarged to show greater detail.
[0048] FIG 8 is a plan view of a consolidated manufacturing cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
[0049] [0049]FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the consolidated manufacturing cell in further detail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0050] The present disclosure can be described with the examples given below. It is understood, however, that the examples below are not necessarily limitations to the present disclosure, but are used to describe typical embodiments of operation.
[0051] First, in order to provide a foundation to better describe the preferred embodiment of the invention, a typical computer system will be described. Referring briefly to FIG. 4, a system block diagram of a computer system 10 is shown having features thereof configured in accordance to a customer configured computer system order. The computer system 70 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 72 , input/output (I/O) devices, such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and associated controllers and collectively designated by a reference numeral 74 , at least one hard disk drive 76 , and other storage devices, which may include a floppy disk drive or a CD-ROM drive, and the like, are collectively designated by a reference numeral 86 . Various other subsystems, such as a network interface card (NIC), are collectively designated by a reference numeral 84 . Computer system 70 further includes memory 80 , such as random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). The various components are interconnected via one or more buses, shown collectively as a bus 82 . Computer system 70 further includes a SCSI (small computer system interface) controller 78 or other suitable interface (e.g., IDE, etc.) coupled between the CPU 72 and the at least one hard disk drive 76 . For instance, the SCSI controller 78 and at least one hard disk drive 76 may form a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID). The computer system described in FIG. 4 is typical of the type of computer hardware that may be ordered by a customer.
[0052] [0052]FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram view of a computer system build-to-order manufacturing process including use of a consolidated manufacturing cell according to the present disclosure. According to an embodiment of the invention, a customer order is taken in step 60 . The material preparation happens in step 62 . The assembly, burn and test, including FCC testing, the wipedown and boxing of the BTO computer system all happens in step 64 . The computer system then gets direct shipped in step 66 . The customer receipt of the computer system is the last step 68 .
[0053] [0053]FIG. 6 is a plan view layout of the manufacturing process according to the present disclosure. The layout is broken up into a Material Preparation area 90 , a Transformation Process area 92 , and a Direct Ship area 94 . The process is also controlled by a central controller 96 .
[0054] [0054]FIG. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the layout of FIG. 6, enlarged to show greater detail of the Material Preparation area 90 and the Transformation Process area 92 . Operators 110 are surrounded by vertical carousels 100 , box erectors 102 , A frame 104 , conveyor belts 106 , overhead conveyors 107 , chassis units 108 , hold shelving 109 and work tables 111 . In addition, consolidated assembly cells 112 are depicted in the transformation area along with the conveyers 106 and the overhead conveyers 107 . Each element will be explained in further detail later in the text.
[0055] [0055]FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an exemplary consolidated manufacturing cell 112 in further detail. First the overhead conveyor 107 would be used to bring a computer system 113 to the consolidated cell 112 . The overhead lift system 114 would deliver the computer system 113 from the overhead conveyor 107 . The computer system chassis 115 is brought in a tote 115 within a tray 116 to the cell work table and burn station 117 . Additionally, pop-up balls 150 are placed on the cell work table to facilitate movement of the computer system 113 . Furthermore, the pop-up balls 150 can be easily activated by a foot lever (not shown). The work table and burn station 117 includes twenty four burn slots 118 and AC power 119 and communication access 119 for downloading software. The central tote lift 120 moves computer on trays into the twenty four burn slots The tore lift 120 can rotate up to 360°. The work table 117 also includes flat screen displays 121 for monitoring and controlling the burn slots and other functions of the consolidated cell 112 . The work table also includes a screwdriver 122 for assisting an operator at the work table 117 The overhead box chute 123 delivers boxes to the operator, while spring stops 124 on the overhead box chute 123 keep the boxes in place until the operator is ready to use them. In addition, a vacu-hoist (not shown) lifts computers into the box when the operator is ready to package them. The conveyor 106 takes finished computer systems to the direct shipping area (not shown).
[0056] Now, for ease of reading the description, the rest of the text break up the embodiments into specific phases of the improved manufacturing process and refer back to FIGS. 7 - 8 to describe the elements in each figure.
[0057] Kitting Process
[0058] All incoming material is delivered through dock doors proximate a kitting area (material preparation area 90 ). The material is loaded directly into material prep equipment. Three types of material prep equipment are utilized in the preferred embodiment, including flow racks (not shown), vertical carousels 100 , and automated dispensing systems (not shown) which are known in the art. Flow racks can store any type of material. However, flow racks are best suited for high volume, odd shaped, sensitive parts. Vertical carousels 100 save floor space and are best suited for medium volume, odd shaped, sensitive parts. Automated dispensing systems reduce labor requirements and are best suited for high volume parts, that are consistent in both shape and weight, and are not sensitive to automated material handling.
[0059] Operators pick prescribed parts from the flow racks/carousel and place the parts in a tote according to the requirements of a given computer order. Parts are scanned prior to being placed in the tote, to prevent “Missing and Wrong” manufacturing process errors. The tote is positioned proximate an operator, on a manual slide, to facilitate part picking ergonomics. Operators work on one tote at a time, to reduce the chances for “Missing and Wrong” errors.
[0060] In the case of the automated dispenser, a tote traveis on a small conveyor, and the automated dispenser machine delivers the appropriate materials into the tote. At the end of the kitting process, the tote is delivered to the consolidated manufacturing assembly cells via an overhead conveyor system 107 . A suitable material management software program is responsible for tracking inventory levels, and notifying the vendor, when supplies are required for replenishment of parts and materials.
[0061] Assembly Cell Process
[0062] The consolidated manufacturing assembly cell 112 is responsible for the following operations, which include: chassis/mother board prep, assembly, test/burn, EMR, wipe-down, and boxing and is generally denoted as the transformation area 92 in FIG. 7 (and shown in detail in FIG. 9).
[0063] The assembly cell substantially includes all of the necessary tools and test equipment to perform a transformation process. Workspace, tool placement, test equipment, and material delivery for the assembly cell are all optimized to facilitate operator ergonomics and streamline the BTO computer build process.
[0064] Substantially all assembly materials needed for a given computer system assembly, are delivered to a consolidated manufacturing cell 112 , via an overhead conveyor system 107 , substantially in synchronization of when they are needed in the process. After each computer system unit is assembled, each unit is automatically routed to a local burn process step area ( 118 of FIG. 8) of the consolidated manufacturing cell.
[0065] The burn process step area utilizes hot-pallet technology such as known in the art. The hot-pallet technology eliminates the need for repeated plug and unplug of the computer cabling for the burn process step test. A low cost, intelligent material handling system is incorporated into the burn process step area. The material handling system allows for an automatic loading and unloading of computer systems on a first-in first-out (FIFO) basis. The “local” burn process step area facilitates order purity, and reduces idle work in progress (TIP), and unduly long travel times. The local burn process step area also facilitates hard drive software download, which is a benefit to the consolidated manufacturing cell design.
[0066] With the manufacturing process of the present disclosure, EMR technicians are a shared resource. EMR technicians are called by an assembly cell as needed to assist with failed computer system units that require advanced skills or special test equipment. By having failed computer system units remain primarily at the assembly cell, operators get direct feedback on any assembly errors, and can furthermore learn from any of the operator's mistakes. Portable EMR carts (not shown) are available for transporting special test equipment and replacement parts to an assembly cell.
[0067] After burn process step testing, computer systems are automatically routed back into the operator area of the assembly cell. At this time, a suitable message signal or call is placed to the kit boxing portion of kitting, for a corresponding shipping box 125 to be built and delivered to the consolidated manufacturing assembly cell 112 . While a box 125 is being built and delivered, the given computer system is FCC tested, inspected, and wiped down. More particularly, passed systems get an FCC label, are inspected for cosmetic defects, and then wiped down. Substantially by the time these latter steps are completed for a given computer system, the corresponding shipping box arrives 125 via an overhead conveyor 107 . An operator positions the shipping box 125 upon a table top of the assembly cell, and removes documentation contents. The operator then uses a Vacu-hoist (not shown) or other suitable lifting tool to load the finished product (i.e., computer system) into the shipping box 125 . The documentation contents are then placed back into the shipping box 125 . A ground conveyor system 106 transports the finished computer system in its shipping box 125 to a taping machine (not shown). The taping machine seals the shipping box 125 and thereafter the ground conveyor system 106 transports the sealed shipping box to Direct Ship ( 94 shown in FIG. 6).
[0068] Boxing/Documentation Process
[0069] Documentation and shipping material is initially delivered to the factory through one or more dock doors located proximate the kitting area. Upon receipt, the documentation and shipping material is loaded directly into appropriate material prep equipment. Four types of material prep equipment are utilized for documentation and shipping materials. The equipment includes: flow racks (not shown), vertical carousels 100 (referring back to FIG. 7), automated dispensing systems (not shown), and box erectors 102 . Flow racks can store any type of material and are best suited for high volume, odd shaped, sensitive parts. Vertical carousels 100 save floor space and are best suited for medium volume, odd shaped, sensitive parts. Automated dispensing systems reduce labor requirements and are best suited for high volume parts, that are consistent in both shape and weight, and are not sensitive to automated material handling. Box erectors 102 eliminate a manually intensive assembly operation and provide space savings.
[0070] At the start of the boxing/documentation process for a given customer order, a shipping box and a Doc-Box (not shown, but would most likely be a box of suitable size for containing documentation for a given customer order) are constructed in an automated fashion. A Packing Sling is then placed inside the shipping box, to protect the computer during shipping. The shipping box, Doc-Box, and packing sling are then routed, for example, via conveyor, to the documentation area.
[0071] At the documentation area, operators pick shipping box and documentation items and/or parts, according to the requirements of a given customer order from the flow racks/carousel and place the parts in the Doc-Box. The Doc-Box is positioned proximate the operator, on a manual slide, to facilitate part picking ergonomics. Operators work on one Doc-Box at a time, to reduce the chances for missing and wrong. In addition, parts are scanned before being placed in a corresponding box. In the case of the automated dispenser, the automated dispensing machine delivers the required materials onto a small tote or bin. When finished, an operator empties the small tote or bin contents into the Doc-Box, and returns the bin to he automated dispensing machine. At the end of the boxing/documentation line, a shipping label corresponding to a given customer order currently being filled is automatically applied to the shipping box. When the Doc-Box is filled, it is placed inside the shipping box ( 125 of FIG. 8). The shipping box 125 is then delivered to its respective requesting assembly cell via an overhead conveyor system 107 i. With respect to the boxing/documentation area, a suitable material management software program tracks inventory levels, and notifies the appropriate vendor when replenishment supplies are required or needed.
[0072] As represented by FIG. 9, the present embodiments advantageously provide a work cell and process for physically consolidating the transformation process of a computer system, including motherboard preparation 125 , chassis preparation (not shown), assembly 126 , EMR 128 , burn 130 , test 132 and boxing 134 during manufacturing of the same into one work area.
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A system and method of manufacturing of computing devices. The system and method advantageously provide a work cell and process for physically consolidating the transformation process of a computer system (motherboard prep, chassis prep, assembly, EMR, burn, test and boxing) during manufacturing of the same in one work area. The new consolidating manufacturing assembly work cell provides a streamlined process, automation, furniture, fixtures and intelligent controls which physically consolidate the steps of the transformation process. The work cell includes a new combination of equipment for: (1) Material Handling, (2) performing the assembly steps, (3) detecting and repairing electrical and mechanical problems, and (4) performing burn and test. Further, the integration of the transformation process into one consolidated work cell for the manufacture of computer systems enables a new and more versatile manufacturing process. Accordingly, these transformation process steps can be carried out by the same operator/team without having to move a computer system being manufactured to various different parts of the factory during its transformation.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A method and system for depleting plant nutrient compounds in open bodies of water by cultivating aquatic plants in a container placed in the body of water. The invention is directed primarily to maintaining high quality fresh water; however, the method and device described herein could be fashioned to effectively maintain other waters such as marsh water and sea water in its natural state.
The depletion of plant nutrients in a controlled fashion permits water quality to be maintained. Desired quality water standards are defined for lake water as potable water able to support sport fish and other organisms with relatively low amounts of aquatic plant growth. Maintenance of these parameters is dependent upon the control of bio-available nutrients that would otherwise support undesired plant growth.
The quality of lake waters is dependent on the availability and utilization of nutrient compounds such as nitrates and phosphates. If aquatic vegetation is allowed to become established, the absorption of nutrients by plant life strips these materials from the water. A satisfactory level of water quality is maintained so long as the population of aquatic plants is healthy and growth is controlled by a limited supply of nutrients. Where the nutrient levels are excessively high due to natural causes, man-made causes or both, the vegetation progressively continues to grow until the surface waters are covered, and thus the uses of the lake are reduced. Swimming and boating activities become limited.
Progressive vegetation leads to two repercussions. One, the aquatic plants will grow to the point that dissolved oxygen levels, just prior to sun up, will be below 4 ppm and the plants will begin to die. Two, the need to clear them from the surface will sponsor the use of herbicides.
In both cases, the same nutrients that these plants stripped from the water will now begin to reenter the water available for the remaining plants or, and much more likely, for algae.
The lake waters will now possess a new abundance of nutrient compounds. The availability of these nutrients will sponsor the growth of whatever aquatic plant or algae that can consume them most rapidly.
The species that will be capable of utilizing these nutrients most effectively are the phytoplanktons. These very small organisms are generally single cell or colonies of independent cells that can double their biomass in as little as 72 hours. Their populations are dense and of a nature that produces the "pea soup" appearance of a lake. They are capable of blocking light penetration and thus the death of all aquatic plants that existed prior to the algae bloom.
From this point forward, no large aquatic plants will survive and the dominant "pea soup" algaes will retain control of the ecosystem. The lake waters will no longer support anything more than minimal fish life. The potential recreational uses of the lake are reduced further from those available prior to the elimination of the large aquatic plants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a environmentally safe, non-chemical method for depleting plant nutrient compounds in open bodies of water by cultivating aquatic plants in a system for containing and cultivating aquatic plants. The system comprises an aquatic plant support, a phyto-compatible envelope surrounding the support surface and flotation means appended to the device for providing sufficient buoyancy to maintain the container within a photic zone of the water. The device is not limited to any specific aquatic plant with the use of Ceratophyllum demersum being preferred. The advantage of the method is that nutrient depletion will control undesirable eutrophication of the water and prevent contamination of the system with the plant being used for depletion.
By following the described methods and using the devices disclosed herein, one can effect positive control over the rate of growth of aquatic plant life. Positive control is effected by a reduction of plant nutrients through a controlled aquatic population capable of consuming nutrients adequately enough to prevent the growth of phytoplankton algaes, but without allowing the controlled aquatic population from overtaking the lake waters and start the cycle over again.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is an overall view of the container made according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is overhead view of the plant support grate with flotation means attached to each corner 11.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of Ceratophyllum demersum.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
This invention provides for an aquatic plant support system for cultivating aquatic plants.
Referring now to FIG. 1, the system 2 includes an aquatic plant support 4 of plastic grated material which is capable of maintaining a plant 6 in position to maximize exposure to the sunlight in water 8. The aquatic plant support 4 may be solid instead of grated and is preferably made of light weight and rot resistant material such as plastic.
The plant support 4 is surrounded by a phytocompatible envelope 10 of plastic mesh such as is commercially available from TWP Co. of Berkeley, Calif. 94710 (polyethylene plastic netting). The phyto-compatible envelope 10 must be permeable to light, air and water. Specifically the envelope 10 should permit adequate light to reach the plant inside and permit fluid communication with the lake to allow for adequate growth of the plant inside. The envelope is preferably a transparent plastic mesh that has a netting size sufficient to contain the reproductive or propagative parts of the plant material therein. In the preferred embodiment the overall envelope is in a pillow shape around the plant support. However the mesh need not enclose the entire support so long as the plant is fully contained within the envelope. For example, a tent like enclosure domed over the plant support would represent an operable alternative for use in this invention.
System 2 must have an overall buoyancy that permits the device to position the plants within the photic zone. The photic zone is that region of the lake water that is sufficiently transparent to sunlight that maximal growth of aquatic plants will occur. To achieve this, floats 12 are attached to system 2.
The floats 12 are not limited to the foam elements of the preferred embodiment described as system 2. Suitable means include materials or devices having a specific gravity below 1.0 and include hollow devices and closed cell foam, e.g. styrofoam. The illustrated floats could be replaced by any means for maintaining the system 2 within the photic zone. Depending upon the specific gravity of the material, the plant support 4 and envelope 10, floats may be replaced with materials having a specific gravity in excess of 1.0.
In lieu of floats 12 and weights 14, system 2 could be suspended externally from a stationary point above the water. Flotation means can be attached either directly to support 4 as in the preferred embodiment or indirectly through a line tied to any point of the support. It is preferred that the floats are attached to the plant support but designs in which the flotation means are attached to the envelope should be readily apparent to those of skill.
System 2 also includes four weights 14 suspended from each corner 11 of the floats 12 by lines 16 to secure system 2 from being horizontally free floating about water 8.
System 2 can be designed as either a free floating container or preferably as a container secured to a single situs in the body of water. Means for securing or retaining system 2 are not limited to the arrangement of weights 14 and lines 16 offeed in FIG. 1. Optional securing means can be attached to either the envelope, flotation means or plant support and are preferably a line for tying the container to a stationary point or to an anchor of material with a specific gravity in substantial excess of 1.0 such as stainless steel. Toxic heavy metals such as lead are not preferred but are functional equivalents for weights. In the preferred embodiment non-degradable nylon or plastic lines 16 secure the device to a multiplicity of anchors. By varying the length of the lines 16, one can use the device in a variety of water depths while retaining the necessary position of the envelope within the photic zone.
Plants 6 useful for nutrient absorption are numerous and specific choices of species will depend upon the lake conditions. Rootless plant species are preferred because the uptake from the water is typically faster for such plants than for rooting aquatic plants such as hyacinth. More preferred are rootless aquatic plant species with large propagating material such that escape of propagation material is minimized. Preferred genera are Certatophyllum sps. and preferred species are C. demersum and C. echinatum. C. demersum is rootless, will grow under a wide variety of conditions and has propagating buds of various sizes but none are smaller than about 1/16th of an inch. The envelope mesh size must be sufficiently small to contain the buds of demersum or other plant selected for use in this device.
The following example is provided for general illustration and not by way of limitation. Those of skill will readily perceive variations needed to optimize the described invention for different lake, pond and other water body conditions.
To estimate the quantity of Ceratophyllum needed to control aquatic plant life, one would use the following approach. If under a given set of conditions a phytoplankton algal species can double their biomass in 72 hours and Ceratophyllum, under the same conditions can double its biomass in 15 days, then an adequate quantity of Ceratophyllum must exist so that in 72 hours its increased biomass will be greater than that capable of being produced by a doubling of the existing phytoplankton biomass.
This relationship is important only for a brief period initially and, thereafter, only when a nutrient slug is inadvertently allowed to enter the water.
The initial process of introduction of the envelopes involves placing a minimal number in a lake infested with planktonic algaes. Secchi Disk readings a device used to determine visible light penetration are taken. If the Secchi disk reading is 2 feet, then the envelopes are placed no lower than 2 feet from the surface of the lake waters.
In addition, the PO 4 -P levels are monitored for any major fluctuations, as are NO 3 -N. Phosphate and nitrate assay tests are commercially available from numerous sources. The preferred assay methods are based upon those provided for in the current "Standard Methods," a publication available from the American Publ. Health Association, 1015 18th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.
The Ceratophyllum is allowed to grow at its maximum rate consuming all available nutrient compounds. The decrease in planktonic algal species growth is monitored by use of a Chlorophyll "A" test (see "Standard Methods") that measures indirectly the concentration of phytoplankton populations. The Ceratophyllum population or the number of envelopes is increased to accelerate the drop or decelerate the drop in the Chlorophyll "A" concentrations. In addition, the changes in PO 4 -P and NO 3 -N are also monitored to determine if influxes of nutrient compounds are influencing the population of phytoplankton.
The rate of growth of Ceratophyllum eventually matches any potential growth rates of phytoplankton. Blooms are no longer possible and the goal is now simply to drop nutrient concentrations to the point of virtual elimination of phytoplankton above that needed to maintain adequate zooplankton populations.
The size of the envelope varies according to the size of the lake and the economics of scale. In large lakes, the envelope size may be dictated by the ease of transportation. For ease of handling and for use in small ponds, a preferred envelope size is about 24 inches by 30 inches. For large lakes, the size of a envelope could be about 8 feet by 10 feet or larger such that flat bed trucks and cranes to off-load the envelope into a lake would be needed to handle the systems.
Maintenance procedures, from that point forward, are simply to adequately monitor the nutrient concentrations in lake waters and eliminate any source of sudden nutrient spikes.
The envelopes are routinely brought to the surface, checked for available space and area for growth. Once full, they are harvested or replaced with another envelope with abundant available material.
Modification and variation of the disclosed embodiment can be achieved without departing from the subject of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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A non-chemical method and system for depleting plant nutrient compounds in open bodies of water by cultivating aquatic plants in a container placed in the body of water. The container comprises an aquatic plant support, a phyto-compatible envelope surrounding the support surface and flotation means appended to the system for providing sufficient buoyancy to maintain the container within the photic zone. The system is not limited to any specific aquatic plant with the use of Ceratophyllum demersum being preferred for fresh water. The method and system are advantageous because they permit environmentally safe control of undesirable eutrophication of the water and prevent contamination of the system with the plant being used for depletion.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/EP2009/058088, entitled “BAR ARRANGEMENT FOR A MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A FIBROUS WEB”, filed Jun. 29, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bar arrangement for a machine for the production of a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard or tissue web, which extends transversely to the machine direction and which comprises at least one fixed structure which is mounted directly or indirectly to a frame of the machine; at least one movable bar which is connected preferably indirectly with the fixed structure, relative to which it is preferably movable by means of a controllable/adjustable actuation device, at least between an inoperative position and an operating position in which the movable bar can be pressed against an element by means of a selectable contact force; and at least one fixed guide device which is mounted rigidly on the fixed structure or directly or indirectly on the frame of the machine and which has a guiding effect upon the movable bar and which includes several fixed c-shaped guide units located at a distance from each other, which surround the movable bar on one side in its lower area, at least in sections, with at least one fixed guide arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention further relates to a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web and a machine for the production of a fibrous web. The fibrous web can in particular be a paper, cardboard or tissue web.
A bar arrangement of this type is known for example from the German disclosure document DE 40 19 884 A1. The movable bar described in this document is a forming bar and the element is a forming wire located in the area of a twin wire zone in a twin wire section. This bar arrangement comprises a fixed guide arrangement which guides the movable bar, especially the forming bar and which includes several fixed c-shaped guide units located at a distance from each other, which surround the movable bar, especially the forming bar on one side in its lower area, at least in sections, with at least one fixed guide arm.
The movable bar, in particular the forming bar disclosed in the aforementioned documentation serves among other uses to scrape away and remove water from an element, particularly a forming wire shortly after the start of the sheet formation process in a machine for the production of a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard or tissue web. In addition it exerts an impulse upon the fiber/water suspension in order to thereby exercise targeted influence on the sheet characteristics. In its operating position the movable bar, in particular the forming bar is for this purpose positioned and preferably pressed against the element at a controlled, or respectively adjusted selectable contact force. The positioning and lastly the pressing contact of the movable bar, particularly the forming bar, preferably the lifting movement of the movable bar, particularly the forming bar is generally conducted by an actuation device, especially by one or two tubes which are filled with a gaseous or liquid medium and which move the movable bar, particularly the forming bar forward into the operating position.
For maintenance purposes, for example replacement of the element, especially wire replacement or its own replacement, the movable bar, particularly the forming bar must be capable of being pulled back from the element, particularly from the forming wire and capable of being brought into an inoperative- or servicing position. Generally this occurs through deactivation of the actuation device and the effect of gravitation upon the movable bar, particularly the forming bar. Due, for example to the effects of frictional forces and/or contamination in the guide areas of the bar arrangement, and a possible unfavorable installation position of the bar arrangement it cannot always be assured that the movable bar, particularly the forming bar can be pulled back from the element, particularly the forming wire into the inoperative- or servicing position in a process-reliable and reproducible manner.
In addition, the friction between the guide surfaces of the lateral guides and the movable bar, particularly the forming bar causes said bar—not only at a slightly slanted installation position to not always be pulled back reliably from the element, particularly the forming wire through gravitation when discharging the medium from the actuation device.
What is needed in the art is to further develop a bar arrangement of the type referred to at the beginning so that the known disadvantages of the state of the art are largely, preferably completely removed. In particular, a process-reliable, reproducible and preferably cost effective retraction of the movable bar should be possible, particularly also during operation of the machine for the production of a fibrous web.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides, regarding a bar arrangement of the type referred to at the beginning, at least one return mechanism to bring the movable bar from the operating position into the inoperative position, whereby the at least one return mechanism comprises at least one guided part which is located on the outside and longitudinally on the movable bar and has a slanted ascending surface whose slant is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the movable bar at an angle below the range of 5 to 60°, preferably of 20 to 45°, especially of 25 to 35°; at least one guiding part located on the inside of the c-shaped guide unit which has preferably a slanted guide surface which can be brought into contact with the slanted ascending surface of the guided part which is provided on the outside and longitudinally on the movable bar, when the movable bar is moved from the operating position into the inoperative position; and at least one preferably controllable/adjustable moving apparatus which preferably acts upon the face side of the movable bar in order to move the movable bar in its longitudinal direction.
The inventive bar arrangement with the described return mechanism totally removes the disadvantages of the current state of the art known to the expert. Also, the prerequisites are provided for a process-reliable, reproducible and cost-effective return of the movable bar, especially also during the operation of the machine for the production of a fibrous web.
The described return mechanism with the two conspiring parts and the moving apparatus causes a forced return of the movable bar from its operating position into its inoperative position.
The slant of the slanted ascending surface should be as level as possible in order to be able to keep the required return forces small. However, this necessitates a long lateral displacement path of the movable bar. This requirement is best met by the cited angle ranges for the slant.
In a first preferred embodiment the guided part with the slanted ascending surface which is located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar is at least a single-part plate which is connected detachably with the movable bar, especially screwed down or non-detachably, especially glued.
Because of the possible detachability of the at least single-part plate, simple replacement of same, for example due to wear and tear, is simple, fast and cost-effective. The plate may of course also be a multipart component. The plate may for example include a plate base body and an ascending surface body which may consist of a material having special gliding properties. The two bodies can be connected with each other by means, for example, of at least one screw, or glue or similar type connection.
In a second preferred embodiment the guided part with the slanted ascending surface which is located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar is machined, preferably milled, or non-machined, preferably formed into the movable bar. This causes a solid connection with the movable bar, has however the disadvantage that the slant can only be conditionally changed retrospectively. Since the movable bar, especially its support bar, is manufactured from glass fiber reinforced synthetic material (pultrusion profile) the glass fibers which are mostly oriented in longitudinal direction are nicked during milling. These cut surfaces must then be sealed against possible water penetration. The gliding contact between slant and guide arm therefore occurs above the sensitive seal.
With both preferred embodiments the guided part with the slanted ascending surface which is located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar can be located in a groove extending in longitudinal direction of the movable bar. The groove has a depth which is equal or approximately equal to, especially slightly smaller than, the part height. Also, the groove may extend along the entire length of the movable bar. The advantage of this solution is that the groove in which the plates are fastened can be produced with an appropriately shaped tool directly during the manufacture of the bar. Therefore, no expensive milling work is involved, and sealing of cut edges is not necessary. In addition, the plate can be quickly changed out when worn, or if changes occur.
In addition, the slanted ascending surface of the part located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar consists advantageously of a material which has good gliding properties. This material can have a friction coefficient μ≦0.3, preferably ≦0.2, especially ≦0.15. The part with the slanted ascending surface located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar can be a separate part mounted on the movable bar, or an integral part of the movable bar.
And the guiding part with the preferably slanted guiding surface located on the inside of the c-shaped guide unit is arranged preferably on a fixed guide arm. Here the preferred slant of the guiding surface on the fixed guide arm can be aligned to the longitudinal direction of the movable bar at an angle in the range of less than 5 to 60°, preferably 20 to 45°, especially 25 to 35°. This allows for a simple and inexpensive construction with good operational properties. Usefully, the angle assumes a lower value at the slant of the guiding surface than at the ascending surface of the part.
Here it is advantageous if the one fixed guide arm of the c-shaped guide unit which preferably has a slanted guide surface is shorter than the at least one other fixed guide arm of the c-shaped guide unit which is located opposite of the movable bar. This dimension can be in the range of 5 to 50 mm, preferably 10 to 40 mm, especially 20 to 30 mm.
The bar arrangement further has an ascending side where the element moves onto the movable bar and a descending side where the element moves off the movable bar.
The at least one return mechanism to bring the movable bar from the operating position into the inoperative position in this instance is arranged preferably at the ascending side of the movable bar. The fixed guide arm which is located on the descending side of the movable bar can therefore be longer, thereby achieving more efficient guiding of the movable bar, especially in regard to tipping stability.
In regard to an operationally appropriate design of the bar arrangement several return mechanisms are preferably provided to return the movable bar from the operating position into the inoperative position whereby they are arranged uniformly, preferably at even repeats of the c-shaped guide units, or at random. They may for example be located at each, every second, every third or even on every fourth c-shaped guide unit. As already mentioned they may of course also be arranged at random or possibly in a pattern.
In addition, the movable bar which includes an upper top bar which guides the element and a bottom support bar is equipped at the bottom side in the area of its support bar with several slots which are located preferably at equal distances from each other. This provides for a less rigid embodiment of the movable bar with the result that it can better conform transversely against the element.
The single moving apparatus ideally includes at least one drive unit with preferably a linear moving direction—for example a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a linear motor, a crank mechanism or similar device. Drive units of this type have proven themselves many times in similar applications and sufficiently meet the requirements presented to them. The moving apparatus influencing the movable bar acts preferably on the front side of the movable bar; it could obviously also be located along the movable bar and act upon it directly or indirectly.
In a preferred embodiment the actuation device includes at least one tube, filled with a liquid or gaseous medium, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a V-drive, an eccentric, or another similar lifting element. Particularly a tube filled with a gaseous medium has already proven itself in other similar applications, especially in regard to the functional reliability.
The inventive bar arrangement can also be part of a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard or tissue web. Here, like bar arrangements are provided which are located parallel to each other and extend transversely to the machine direction; in other words they are identical in design. In addition, each movable bar which comprises an upper top bar which guides the element and a bottom support bar is equipped at the bottom side in the area of its support bar with several slots which are located preferably at equal distances from each other. Two directly adjacent and movable bars are arranged parallel to each other so that, in the operating position of the movable bar their respective slots are offset against each other, preferably center offset so that markings in the fibrous web which is to be produced are largely avoided. If they would not be offset with each other then the same rigid areas of the bars in machine direction would be positioned aligned with each other. This could result in markings in the fibrous web which is to be produced.
However, with the described wire section the problem arises that for the first, third, etc., and the second, fourth, etc. movable bar theoretically different movable bars must be used so that the slots are arranged offset to each other. If the same movable bars were to be used and were only to be offset laterally without further measures then the actuation device—viewed from the center of the wire section—would act upon different lengths. The edge areas would therefore be processed with varying forces which could again have a negative effect upon the achievable quality of the fibrous web which is to be produced. In order to alleviate this, the individual movable bar is now equipped on the bottom side in its offset area with regard to its at least one directly adjacent and movable bar with at least one filler piece located on the support bar. Viewed in machine direction the filler piece is located left on a movable bar and on the right on the next movable bar so that—viewed from the center of the wire section—always the same width X is used on the movable bars. The lateral projection of the movable bars to one side is irrelevant since it is outside the element. In this way the same base bar, in other words bars of identical design can be used for all movable bars within one wire section. On changeover of movable bars possibly only the filler pieces need to be moved from left to right or respectively from right to left. According to this solution the movable bars can be produced more cost effectively due to the larger number of same parts that are being produced. Moreover, fewer spare bars are required since there are not two different bar variations.
The inventive bar arrangement is suited ideally for use in a machine for the production of a fibrous web, particularly a paper, cardboard or tissue web. Also a wire section which utilizes the inventive bar arrangement is ideally suited for use in a machine for the production of a fibrous web, particularly a paper, cardboard or tissue web.
In the field of paper industry, especially in the area of paper manufacturing and converting there are several corresponding design forms for the movable bar and the element. The movable bar may be a forming bar or a dewatering bar which consists at least of a top bar which is in contact with the element and a support bar which is rigidly connected with the top bar. The element may be a forming wire in a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. The movable bar may also be an oil scraper bar and the element may be a press roll in a press section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. And lastly, but not finally, the movable bar may be a scraper and the element may be a roll or a cylinder in a wire-, press- or drying section of a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a bar arrangement for a machine for the production of a fibrous web according to the current state of the art;
FIG. 2A is a schematic partial longitudinal view of one design form of an inventive bar arrangement for a machine for the production of a fibrous web in one operating position;
FIG. 2B is the inventive bar arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2A for a machine for the production of a fibrous web in an inoperative position;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the movable bar of the inventive bar arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B for a machine for the production of a fibrous web;
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross sectional view of the c-shaped guide unit of the inventive bar arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B for a machine for the production of a fibrous web;
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the c-shaped guide units of the inventive bar arrangement illustrated in FIG. 4 for a machine for the production of a fibrous web; and
FIG. 6 shows two adjacently located bar arrangements of a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 , there is shown a schematic cross sectional view of a bar arrangement 1 for a machine for the production of a fibrous web which is not illustrated in further detail in this drawing. The fibrous web may in particular be a paper, cardboard or tissue web.
Bar arrangement 1 extends transversely to machine direction M (arrow) and includes a fixed structure 2 which is mounted directly or indirectly to a machine frame 3 (which is merely indicated). It also includes a movable bar 4 which is connected indirectly with fixed structure 2 and is movable in reference to this by preferably a controllable/adjustable operating device 5 at least between a depicted operating position Y in which movable bar 4 can be pressed against an element 6 by means of a selectable contact force F (arrow) and an inoperative position Z which is not shown but which is known to the expert. Inoperative position Z can here be consistent with the servicing position in which service and replacement work of any kind can be conducted on bar arrangement 1 .
Bar arrangement 1 also includes a fixed guide unit 7 which—in the illustrated design—is rigidly mounted on fixed structure 2 or, in a design which is not illustrated here, is mounted directly or indirectly on machine frame 3 and exerts a guiding effect upon movable bar 4 .
The illustrated bar arrangement 1 includes, merely as an example, a forming bar or dewatering bar 8 as the movable bar 4 which consists at least of one top bar 9 which contacts element 6 and a support bar 10 which is rigidly connected with top bar 9 . And, element 6 is a forming wire 6 . 1 in a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. Normally a fibrous stock suspension which is not shown here would be present on element 6 which here is in the embodiment of forming wire 6 . 1 . In additional design variations which are not explicitly shown here but which are known to the expert, movable bar 4 may also be in the embodiment of an oil scraper bar and the element may be a press roll in a press section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. In addition, movable bar 4 may also be a scraper and the element may be a roll or a cylinder in a wire-, press- or drying section of a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
In the illustrated design variation, actuation device 5 is a tube 5 . 1 filled with a liquid or gaseous medium 11 which, on the bottom side and at least in regions, is guided laterally in a shell 12 . It may however also be an already known pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a V-drive, an eccentric or another similar lifting element.
Fixed guiding device 7 includes several fixed c-shaped guide units 13 which are located at distances from each other and which surround movable bar 4 at least partially in its lower area on one side with respectively one fixed guide arm 14 . 1 , 14 . 2 and which, through guide surfaces 14 . 11 , 14 . 12 , 14 . 21 and 14 . 22 , exert the guiding effect upon movable bar 4 . The four illustrated guide surfaces 14 . 11 , 14 . 12 , 14 . 21 and 14 . 22 are emphasized on the drawing.
Bar arrangement 1 with movable bar 4 has an ascending side S. 1 on which element 6 runs onto movable bar 4 , and a descending side S. 2 on which element 6 runs off movable bar 4 .
FIG. 2A shows a schematic partial longitudinal view of one design variation of an inventive bar arrangement 1 for a machine for the production of a fibrous web in an operating position Y. The ascending side S. 1 of bar arrangement 1 is shown.
This bar arrangement 1 extends transversely to machine direction M (arrow) and includes a fixed structure 2 which is mounted directly or indirectly on a machine frame 3 which is merely indicated here. It also includes a movable bar 4 which is connected indirectly with the fixed structure 2 and is movable in reference to this by preferably a controllable/adjustable actuation device 5 at least between a depicted operating position Y in which the movable bar 4 can be pressed against an element 6 by means of a selectable contact force F (arrow) and an inoperative position Z (compare FIG. 2B ) which is not shown but which is known to the expert. Inoperative position Z can here be consistent with the servicing position in which service and replacement work of any kind can be conducted on the bar arrangement 1 .
Bar arrangement 1 also includes a fixed guide unit 7 which, in the illustrated design, is rigidly mounted on the fixed structure 2 or, in the design which is not illustrated here, is mounted directly or indirectly on machine frame 3 and exerts a guiding effect upon movable bar 4 .
The illustrated bar arrangement 1 includes, merely as an example, a forming bar or dewatering bar 8 as the movable bar 4 which consists at least of one top bar 9 which contacts element 6 and a support bar 10 which is rigidly connected with top bar 9 .
And, element 6 is a forming wire 6 . 1 in a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. Normally a fibrous stock suspension which is not shown here would be present on element 6 which here is in the embodiment of forming wire 6 . 1 . In additional design variations which are not explicitly shown here but which are known to the expert, the movable bar 4 may also be in the embodiment of an oil scraper bar and the element may be a press roll in a press section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. In addition, movable bar 4 may also be a scraper and the element may be a roll or a cylinder in a wire-, press- or drying section of a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
As already known, actuation device 5 is a tube 5 . 1 filled with a liquid or gaseous medium 11 which, on the bottom side and at least in regions, is guided laterally in a shell 12 (compare FIG. 1 ). It may however also be an already known pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a V-drive, an eccentric or another similar lifting element.
The fixed guiding device 7 includes several fixed c-shaped guide units 13 which are located at distances from each other and which surround the movable bar 4 at least partially in its lower area on one side with respectively one fixed guide arm 14 . 1 , 14 . 2 and which, through guide surfaces 14 . 11 , 14 . 12 , 14 . 21 and 14 . 22 (compare FIGS. 4 and 5 ), exert the guiding effect upon movable bar 4 . The four illustrated guide surfaces 14 . 11 , 14 . 12 , 14 . 21 and 14 . 22 are emphasized on the drawing.
Also at least one return mechanism 15 is provided in this bar arrangement 1 in order to move the movable bar 4 from the operating position Y into the inoperative position Z (compare FIG. 2B ). In the illustrated design variation only one component unit 15 . 1 of return mechanism 15 is referenced as an example.
Return mechanism 15 includes several guided parts 16 (compare also FIG. 4 ) which are positioned at a distance from each other and are arranged longitudinally on the outside of movable bar 4 , having respective slanted ascending surfaces 17 whose slant 18 is aligned to the longitudinal direction L (arrow) of the movable bar 4 at less than an angle α in a range of 5 to 60°, preferably 20 to 45°, especially 25 to 35°. The return mechanism 15 further includes several guiding parts 19 (compare FIGS. 4 and 5 ) located at distance from each other on the inside of the single and immediately adjacent c-shaped guide unit 13 and having preferably a slanted guide surface 20 which can be brought into contact with slanted ascending surface 17 of the respectively guided part 16 which is provided on the outside and longitudinally on movable bar 4 when movable bar 4 is moved from operating position Y into inoperative position Z (compare FIG. 2B ). Return mechanism 15 further includes at least one preferably controllable/adjustable moving device 21 which acts upon the face side of movable bar 4 in order to move movable bar 4 in longitudinal direction L (arrow). Moving apparatus 21 is indicated merely schematically by an arrow. As is already known it includes at least one drive unit with preferably a linear moving direction—for example a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a linear motor, a crank mechanism or similar device.
The respective guided part 16 with slanted ascending surface 17 which is located on the outside and longitudinally at movable bar 4 is located in a groove 22 (compare also FIG. 4 ) extending in longitudinal direction L (arrow) of movable bar 4 . In the illustrated design variation groove 22 extends along the entire length of movable bar 4 and has a groove depth 22 .T which is preferably equal or approximately equal to, especially slightly smaller than, the part height 16 .T (compare FIG. 4 ).
FIG. 2B illustrates the inventive bar arrangement 1 for a machine for the production of a fibrous web which is shown in FIG. 2A in an inoperative position Z. Again, element 6 , in particular forming wire 6 . 1 , is merely indicated with a dash-dot-dash line. The ascending side S. 1 of bar arrangement 1 is shown.
Movable bar 4 was moved from the operating position Y (compare FIG. 2A ) into the inoperative position Z by means of the preferably controllable/adjustable moving device 21 which acts upon the face side and serves to move movable bar 4 in its longitudinal direction L (arrow). The several guided parts 16 (compare also FIG. 4 ) which are positioned at a distance from each other and which are located on the outside and longitudinally at movable bar 4 and have a respective slanted ascending surface 17 were brought into contact with the several guiding parts 19 (compare FIGS. 4 and 5 ) which are positioned at a distance from each other and are located inside on the single and immediately adjacent c-shaped guide unit 13 . Based on the contact between parts 16 , 19 and slanted surfaces 17 , possibly in connection with slanted surfaces 20 (compare FIGS. 4 and 5 ), movable bar 4 was moved between the two positions Y, Z and thereby lifted by element 6 .
It can also be seen in the two FIGS. 2A and 2B that in mirror image to parts 16 with the slanted ascending surfaces 17 additional parts 24 with slanted surfaces 25 are provided. These parts 24 with their slanted surfaces 25 essentially serve exclusively to reliably move the movable bar 4 in and out in a machine for the production of a fibrous web. Their presence has no relevance for the current inventive layout of the bar arrangement 1 .
Parts 16 , 19 are advantageously arranged in uniform distribution on the movable bar 4 . The uniform distribution may for example provide a respective distance A in the range of 150 to 1,000 mm, preferably 200 to 750 mm, especially 250 to 500 mm. Naturally they may also be arranged at any repeat c-shaped guide unit 13 , or even at random. Also, the placement of the c-shaped guide units may be uniform or at random. Among other things this would depend upon occurring forces which among other situations also occur through redirecting the water jet scraped off by the element.
In addition, movable bar 4 which includes an upper top bar 9 which guides the element 6 and a bottom support bar 10 is equipped at the bottom side in the area of its support bar 10 with several slots 26 which are located preferably at equal distances B from each other. These slots 26 primarily serve the objective to render support bar 10 and thereby also movable bar 4 more flexible so that it can be pressed more easily against element 6 . In addition, slots 26 extend over at least 25%, preferably at least 50%, of height H of support bar 10 and with regard to physical properties have an optimum cross sectional contour.
In addition, the slanted ascending surface 17 of part 16 which is located on the outside and longitudinally on movable strip 4 consists of a material with good gliding properties. This material can have a friction coefficient μ≦0.3, preferably ≦0.2, especially ≦0.15.
Also, the respective guided part 16 with slanted ascending surface 17 which is located on the outside and longitudinally at the movable bar 4 is at least one single-part plate 23 which is connected detachably by means of an indicated screw connection with movable bar 4 . It can however be connected non-detachably with the movable bar.
Guided part 16 with slanted ascending surface 17 which is located on the outside and longitudinally at movable bar 4 is machined, preferably milled, or non-machined, preferably formed into movable bar 4 . It can therefore also be an integral part of movable bar 4 .
FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective drawing of movable bar 4 of the inventive bar arrangement 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. Ascending side S. 1 of bar arrangement 1 is shown.
Movable bar 4 comprises a top bar 9 and a support bar which is rigidly connected with top bar 9 .
Return mechanism 15 includes several parts 16 which are guided, positioned at a distance from each other and are arranged longitudinally on the outside of movable bar 4 , having respective slanted ascending surfaces 17 whose slant 18 is aligned to the longitudinal direction L (arrow) of movable bar 4 at less than an angle α in a range of 5 to 60°, preferably 20 to 45°, especially 25 to 35°.
The respective guided part 16 with the slanted ascending surface 17 which is located on the outside and longitudinally at movable bar 4 is located in a groove 22 extending in longitudinal direction L (arrow) of movable bar 4 . In the illustrated design variation groove 22 extends along the entire length of movable bar 4 and has a groove depth 22 .T which is preferably equal or approximately equal, especially slightly smaller than the part height 16 .T (compare FIG. 4 )
Parts 16 are advantageously arranged in uniform distribution on movable bar 4 . The uniform distribution may for example provide a respective distance A in the range of 150 to 1,000 mm, preferably 200 to 750 mm, especially 250 to 500 mm.
In addition parts 24 with slanted surfaces 25 are provided in mirror image to parts 16 with the slanted ascending surfaces 17 . These parts 24 with their slanted surfaces 25 essentially serve exclusively to reliably move movable bar 4 in and out in a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
In addition movable bar 4 is equipped at the bottom side in the area of its support bar 10 with several slots 26 which are located preferably at equal distances B from each other. These slots 26 primarily serve the objective to render support bar 10 and thereby also movable bar 4 more flexible. In addition, slots 26 extend over at least 25%, preferably at least 50%, of height H of support bar 10 and with regard to physical properties have an optimum cross sectional contour.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross sectional view of c-shaped guide unit 13 of the inventive bar arrangement 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B for a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
The one fixed guide arm 14 . 1 of c-shaped guide unit 13 which preferably has a slanted guide surface 20 is shorter than the at least one other fixed guide arm 14 . 2 of c-shaped guide unit 13 which is located opposite of movable bar 4 . This short dimension K can be in the range of 5 to 50 mm, preferably 10 to 40 mm, especially 20 to 30 mm.
The respective guided part 16 with the slanted ascending surface 17 which is located on the outside and longitudinally at movable bar 4 is located in a groove 22 extending in longitudinal direction L (arrow) of movable bar 4 . In the illustrated design variation groove 22 extends along the entire length of movable bar 4 and has a groove depth 22 .T which is preferably equal or approximately equal to, especially slightly smaller than, the part height 16 .T.
It can also be seen that bar arrangement 1 extending transversely to machine direction M (arrow) with movable bar 4 has an ascending side S. 1 on which element 6 runs onto movable bar 4 , and a descending side S. 2 on which element 6 runs off movable bar 4 . The at least one return mechanism 15 which returns movable bar 4 from the operating position Y into the inoperative position Z which is not illustrated here, is located on the ascending side S. 1 . Theoretically, however, it could also be located on the descending side of the bar arrangement.
Actuation device 5 is a tube 5 . 1 which, as is known, is filled with a liquid or gaseous medium and which, on the bottom side and at least in regions, is guided laterally in a shell 12 . It may however also be an already known pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a V-drive, an eccentric or another similar lifting element.
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the c-shaped guide unit 13 of the inventive bar arrangement 1 illustrated in FIG. 4 , for a machine for the production of a fibrous web.
The fixed c-shaped guide unit 13 of the fixed guide arrangement 7 includes two fixed guide arms 14 . 1 , 14 . 2 which surround the movable bar (which is not illustrated) at least partially in its lower area, always on one side and which exert the guiding effect upon the movable bar 4 through guide surfaces 14 . 11 , 14 . 12 , 14 . 21 and 14 . 22 .
As already mentioned the one fixed guide arm 14 . 1 of c-shaped guide unit 13 of the guide arrangement 7 which has a preferably slanted guide surface 20 is shorter than the at least one other fixed guide arm 14 . 2 of c-shaped guide unit 13 which is located opposite of movable bar which is not illustrated. This short dimension K can be in the range of 5 to 50 mm, preferably 10 to 40 mm, especially 20 to 30 mm.
Guiding part 19 which is arranged on the inside of the c-shaped guide unit 13 and which is equipped with the preferably slanted guide surface 20 is located at the short fixed guide arm 14 . 1 . The preferred slant 27 of the guiding surface 20 on the fixed guide arm 14 . 1 is aligned to the longitudinal direction L (arrow) of the movable bar 4 at an angle β in the range of less than 5 to 60°, preferably 20 to 45°, especially 25 to 35°. Usefully, angle β assumes a lower value than angle α.
FIG. 6 shows two adjacent bar arrangements 1 in a wire section 28 for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. The fibrous web may in particular be a paper, cardboard or tissue web.
The illustrated wire section 28 includes two bar arrangements merely as an example. Also, additional parts and component groups of wire section 28 are not illustrated for the sake of providing a clear overview.
The respective bar arrangement 1 of wire section 28 is inventively executed as illustrated and described in FIGS. 2A , 2 B, 3 , 4 and 5 . Each movable bar 4 which includes an upper top bar 9 which guides the element 6 , especially forming wire 6 . 1 and a bottom support bar 10 is equipped at the bottom side in the area of its support bar 10 with several slots 26 which are located at equal distances B from each other.
In addition, the two directly adjacent and movable bars 4 are arranged parallel to each other so that, in the operating position Y of the movable bar 4 their respective slots 26 are arranged offset with each other, preferably center offset so that markings in the fibrous web which is to be produced are largely avoided. Offset V is preferably half the distance B between the two adjacent slots 26 . In its one sided and outside offset area W the single movable bar 4 is equipped on the bottom side with at least one filler piece 29 on the support bar 10 with regard to its at least one directly adjacent and movable bar 4 .
Viewed in machine direction M (arrow) the single filler piece 29 is arranged on a movable bar 4 on the left and on the following movable filler bar 4 on the right so that—viewed from the center of wire section 28 —always the same width X on movable bars 4 is used. This results in the already discussed advantages.
In addition bar arrangement 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2A , 2 B, 3 , 4 and 5 and wire section 28 illustrated in FIG. 6 are ideally suited for use in a machine for the production of a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard or tissue web.
As already explained, the illustrated actuation device 5 can be a tube 5 . 1 in all design forms, filled with a liquid or gaseous medium 11 , a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a V-drive, an eccentric or another similar lifting element.
In general, movable bar 4 may be a forming bar or dewatering bar 8 , an oil scraper bar or a scraper. In contrast element 6 may be a forming wire 6 . 1 in a wire section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web, a press roll in a press section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web or a roll or cylinder in a wire-, press- or drying section for a machine for the production of a fibrous web. Movable bar 4 and element 6 come particularly from the paper industry, particularly from the field of paper manufacturing and paper converting.
In summary it should be stated that through the invention a bar arrangement of the type referred to at the beginning is further developed, so that the known disadvantages of the state of the art are largely, preferably even totally removed. In particular, a process-reliable, reproducible and cost effective retraction of the movable bar is made possible, particularly also during operation of the machine for the production of a fibrous web.
Component Identification List
1 Bar arrangement
2 Fixed structure
3 Frame
4 Movable bar
5 Operating device
5 . 1 Tube
6 Element
6 . 1 Forming wire
7 Guide arrangement
8 Forming or dewatering bar
9 Top bar
10 Support bar
11 Medium
12 Shell
13 Guide unit
14 . 1 Guide arm
14 . 2 Guide arm
14 . 11 Guide surface
14 . 12 Guide surface
14 . 21 Guide surface
14 . 22 Guide surface
15 Return mechanism
15 . 1 Component unit
16 Part
16 .T Partial height
17 Slanted ascending surface
18 Slant
19 Part
20 Guide surface
21 Moving device
22 Groove
22 .T Groove depth
23 Plate
24 part
25 Slanted surface
26 Slot
27 Slant
28 Wire section
29 Filler piece
A Distance
B Distance
F Contact force (arrow)
H Height
K Short dimension
L Longitudinal direction (arrow)
M Machine direction (arrow)
S. 1 Ascending side
S. 2 Descending side
V Offset
W Offset range
X Width
Y Operating position
Z Inoperative position
α Angle
β Angle
While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
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The invention relates to a bar arrangement for a machine for producing a fibrous web. The bar arrangement according to the invention is characterized by at least one restoring mechanism for bringing the mobile bar from the operating position into the rest position. The at least one restoring mechanism comprises at least one guided piece arranged on the mobile bar on the exterior and alongside thereof, said piece having an inclined contact surface the incline of which is directed at an angle (α) in the range of 5 to 60°, preferably of 20 to 45°, especially of 25 to 35°, relative to the longitudinal direction of the mobile bar, at least one guiding piece on the interior of the C-shaped guiding unit, which has a preferably inclined guide surface that can be brought in contact with the inclined contact surface of the guided piece arranged on the exterior and alongside thereof when the mobile bar is brought from the operating position into the rest position, and at least one displacement device for displacing the mobile bar in its longitudinal direction which acts upon the mobile bar, preferably the face thereof, and which can preferably be controlled/regulated.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/607,611, filed Jun. 30, 2000, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Providing a Distributed Dictionary in a Network having an Unknown Topology.”
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention pertains to the field of networking. More particularly, this invention relates to managing the topology of a network.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Networks allow individual devices to take advantage of one another to share information and resources, provide redundancy, increase accessibility, and so on. Networks are used in every day life at home, at work, on vacation, and just about everywhere else. A typical user does not want to know how a network operates. A typical user just wants the networks he or she encounters in daily life to work and work well. Unfortunately, network technology is exceptionally complex. All too often, highly skilled, and very expensive, technicians are needed to set up and maintain networks. The power and versatility of networks, however, virtually guarantee a continued and growing demand for better, more reliable, faster, and more user friendly networks and network equipment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Examples of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, however, do not limit the scope of the present invention. Similar references in the drawings indicate similar elements.
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present inventions.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the present inventions.
[0007] FIG. 3 demonstrates one embodiment of a distributed dictionary.
[0008] FIG. 4 demonstrates another embodiment of a distributed dictionary.
[0009] FIG. 5 demonstrates one embodiment of testing for loops.
[0010] FIG. 6 demonstrates one embodiment of adjacency monitoring.
[0011] FIG. 7 demonstrates one embodiment of topology determination.
[0012] FIGS. 8-10 demonstrate embodiments of topology reporting and transient loop avoidance.
[0013] FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment of a hardware system.
[0014] FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of a machine readable storage medium.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details, that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternate embodiments. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail.
[0016] Parts of the description will be presented using terminology commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Also, parts of the description will be presented in terms of operations performed through the execution of programming instructions. As well understood by those skilled in the art, these operations often take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, and otherwise manipulated through, for instance, electrical components.
[0017] Various operations will be described as multiple discrete steps performed in turn in a manner that is helpful in understanding the present invention. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily performed in the order they are presented, or even order dependent. Lastly, repeated usage of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.
[0018] Four related inventions are described herein. Embodiments of each invention improve aspects of communication among network equipment to improve, for instance, network configuration and management. All four inventions are described below in the context of a network of data switches. The inventions, however, are not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and are generally applicable to a wide variety of networks including, for instance, a local area network (LAN).
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates four data switches, 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 . Each switch includes eight data ports 150 . Other embodiments may include a different number of ports per switch and other embodiments may not have the same number of ports on each switch. The switches can be used to connect various devices, such as telephones, computers, facsimile machines, printers, networks, etc. When a data packet is received at a particular data port, the switch determines where the packet is supposed to go, and sends the packet to the appropriate data port.
[0020] Each data switch can be used alone. For instance, a switch having eight data ports can connect eight different devices. If a user wants to connect more devices than one switch can handle, the user can use multiple switches. For instance, if a user wanted to couple 14 devices using switches with eight data ports, the user could couple seven devices to one switch and seven devices to another switch, and then couple the two switches together with the eighth port on each switch.
[0021] Combining switches using data ports, however, can quickly become complicated. A user needs to map several ports from one switch into one port on another switch. The more switches that are combined, the more difficult it becomes to configure and manage the switches.
[0022] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , each switch includes a number of dedicated ports, intra-stack ports 160 . The intra-stack ports 160 are designed specifically for stacking switches together. The four switches stacked in FIG. 1 each have eight data ports, so the combined stack can connect 32 devices. Other embodiments may include larger or smaller numbers of switches, having any number of ports per switch.
[0023] If a packet of data arrives at a data port on switch 140 , and the data packet is intended to be sent to a device coupled to a data port on switch 110 , switch 140 will forward the data packet to switch 120 through data cable 170 . Switch 120 will in turn forward the data packet through data cable 180 to switch 110 . Each switch needs to know the topology of the stack in order for the stack to work properly as one big switch. That is, each switch needs to know which switches are coupled to which of its intra-stack ports 160 .
[0024] Various embodiments of the present inventions can be used to automatically manage the topology of the stack so that, for instance, configuring the stack topology to operate like a single large switch can be as simple as plugging in a few data cables, switches can be added or removed from the stack as needed with little interruption in service, etc. The advantages of a self-managing network of switches are numerous. For example, a user can simply couple the switches together in any random order, let the switches configure themselves, and begin using the stack.
[0025] Specifically, embodiments of the present inventions include:
[0026] 1) A distributed dictionary to provide a unified view of network attributes to each node in a network having an unknown topology,
[0027] 2) An adjacency monitor to recognize adjacencies between nodes, designate a master node, and report the adjacencies to the distributed dictionary,
[0028] 3) A master node to generate a topology based on adjacencies reported to the distributed dictionary, and
[0029] 4) The master node to coordinate adoption of the generated topology among slave nodes.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates various embodiments of the four inventions. Each of the switches, 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 , includes a generic attribute registration protocol (GARP) 210 , a distributed dictionary application 220 , an adjacency monitor 230 , and a topology update unit 240 .
[0031] Standard GARP (IEEE std. 802.1) is a known networking protocol that connects applications, such as distributed dictionary application 220 , to physical ports, such as intra-stack ports 160 , within network nodes. GARP is designed to operate in a network having a known topology. GARP uses the topology to know which ports lead to which nodes. For instance, when GARP receives a packet of data, GARP can identify a destination for the packet, consult the known topology to determine which port leads to that destination, and forward the packet accordingly.
[0032] GARP can receive packets either directly from an application within the same node or from a separate node on a physical port. For instance, if there is no direct connection between two nodes, in order to send a packet of data from the first node to the second node, the data must be forwarded through one or more intervening nodes. GARP in the first node will receive the packet from an application at a virtual port and forward the packet to a physical port. GARP in the intervening node(s) will receive the packet at a physical port and forward the packet to a physical port. GARP in the destination node will receive the packet at a physical port and forward the packet to a virtual port for an application.
[0033] GARP's ability to forward packets can be used to multicast information. For instance, if an application wants to multicast a packet of data, the application can send the packet to GARP. GARP can forward the packet to each “enabled” port. For standard GARP, an “enabled” port includes every port that has a cable connecting to another node in the network topology. When GARP receives a multicast packet from a port, GARP can report the packet to an application in the same node, and forward the packet on to all enabled ports other than the port from which the packet was received. If each GARP in each node in the network similarly forwards a multicast packet, the packet will eventually be distributed throughout the network.
[0034] Standard GARP, as described above, is designed to rely on a known topology. The illustrated embodiments of the present inventions, however, use a modified version of GARP which does not rely on a known topology. Further references to GARP will be to GARP as modified according to the present inventions. Other embodiments may use any number of other distribution tools to perform the functions of GARP described below.
[0000] Distributed Dictionary in a Network Having an Unknown Topology
[0035] Distributed dictionary 250 is discussed below with respect to topology management, but it has much broader applicability. It can be used, for instance, to distribute virtually any information throughout a network, and is especially suited to distribute information in a network having an unknown topology.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 2 , GARP 210 and distributed dictionary application 220 in each of the four switches collectively provides the inventive stack-wide virtual distributed dictionary 250 . Anything that is stored to dictionary 250 by one switch can be seen by all of the switches. Virtual dictionary 250 is merely a conceptual convenience. In reality, information that is “stored” in virtual dictionary 250 is actually distributed to the various nodes using GARP and stored locally at each node by each of the separate distributed dictionary applications 220 .
[0037] Storing information to the dictionary is called “registering” the information. GARP multicasts distribution of the data so that the data is forwarded throughout the network. If a switch “deregisters” information, the information is removed from each node. Information can be removed in more than one way. For instance, information registered to distributed dictionary 250 may have a limited life span. If the information is not updated regularly, the information may simply disappear over time. Alternately, GARP may provide for more direct deregistration by, for instance, multicasting an instruction to delete certain information.
[0038] Registering and deregistering information could be accomplished in a fairly straight forward manner in a network having a known topology. The information can be distributed along known paths to known destinations. As discussed below however, registering and deregistering information becomes more challenging in a network having an unknown topology.
[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the first invention. The illustrated process is used by an individual switch to monitor and update its own state, as well as report information to the distributed dictionary for all of the other switches to see.
[0040] In block 310 , the switch obtains a current value associated with a key. A key is used as an index in the distributed dictionary. In the context of topology management, a key may be an identifier for a particular switch and an identifier for a particular intra-stack port on the switch. That is, a network topology can be defined in terms of switches and ports. The distributed dictionary may include an entry for every switch and port in the network that has a cable coupled to it. In which case, the value associated with each key may be an identifier for a neighbor switch and its port connected to the switch and port indexed by the key.
[0041] Each switch has a unique media access control (MAC) address and each port has a port number. So, MAC addresses and port numbers can work well for switch identifiers. For instance, a key/value pair may look like, key=(own MAC address, own port number), and value=(neighbor's MAC address, neighbor's port number).
[0042] In block 320 , the switch determines an incarnation identifier for the value obtained in block 310 . An initial incarnation is likely to be one. If, for instance, the topology has changed more than once, the incarnation will be incremented, or advanced, for each change. The incarnation identifier makes it possible to identify the most resent value associated with a key. Together, the incarnation identifier and the key/value pair can be referred to as an “attribute.”
[0043] Blocks 330 and 340 comprise one embodiment of registering an attribute. In block 330 , the key/value pair is stored locally in the switch's distributed dictionary application, along with the incarnation identifier for the value. In block 340 , the switch multicasts the attribute to the rest of the switches to be stored by the respective distributed dictionaries.
[0044] GARP can be used to perform the multicasting. Of course, the topology is unknown, so GARP has no idea which ports, if any, to which the attribute should be distributed. Instead of relying on a known topology, the modified GARP treats all of the intra-stack ports as enabled ports and distributes the attributes to each port.
[0045] If any switches are coupled to any of those ports, their respective GARPs will receive the attribute along with a registration command. In response to the registration command, the GARPs report the attribute to their local distributed dictionary applications and forward the attributes on to each of their respective intra-stack ports with the exception of the port from which the attribute was received. This process is discussed in more detail below with respect to FIG. 4 . With each switch reporting and forwarding the attribute, the attribute will eventually be distributed throughout the network.
[0046] Distributing attributes as discussed above works fine unless there is a loop in the network. A loop is where at least two nodes are connected by more than one path so that data can travel around the path. For instance, referring briefly to FIG. 2 , if an additional cable 260 connected switch 110 directly to switch 130 , then the three switches, 110 , 120 , and 130 , would be nodes in a loop. Since the topology is unknown, GARP cannot detect a loop based on the topology. If a multicast attribute enters a loop in the stack, the attribute may continuously circulate as each node in the loop forwards it on to the next node. As discussed below with respect to FIG. 5 , GARP is modified to handle loops.
[0047] Returning to FIG. 3 , in block 350 , the switch monitors the value associated with the key to see if it changes. In the illustrated embodiment, if the value does not change, the switch delays for a time in block 360 and then multicasts the attribute again in block 340 . The switch will continue to loop until the value changes. This looping provides a refresh of the attribute on a regular basis to protect against lost data. Also, in one embodiment, attributes are stored only for a limited time to prevent old data from accumulating in the dictionary. Periodically refreshing helps maintain current data.
[0048] In block 350 , when and if the value changes, the switch deregisters the attribute in block 370 and returns to loop through the process again from block 310 . As discussed above, GARP can deregister attributes in a number of ways.
[0049] By performing the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 at every switch in the stack, and for every intra-stack port on every switch for which a current value exists, each switch maintains current data with respect to its ports and provides that current data to the rest of the switches through the distributed dictionary.
[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the first invention. The illustrated process is used by an individual switch to monitor and update its distributed dictionary with respect to information reported from other switches.
[0051] In block 410 , the switch receives an attribute for registration as part of a multicast from another switch. Again, GARP can be used for this purpose. In block 420 , a key from the attribute is used as an index into the switch's locally stored version of the distributed dictionary to see if the key from the attribute matches a previously stored key. If there is no matching key, then the attribute is new and it is stored by the distributed dictionary application in block 430 . For instance, when the stack is first configured, the attributes will need to be stored as they are distributed.
[0052] In block 420 , if the key matches a previously stored key, the switch checks in block 440 to see if the attribute has a different incarnation value. If it does not have a different incarnation value, then the attribute is likely just a refresh of an earlier received attribute. In the illustrated embodiment, the switch just returns to block 410 to wait for the next attribute to arrive. In an alternate embodiment in which attributes have limited life spans, the repeated attribute may replace the currently stored attribute or the switch may simply reset a time on the attribute's life span.
[0053] In block 440 , if the incarnation value is different, the value associated with the key has changed since it was previously stored. In block 450 , the newer incarnation is maintained, and in block 460 the older incarnation is deregistered. As discussed above, attributes can be deregistered in any number of ways. In block 470 , the attributed is forwarded to each intra-stack port on the switch with the exception of the port on which the attribute was received.
[0054] If the process of FIG. 4 is performed by each switch in the stack for each multicast that is received, the switches will maintain current attributes in the distributed dictionary. In which case, when attributes are presented to an application in a switch for various kinds of processing, the switch should receive the most recent attributes.
[0055] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of how GARP can be modified to protect against network loops when multicasting data in a network having an unknown topology. Basically, GARP determines if the same attribute has arrived at a node from more than one path. If it has, then the attribute is likely caught in a loop. In which case, GARP breaks the loop by not forwarding the attribute.
[0056] In block 505 , GARP receives a multicast attribute and recognizes the port from which the attribute was received. The port can be a physical port, such as the intra-stack ports, or a virtual port, such as a port between GARP and an application within the node.
[0057] In block 510 , GARP checks to see if the key for the attribute is new. If it is new, then the attribute is not likely caught in a loop. In which case, in block 540 , if the attribute is accompanied by a registration command, the port number that the attribute arrived at is recorded in block 545 . If the attribute is not for registration in block 540 , the attribute is forwarded in block 555 .
[0058] If the key is not new, in block 515 , GARP checks to see if the incarnation for the key is new. If the incarnation is new, then the value of the attribute is new, suggesting that the attribute is not likely caught in a loop. In which case, the attribute gets the same treatment in blocks 540 and 545 as discussed above.
[0059] If the incarnation is not new, in block 520 , GARP checks to see if a port number has been recorded for the key. If a port number has not been previously recorded for an attribute that has an old key and an old incarnation, the attribute is unlikely to be caught in a loop, and gets the same treatment in blocks 540 and 545 as discussed above.
[0060] If a port number has been recorded, in block 525 , GARP checks to see if the port number of the current attribute matches the previously recorded port number. If it does not match, then the same attribute was received from two different ports. In which case, GARP ignores the attribute in block 530 . If the port does match, then the attribute is likely a retransmission, and not caught in a loop.
[0061] In block 535 , if the attributed is accompanied by a “deregistration” command, the port number recorded for the attribute is erased in block 550 . If there is no “deregistration” command, GARP forwards the attribute in block 555 .
[0000] Adjacency Monitoring
[0062] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the second invention. In the illustrated embodiment, a switch determines to which of its neighbors it is coupled and through which ports. These relationships are referred to as adjacencies. This process is likely to be the first step in automatically managing a network topology. As part of this initial process, the illustrated embodiment also selects a particular switch to coordinate topology management for the entire stack, and selects an identifier for the entire stack based on the selected switch. Even after all of the adjacencies for the stack have been initially determined, the process can continue to monitor adjacencies for any topology changes.
[0063] In block 605 , a switch starts the process by using its media access control (MAC) address for its stack identifier. All of the switches in the stack will eventually adopt the same stack identifier in order to identify the stack to which they belong. In which case, the switch is likely to change its stack identifier later on.
[0064] When a switch is first coupled to a stack, the switch has no idea whether or not it has any neighbors. The switch starts out by assuming that it is alone. That is, the switch assumes that it is a stack of one, and it is the master of its stack. For this reason, the switch uses its own MAC address as the stack identifier.
[0065] In block 610 , the switch locally stores attributes defining its own state. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, the attributes are key/value pairs. As discussed above, the key is an index and the value is associated with the key. In one embodiment, the key is the switch's MAC address and the value is an intra-stack port number for a port on the switch and the stack identifier. In which case, the switch may store one attribute for each intra-stack port.
[0066] In block 615 , the switch broadcasts each of the stored attributes on a corresponding port. The broadcast is point-to-point, as opposed to multicast, and is intended to go no further than an immediate neighbor. That is, if the attribute reaches a neighbor, the neighbor need not forward the attribute.
[0067] In block 620 , the neighbor switches are doing the same thing, so the switch receives an attributed from a neighbor if the neighbor is coupled to the port. In block 625 , the switch detects the presence of an attribute at one or more ports that does not match the attribute(s) broadcast from the respective port(s). That is, the switch detects that the neighbor's attribute is different from its own.
[0068] In block 630 , the switch checks the stack identifiers to seen if they are the same. In the illustrated embodiment, if the switches do not agree on a stack identifier, the switches first negotiate for the stack identifier. The switches will not identify an adjacency among switches until they have agreed on a stack identifier.
[0069] Switches cannot be adjacent to one another for networking purposes if they are not part of the same stack. So, they agree on the stack identifier before determining adjacencies for a variety of reasons. As discussed below, in one embodiment, the stack identifier corresponds to a master switch. The adjacencies are used by the master switch to determine a topology for the stack. If the master switch is yet to be designated, then there is no need to record an adjacency.
[0070] If the stack identifiers do not match, in block 635 , the switch will adopt the stack identifier of the neighbor if the neighbor's stack identifier is larger than the switch's. In block 640 , the switch ignores the attribute if the neighbor's stack identifier is smaller than the switches. Then the process returns to block 610 to loop through again.
[0071] If all of the switches process stack identifiers in the same way, the switch having the largest MAC address will ignore all of its neighbors' attributes until the neighbors adopt its MAC address as the stack identifier, and then the neighbors will ignore all of the attributes from their neighbors until their neighbors adopt the largest MAC address, and so on. In this fashion, the highest MAC address will propagate out to all of the switches until all of the switches agree on the highest MAC address for the stack identifier.
[0072] In alternate embodiments, rather than using the highest MAC address, the stack could adopt the lowest MAC address. In another embodiment, a user defined MAC address could be used. For instance, a user could set a stack identifier for a particular switch that is guaranteed to be higher than any MAC address so that the user-selected value gets adopted.
[0073] In one embodiment, the switch whose original stack identifier gets adopted by the stack is designated the master switch for the stack. So, by manipulating the original stack identifiers, a user can pre-select a particular switch to be the master switch if, for instance, one switch has more processing power than another. The importance of the master switch will be discussed below.
[0074] If in block 630 the stack identifiers do match, for instance, upon a second iteration through block 630 , the switch obtains the neighbor's MAC address and port number from the attributes the neighbor sent and combines the neighbor's MAC address and port number with its own MAC address and port number to create an adjacency. In one embodiment, an adjacency comprises, key=(own MAC address, own Port number), and value=(neighbor's MAC address, and port number).
[0075] In block 650 , the switch determines an incarnation identifier for the adjacency. If the switch was just powered up in the stack, the incarnation is likely to be an initial incarnation, such as one.
[0076] In block 655 , the switch registers the adjacency and the incarnation in the distributed dictionary. As discussed above, since the topology is not yet known, GARP can be used to register the adjacency. Once the adjacency is registered, the process returns to block 610 to monitor the adjacencies for changes. If changes are detected, they are registered with a new incarnation number and the old incarnation is deregistered.
[0000] Topology Calculations
[0077] FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the third invention. The illustrated process uses a set of adjacencies provided, for instance, by the second invention to obtain a network topology, also called a spanning tree.
[0078] In block 710 , the master switch accesses the set of adjacencies in the distributed dictionary as reported by all of the switches. In block 720 , the master switch provides the set of adjacencies to a graph-theory algorithm. In one embodiment, a known shortest path first (SPF) algorithm is used. The algorithm operates on a set of nodes and links between nodes to determine the shortest path between any two nodes. In one embodiment, SPF operates on the basis of propagation delay through the respective network paths. In addition to determining shortest paths, SPF also ensures that paths do not loop back on themselves, which could potentially cause lost data or other problems.
[0079] In block 730 , when the master switch receives the spanning tree back from SPF, the master switch runs a reporting task, which is the subject matter of the fourth invention discussed below.
[0080] In block 740 , the switch continues to monitor the reported adjacencies for changes. For instance, as discussed above, the adjacency monitor continues to update the set of adjacencies. If an adjacency changes, the process returns to block 710 to obtain a new topology.
[0000] Reporting Topology Calculations
[0081] FIGS. 8 through 10 illustrate three embodiments of the fourth invention. Together, the illustrated embodiments report a new topology to the stack. The topology is used by the switches in the stack to direct data packets among the switches through the intra-stack ports. A new topology is reported in such a way so as to avoid transient loops.
[0082] As discussed above, SPF generates a topology without any loops. However, as is the case with autonomous routers, while transitioning from one topology to another, it is possible to experience transient loops. For instance, if a topology changes in the vicinity surrounding a set of routers, the routers will update to the new topology at their own discretion. In which case, since the routers are unlikely to all individually adopt the new topology at the same time, for at least a brief period, not all of the routers will be routing data using the same topology.
[0083] For instance, referring briefly to FIG. 2 , if the topology where to change to include a cable 260 directly from switch 110 to switch 130 , a transient loop may occur. That is, if the new link through the new cable were adopted before the old link was disabled, for a brief period of time, switches 110 , 120 , and 130 would be in a loop.
[0084] For routers, these transient loops are not fatal because routers have a higher tolerance for lost or misguided data. For instance, the data packets may have a limited life span, so the looping data will eventually time out and dissipate. Switches, however, have very low tolerance for even transient loops. Therefore, the fourth invention rolls out a new topology in a coordinated manner between the master switch and the rest of the switches to intentionally avoid, or at least reduce, the potential for problems caused by transient loops.
[0085] Basically, the fourth invention insures that all old links are disabled before new links are enabled. For instance, in the example above for the loop in FIG. 2 , if the old link between switches 120 and 130 were disabled before the new link was formed between 110 and 130 , no transient loop would occur. In one embodiment, a port is disabled only if it cannot send and cannot receive data, and it has no packets buffered and waiting for transmission. By including sending and receiving as requirements for disablement, a link can be disabled by disabling a port on just one end of the link.
[0086] In block 805 , the reporting process is initiated when a new spanning tree is obtained as discussed above. In block 810 , the master switch compares the new spanning tree to the old spanning tree. If the trees are the same, the process ends, and will be re-initiated when and if a new spanning tree is obtained. If the spanning tree is not the same, the process continues.
[0087] In block 815 , the master switch determines the set of links to be disabled based on a comparison between the old spanning tree and the new spanning tree. In block 820 , the master switch determines the set of links to be enabled based on a comparison of the two spanning trees.
[0088] In block 825 , the master switch checks to see if there are any links to disable. As discussed above, if there are any links to be disabled, they should be disabled before any links are enabled to reduce the likelihood of transient loops.
[0089] In order to disable the links, the master switch removes the links to be disabled from the old spanning tree in block 840 . Then, the master switch advances the incarnation identifier for the old spanning tree in block 845 . And, in block 850 , the spanning tree is registered to the distributed dictionary. In one embodiment, registering to the distributed dictionary is accomplished without relying on the topology as discussed above.
[0090] By registering the modified old spanning tree with a new incarnation identifier, the switches will recognize the change in the spanning tree and take appropriate action. Skipping to FIG. 10 , FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a process performed by each switch in response to registering the modified spanning tree.
[0091] In block 1010 , the switch reads the modified spanning tree from the distributed dictionary. In block 1020 , the switch extracts its own ports from the spanning tree. In block 1030 , the switch enables all of the ports extracted from the spanning tree and disables all of the others. When the switch is done applying the modified spanning tree, the switch acknowledges completion in block 1040 by registering an acknowledgement to the distributed dictionary including the incarnation number of the modified spanning tree.
[0092] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , one embodiment of the master switch is monitoring the distributed dictionary for acknowledgements. Each time a new acknowledgement is received in block 910 , the master checks to see if all of the switches have acknowledged with the most current incarnation number for the modified spanning tree in block 920 . For instance, in one embodiment, the master identifies all of the switches based on the current topology and checks an incarnation number from a response from each. In other words, the master waits until all of the switches are synchronized. Once the switches are synchronized, the master runs a reporting process again, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 8 .
[0093] Returning to FIG. 8 , in block 805 , the master performs a second iteration of the process when it determines that the slaves are all synchronized and have disabled the links identified in the previous iteration. In block 810 , the master compares the old spanning tree, which includes the modifications from the first iteration through the reporting process, to the new spanning tree that was previously obtained as discussed above. If the changes from the old to the new only required that links be disabled, the spanning trees will be the same and the process will stop. If, however, the new spanning tree needs to have new links enabled, the process continues.
[0094] It should be noted that under certain circumstances, there may be cases in which disabling links in the first iteration may necessitate enabling and/or disabling additional links in the second iteration. In which case, in the illustrated embodiment, the process determines the links to disable and the links to enable again in blocks 815 and 820 . In block 825 , if additional links need to be disabled, the process will proceed as above to report the modified spanning tree and wait for the switches to synchronize. The reporting process may go through a number of iterations until the set of links to disable is finally empty.
[0095] In block 830 , the process checks to see if any prior changes remain unacknowledged. The process is preparing to enable new links which, if the switches are not synchronized, could create transient links. So for instance, if in the first iteration through the reporting process, no links needed to be disabled, the process would verify that the switches are synchronized. If they are not, the reporting process ends until it is called again.
[0096] If the switches are synchronized in block 830 , the master adds the new links to the old spanning tree (which may have been modified one or more times in previous iterations) in block 835 , advances the incarnation identifier in block 845 , and registers the spanning tree to the distributed dictionary.
[0097] Again, the switches will adopt the new spanning tree, for instance, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , and when the master determines they are all synchronized, for instance, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , the reporting process will be called again. In this iteration, in block 810 , the spanning trees should match, ending the process.
[0098] In all of the embodiments of all the inventions described herein, alternate embodiments may not require all of the elements shown, may include additional elements, and may perform one or more elements in a different order. Furthermore, even though the embodiments were illustrated in the context of a switch stack, the inventions are applicable to a wide variety of alternate network environments as well.
[0099] FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment of a hardware system intended to represent a broad category of network devices such as personal computers, workstations, switches, routers, and/or embedded systems. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware system includes processor 1110 coupled to high speed bus 1105 , which is coupled to input/output (I/O) bus 1115 through bus bridge 1130 . Temporary memory 1120 is coupled to bus 1105 . Permanent memory 1140 is coupled to bus 1115 . I/O device(s) 1150 is also coupled to bus 1115 . I/O device(s) 1150 may include a display device, a keyboard, one or more external network interfaces, etc.
[0100] Certain embodiments may include additional components, may not require all of the above components, or may combine one or more components. For instance, temporary memory 1120 may be on-chip with processor 1110 . Alternately, permanent memory 1140 may be eliminated and temporary memory 1120 may be replaced with an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), wherein software routines are executed in place from the EEPROM. Some implementations may employ a single bus, to which all of the components are coupled, or one or more additional buses and bus bridges to which various additional components can be coupled. Those skilled in the art will be familiar with a variety of alternate internal networks including, for instance, an internal network based on a high speed system bus with a memory controller hub and an I/O controller hub. Additional components may include additional processors, a CD ROM drive, additional memories, and other peripheral components known in the art.
[0101] In one embodiment, the present invention, as described above, is implemented using one or more computers such as the hardware system of FIG. 11 . Where more than one computer is used, the systems can be coupled to communicate over an external network, such as a local area network (LAN), an IP network, etc. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as software routines executed by one or more execution units within the computer(s). For a given computer, the software routines can be stored on a storage device, such as permanent memory 1140 .
[0102] Alternately, as shown in FIG. 12 , the software routines can be machine executable instructions 1210 stored using any machine readable storage medium 1220 , such as a diskette, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, digital video or versatile disk (DVD), laser disk, ROM, Flash memory, etc. The series of instructions need not be stored locally, and could be received from a remote storage device, such as a server on a network, a CD ROM device, a floppy disk, etc., through, for instance, I/O device 1150 of FIG. 11 .
[0103] From whatever source, the instructions may be copied from the storage device into temporary memory 1120 and then accessed and executed by processor 1110 . In one implementation, these software routines are written in the C programming language. It is to be appreciated, however, that these routines may be implemented in any of a wide variety of programming languages.
[0104] In alternate embodiments, the present invention is implemented in discrete hardware or firmware. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) could be programmed with one or more of the above described functions of the present invention. In another example, one or more functions of the present invention could be implemented in one or more ASICs on additional circuit boards and the circuit boards could be inserted into the computer(s) described above. In another example, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or static programmable gate arrays (SPGA) could be used to implement one or more functions of the present invention. In yet another example, a combination of hardware and software could be used to implement one or more functions of the present invention.
[0105] Thus, a suite of network-related inventions is described. Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will be comprehended by a person skilled in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that the particular embodiments shown and described by way of illustration are in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of particular embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
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In certain embodiments of the present invention, each of a plurality of switches in a network can independently develop an equivalent set of network attributes without referring to the network's topology. An equivalent set of network attributes can define the entire network's topology. Each switch can also independently maintain its respective equivalent set of network attributes to reflect changes in the network's topology. As with developing a set of attributes, each switch can maintain its set of attributes without actually referring to the network's topology.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a refrigerator having a cold producer including at least one pneumatically operated displacer movable in a cylindrical chamber, and having an apparatus which serves for controlling the delivery of the working gas to the cylindrical chamber and the delivery of the gas necessary for the pneumatic operation of the displacer, plus a compressor for the gas supply.
Refrigerators are cryogenerators or low-temperature producing machines in which a thermodynamic cyclical process takes place (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,101, for example). One type of single-stage refrigerator is, essentially, a cylindrical chamber containing a reciprocating displacer. The chamber is connected alternately, in a certain manner, to a high-pressure gas reservoir and a low-pressure gas reservoir, so that the thermodynamic cyclical process (Stirling process, Gifford-McMahon process, etc.) takes place during the reciprocating movement of the displacer. The result is that heat is removed from one of the two ends of the chamber toward and away from which the displacer reciprocates. Temperatures down to less than 10K can be produced with two-stage refrigerators of this kind using helium as the working gas.
It is known, (cf. German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 1,426,975, 1,501,049 and 2,051,203) to drive the displacer pneumatically and to use the working gas itself as the gas producing the pneumatic operation. In the refrigerators of German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 1,426,975 and 1,501,049, the displacer is equipped with a driving piston the cylinder for which is connected by a gas control system to the high pressure or low pressure gas reservoir at the moment that is correct for the operation of the cyclical process. The gas control system serves furthermore for letting the working gas out of and into the cylinder of the displacer. In the subject matter of Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,051,203, a valve system additionally supplies a chamber with a volume of buffer gas. This chamber communicates with the hot end of the working cylinder through a throttle and has the effect of a pneumatic drive for operating the displacer.
In the actual (non-schematic) embodiments, shown in the above references the cold producer, i.e., the working cylinder with the displacer, forms with the gas control system (valve system or valve control rotor with drive) a single unit for which the expression "cold head" has become established. In order to put such a cold head in operation, it has to be connected to a suitable compressor through a low-pressure and a high-pressure line supplying the working gas. Additionally, an electrical connection must be made for the power supply of the valve control system or of an electric motor operating the valve control rotor. The connecting lines between the cold head and the compressor or power supply can be relatively long, so that for certain applications it is possible to set up the relatively small cold heat at a great distance from the supply apparatus. The small size of the unit producing the cold and the ease of making the connection between the cold head and its supply system are the important advantages of refrigerators over low-temperature apparatus operating with liquid refrigerants (bath cryostats and bath cryopumps or evaporator cryostats and evaporator cryopumps).
SUMMARY
It is the object of the present invention to design a refrigerator of the kind specified above such that the component that ultimately produces the cold will be still smaller and still lighter than heretofore.
In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished by the fact that the cold producer and the gas control apparatus are separate units connected to one another by one or two conduits. By this measure, not only is a drastic reduction of the height, diameter and weight of the unit that actually produces the cold accomplished, but the additional important advantage is achieved that no electrical apparatus (electric motor, valve drives or the like) is needed in the direct vicinity of the cold producer. Such electrical apparatus can have a disturbing influence, especially in physical experiments being performed at low temperatures. Through the invention it is possible for refrigerator cryostats or refrigerator cryopumps to be contructed more compactly than heretofore. The result is an expansion of the possible applications of refrigerators. For example, with a cryogenerator of the invention, it is possible in a simple manner to cool the baffles of small diffusion pumps. On account of the formerly known method of constructing cold heads, in which the cold generator and gas control system are incorporated in a common unit, such an application was difficult or impossible for lack of sufficient space.
Although the reduction in the size of components is one of the important aims of modern engineering, and although the pneumatic operation of displacers in refrigerators has been known for about 20 years, the proposal of the invention, of "dividing" the cold head into the cold producer and the gas control unit has never before been practical.
DESCRIPTION OF A THE DRAWINGS
Additional advantages and details of the invention will be explained with the aid of the embodiments represented in the Figures in which FIG. 1 is a schematic of one embodiment and FIG. 2 is a schematic of another embodiment;
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A single-stage cold producer 1 is represented in FIG. 1, as connected to a gas control system 3 through a lateral pipe 2. For reasons of space, the pipe 2 can also be alternatively to the bottom of cold producer 1. Only one supply line 2 between the gas control system 3 and the cold producer 1 suffices because the system for supplying a displacer in the cold producer 1 with working gas and a gas for pneumatic operation of the displacer are constructed in the manner disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,051,203. The gas control system 3 is disposed within a compressor 4 which as used herein, is a device to supply high-pressure and low-pressure gas to the cold generator 1 through the gas control system 3. The compressor 4 and the gas control system 3 thus constitute a single unit of construction.
FIG. 2 shows a cold producer 1' having two stages 5 and 6, one above the other. The hotter stage 5 is shown partially cut away so that the hollow displacer 8 which can reciprocate up and down in the cylindrical chamber 7 can be seen. A regenerator, which is not shown, is contained in the chamber or hollow 9 of displacer 8.
The cold producer 1' is connected by two preferably-flexible tubes 11 and 12 to the gas control system 3'. These lines can also be connected either to the side or to the bottom of the cold producer 1'. The length of the lines can easily amount to several meters, e.g., 5 to 6 meters, without substantially impairing the operation or efficiency of the refrigerator.
The line 11 serves to supply working gas to the working portion 13 of a cylindrical chamber 7 and therefore leads directly thereto. The gas that is for pneumatically driving the displacer 8 is fed through tube 12. The displacer has a driving piston 14 with a seal 14a across the chamber the opposite sides of which separate another, driving portion 15 of the chamber 7 from the working portion 13. Line 12 leads directly into chamber portion 15.
Since the amount of gas needed for driving the displacer 8 can be substantially smaller than the amount of working gas serving for optimum operation of the cold producer, the tube 12 can have a substantially smaller diameter than the tube 11. In general, the volume of the connecting lines 11 and 12 should not be greater than the maximum volume of the chamber portions 13 (including connected regenerator hollow 9 in the displacer) and 15 respectively supplied by them, the maximum volume being determined by the excursion of the opposite sides of the seal of the piston part of the displacer which separates the chamber portions.
The gas control system 3 serves to supply the lines 11 and 12 with alternately changing gas pressures. A valve system 16, which supplies the line 11 and 12 with high pressure (e.g., 22 bar) and low pressure (e.g., 5 bar) at the moment that is correct in each case for the cyclical process and for driving therefore the displacer, serves for this in a manner that is known and therefore not described in detail. The production of these gas pressures is performed by the compressor 4', which in the embodiment represented in FIG. 2 is connected to the gas control system 3 by two, low- and high-pressure lines 17 and 18.
Instead of the system 16 consisting of a plurality of valves, a rotatory valve control means can be provided which alternately connects the lines 17 and 18 to the lines 11 and 12. Such valve control rotors are known, and are disclosed, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 1,426,975 and 1,501,049.
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A refrigerator has a cold producer with a pneumatically-operated displacer for displacing a working, cold-producing gas. The pneumatic and working gas-supply control is separate from the cold producer and connected thereto by tubes having volumes less than the maximum volumes of the portions of the chamber supplied thereby.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a spinning method, and in particular a method for drafting spun yarns in three stages. The present invention belongs to the technical field of ring spinning.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To the knowledge of the applicant, the drafting system is an important part of a spinning machine and its performance directly affects the quality of resultant yarns of the spinning machine. The drafting systems of existing spinning machines are mostly three-roller drafting mechanisms, and the typical three-roller drafting mechanisms include the ordinary three-roller-double-apron structure and the three-roller-four-apron structure which can achieve a draft ratio of 80 to 100.
The ordinary three-roller-double-apron structure is divided into a front draft zone and a rear draft zone. Since only simple roller drafting is used in the rear draft zone, the middle friction field is weak and the draft ratio is generally less than 1.4. It is difficult for such a structure to improve the total draft ratio of spinning machines. The total draft ratio of such a structure is small and is in the range of 20 to 50.
To solve the problem about the low draft ratio in the rear draft zone of the above-mentioned structure, the Chinese invention patent (patent number 961.07383.7 and authorized publication number CN1056205C) and the Chinese utility model patent (patent number 01243901.0 and patent publication number CN2495663Y) respectively disclose a three-roller-three-apron drafting mechanism and a three-roller-four-apron drafting mechanism. These drafting mechanisms can overcome the defect about a low drafting ratio in the rear draft zone of a three-roller drafting mechanism and can increase the maximum total draft ratio to 100 and 150, respectively.
The above-mentioned drafting mechanisms all adopt a three-roller-double-draft-zone structure, wherein the front draft zone is the main draft zone and bears the major drafting responsibility; the rear draft zone prepares for the front draft zone, pre-drafts and combs fed strands. Since fed roving strands have a certain twist, the rear draft zone needs to untwist fed strands so that they are more orderly before going to the front draft zone and they can be fully drafted in the front draft zone. On the basis of this, the draft ratio in the rear draft zone is heavily restricted. As a result, the maximum total draft ratio of the whole draft mechanism is restricted and a further breakthrough cannot be made.
To solve the problem, the Chinese utility model (patent number 03217782.8 and authorized publication number CN2623707Y) discloses a four-roller-four-apron drafting mechanism for a spinning machine. Such a drafting mechanism has a front draft zone, a middle draft zone, and a rear draft zone, and the maximum total draft ratio is up to 200. To further improve the mechanism, the Chinese invention patent (patent number 200710143612.6 and authorized publication number CN100545331C) discloses a four-roller drafting device for a ring spinning machine. The four-roller drafting device effectively solves the problem about hairiness during twisting of yarns. However, the four-roller drafting technique in the two representative patents is formed by simply adding one line of rollers on the basis of the existing three-roller drafting technique. No breakthrough has been made in its drafting principle. The maximum total draft ratio is already bottlenecked and cannot further be broken through. In addition, the four-roller structure already reaches the limit of the number of lines of rollers. So far, a drafting mechanism with at least five lines of rollers has never been put into practice successfully. Therefore, a drafting technique which can break through the existing drafting principle and can further increase the maximum total draft ratio urgently needs to be developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the technical problems in the prior art, the present invention is intended to provide a method for drafting spun yarns in three stages, which can significantly increase the maximum total draft ratio.
To solve the technical problems, the following technical solution is adopted for the present invention:
A method for drafting spun yarns in three stages, which is characterized in that the drafting mechanism has an entrance and an exit, four lines of rollers are arranged in turn from the entrance to the exit to form the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage draft zones, and each draft zone is respectively located between the adjacent two lines of rollers;
said method comprises the following steps:
step 1. a fiber strip whose twist and weight are detected in advance is fed from the entrance of the drafting mechanism, said fiber strip is drafted in the first-stage draft zone to obtain a fiber strand; the twist of said fiber strand is 75% to 95% of that of the fiber strip and the weight of said fiber strand is 71% to 99% of that of said fiber strip; the draft ratio in said first-stage draft zone is 1.01 to 1.40;
step 2. said fiber strand is drafted in the second-stage draft zone to obtain a non-discrete fiber band without twist redistribution; the twist of said fiber band is 15% to 60% of that of the fiber strip, and the weight of said fiber band is 47% to 98% of that of the fiber strip; the draft ratio in said second-stage draft zone is 1.01 to 1.52;
step 3. said fiber band is drafted in the third-stage draft zone to obtain a twist less fiber assembly; the weight of said fiber assembly is 0.3% to 9.8% of that of the fiber strip; the draft ratio in said third-stage draft zone is 10 to 150; the obtained fiber assembly is output from the exit of the drafting mechanism and is twisted into spun yarns.
The improved technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
Preferably, the twist and weight of the obtained fiber strand, fiber band, or fiber assembly are respectively detected by a detector in the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage draft zones of said drafting mechanism; the driving of each line of rollers is controlled by a separate servo motor; the revolutions of each line of rollers are respectively adjusted by the separate servo motor according to the detection signal received by the controller from the detector and the corresponding preset value or scope of preset value of each draft zone so that the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber strand, fiber band, or fiber assembly can fall within the scope required for each draft zone.
Preferably, the four lines of rollers of said drafting mechanism are the rear drafting roller pair, the middle-rear drafting roller pair, the middle-front drafting roller pair, and the front drafting roller pair, respectively; the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage draft zones are respectively formed between said rear drafting roller pair and middle-rear drafting roller pair, between said middle-rear drafting roller pair and middle-front drafting roller pair, and between said middle-front drafting roller pair and front drafting roller pair.
Preferably, in step 1, the detector in the first-stage draft zone sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber strand to the controller; the controller compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the first-stage draft zone and adjusts the revolutions of the rear drafting roller pair and the middle-rear drafting roller pair through the corresponding servo motors according to the comparison result so that the twist of the obtained fiber strand is 75% to 95% of that of the fiber strip and the weight is 71% to 99% of that of the fiber strip.
Preferably, in step 2, the detector in the second-stage draft zone sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber band to the controller; the controller compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the second-stage draft zone and adjusts the revolutions of the middle-front drafting roller pair according to the comparison result and the revolutions of the middle-rear drafting roller pair so that the twist of the obtained fiber band is 15% to 60% of that of the fiber strip and the weight is 47% to 98% of that of the fiber strip.
Preferably, in step 3, the detector in the third-stage draft zone sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber assembly to the controller; the controller compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the third-stage draft zone and adjusts the revolutions of the front drafting roller pair according to the comparison result and the revolutions of the middle-front drafting roller pair so that the obtained fiber assembly is twist less and the fiber weight is 0.3% to 9.8% of that of the fiber strip.
Preferably, said rear drafting roller pair consists of a rear upper roller and a rear lower roller, said middle-rear drafting roller pair consists of a middle-rear upper roller with a middle-rear upper apron and a middle-rear lower roller with a middle-rear lower apron, said middle-front drafting roller pair consists a middle-front upper roller with a middle-front upper apron and a middle-front lower roller with a middle-front lower apron, and said front draft roller pair consists of a front upper roller and a front lower roller.
Preferably, said rear lower roller, middle-rear lower roller, middle-front lower roller, and front lower roller are respectively driven by corresponding servo motors to rotate; said rear upper roller, middle-rear upper roller, middle-front upper roller, and front upper roller are driven by the corresponding rollers to rotate.
Preferably, said middle-rear upper apron and middle-rear lower apron, and said middle-front upper apron and middle-front lower apron respectively touch each other closely and rotate reversely to frictionally untwist and draft fiber strands to obtain non-discrete fiber bands without twist redistribution.
Preferably, a downward-pressing bar is equipped in the third-stage draft zone of said drafting mechanism, said downward-pressing bar touches fiber assemblies, and the detector in the third-stage draft zone of said drafting mechanism is a trace detector.
An in-depth, practical study made by the applicant shows that in the above-mentioned method of the present invention, a fiber strip fed in the drafting mechanism is first preliminarily drafted and untwisted in the first-stage draft zone, and is further drafted and reshaped in the second-stage draft zone to obtain a non-discrete fiber band without twist redistribution so that combing before the dominant draft is the most optimal, and then the dominant draft and extraction in the third-stage draft zone are brought into full play so that the maximum total draft ratio of the drafting mechanism can be up to 320; the main purpose of realizing the predetermined twist and fiber weight and the minor purpose of realizing the predetermined draft ratio in the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage draft zones can ensure that the above-mentioned purposes can be realized in the draft zones and the whole draft mechanism can realize a super large draft ratio.
The present invention can produce twist less fiber assemblies with good evenness, help improve the quality of resultant yarns, especially, the yarn evenness, and make it possible that super high count yarns are produced when general quantitative fibers are fed in and general count yarns are produced when heavy quantitative fibers are fed in.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows the structure of the drafting mechanism of one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows the control system of the embodiment in FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following further describes the invention in combination with the drawings and an embodiment. The present is not limited to the given embodiment.
Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the drafting mechanism in the embodiment has an entrance and an exit, four lines of rollers are arranged in turn from the entrance to the exit to form the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage draft zones, and each draft zone is respectively located between the adjacent two lines of rollers.
To be specific, the four lines of rollers of said drafting mechanism are the rear drafting roller pair, the middle-rear drafting roller pair, the middle-front drafting roller pair, and the front drafting roller pair, respectively; the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ), second-stage draft zone ( 2 ), and third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) are respectively formed between said rear drafting roller pair and middle-rear drafting roller pair, between said middle-rear drafting roller pair and middle-front drafting roller pair, and between said middle-front drafting roller pair and front drafting roller pair.
Said rear drafting roller pair consists of a rear upper roller ( 9 ) and a rear lower roller ( 10 ), said middle-rear drafting roller pair consists of a middle-rear upper roller ( 11 ) with a middle-rear upper apron ( 17 ) and a middle-rear lower roller ( 12 ) with a middle-rear lower apron ( 18 ), said middle-front drafting roller pair consists a middle-front upper roller ( 13 ) with a middle-front upper apron ( 19 ) and a middle-front lower roller ( 14 ) with a middle-front lower apron ( 20 ), and said front draft roller pair consists of a front upper roller ( 15 ) and a front lower roller ( 16 ).
Said rear lower roller ( 10 ), middle-rear lower roller ( 12 ), middle-front lower roller ( 14 ), and front lower roller ( 16 ) are respectively driven by corresponding servo motors ( 25 , 26 , 27 , and 28 ) to rotate; said rear upper roller ( 9 ), middle-rear upper roller ( 11 ), middle-front upper roller ( 13 ), and front upper roller ( 15 ) are driven by the corresponding rollers to rotate.
Detectors ( 21 , 22 , and 23 ) are respectively equipped in the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ), second-stage draft zone ( 2 ), and third-stage draft zone. The signal output ends of the detectors ( 21 , 22 , and 23 ) are respectively connected to the input end of a programmable logic controller (PLC) ( 29 ), and the control ends of the servo motors ( 25 , 26 , 27 , and 28 ) are respectively connected to the controlling end of the PLC ( 29 ). The PLC ( 29 ) is equipped with a touch screen ( 30 ). A downward-pressing bar ( 31 ) is additionally equipped in the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ).
In addition, the drafting mechanism has a cradle ( 24 ), and a fiber strip feeding device ( 8 ) at the entrance.
It should be noted that the detectors ( 21 , 22 , and 23 ) are all products of the prior art in the market. They may be a detector which can simultaneously detect the twist and fiber weight of the target object, or be the combination of a twist detector and a fiber weight detector.
The method for drafting spun yarns in three stages in the embodiment comprises the following steps:
Step 1. A fiber strip ( 32 ) whose twist and weight are detected in advance is fed from the entrance of the drafting mechanism, the fiber strip ( 32 ) is drafted in the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ) to obtain a fiber strand ( 4 ); the twist of the fiber strand ( 4 ) is 75% to 95% of that of the fiber strip ( 32 ) and the weight of the fiber strand ( 4 ) is 71% to 99% of that of the fiber strip ( 32 ); the draft ratio in the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ) is 1.01 to 1.40.
In step 1, the detector ( 21 ) in the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ) sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber strand ( 4 ) to the controller ( 29 ); the controller ( 29 ) compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the first-stage draft zone ( 1 ) and adjusts the revolutions of the rear drafting roller pair and the middle-rear drafting roller pair through the corresponding servo motors ( 25 and 26 ) according to the comparison result so that the twist and weight of the obtained fiber strand ( 4 ) meet the above-mentioned requirements.
Step 2. The fiber strand ( 4 ) is drafted in the second-stage draft zone ( 2 ) to obtain a non-discrete fiber band ( 5 ) without twist redistribution; the twist of the fiber band ( 5 ) is 15% to 60% of that of the fiber strip ( 32 ), and the weight of the fiber band ( 5 ) is 47% to 98% of that of the fiber strip ( 32 ); the draft ratio in the second-stage draft zone ( 2 ) is 1.01 to 1.52.
In step 2, the detector ( 22 ) in the second-stage draft zone ( 2 ) sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber band ( 5 ) to the controller ( 29 ); the controller ( 29 ) compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the second-stage draft zone ( 2 ) and adjusts the revolutions of the middle-front drafting roller pair according to the comparison result and the revolutions of the middle-rear drafting roller pair so that the twist and weight of the obtained fiber band ( 5 ) meet the above-mentioned requirements.
In addition, the middle-rear upper apron ( 17 ) and middle-rear lower apron ( 18 ), and the middle-front upper apron ( 19 ) and middle-front lower apron ( 20 ) respectively touch each other closely and rotate reversely to frictionally untwist and draft the fiber strand ( 4 ) to obtain a non-discrete fiber band ( 5 ) without twist redistribution.
Step 3. The fiber band ( 5 ) is drafted in the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) to obtain a twist less fiber assembly ( 6 ); the weight of the fiber assembly ( 6 ) is 0.3% to 9.8% of that of the fiber strip ( 32 ); the draft ratio in the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) is 10 to 150; the obtained fiber assembly ( 6 ) is output as a prepared fiber body ( 7 ) from the exit of the drafting mechanism and is then twisted into spun yarns.
In step 3, the detector ( 23 ) in the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) sends a detection signal containing the twist and fiber weight of the obtained fiber assembly ( 6 ) to the controller ( 29 ); the controller ( 29 ) compares the detection signal with the preset value or scope of preset value of the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) and adjusts the revolutions of the front drafting roller pair according to the comparison result and the revolutions of the middle-front drafting roller pair so that the obtained fiber assembly ( 6 ) is twist less and its fiber weight meets the above-mentioned requirement.
In addition, the downward-pressing bar ( 31 ) touches the fiber assembly ( 6 ) to press the fiber assembly ( 6 ) down slightly. The detector ( 23 ) in the third-stage draft zone ( 3 ) can be a trace detector so that it can better detect the fiber weight.
In the above-mentioned method, the controller ( 29 ) can adjust the revolutions of all lines of rollers as a whole so that the change of the revolutions of the roller is accurate, timely, and consistent.
Besides the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention has other embodiments. All technical solutions formed by adopting equivalent replacement or transformation should fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.
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The present invention relates to a method for drafting spun yarns in three stages. The method comprises drafting fiber strips to obtain fiber strands in the first-stage draft zone, drafting fiber strands to obtain non-discrete fiber bands without twist distribution in the second-stage draft zone, and drafting fiber bands to obtain twist less fiber assemblies in the third-stage draft zone. The methods optimize the maximum total draft ratio to obtain twist less fiber assemblies while maintaining evenness and required quality of resultant yarns.
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This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/689,105, filed Jun. 10, 2005 which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to novel antibody compositions, and processes and kits for preparing cell preparations of different subsets of mouse mammary cells, and the use of the cell preparations in the study of cell biology and cancer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The mammary gland is a compound tubulo-alveolar gland that is composed of a series of branched ducts that, during lactation, drain sac-like alveoli (lobules). In the rodent, the mammary epithelium is embedded within a mammary fat pad rich in stromal (non-epithelial cells). The mammary epithelium is composed of two lineages of epithelial cells: the luminal cells (which make milk during lactation) and basal positioned myoepithelial cells. Generation and maintenance of the mammary epithelium is via the mammary stem cell (MaSC), which is defined here as that cell that can generate both the ductal and lobular structures of the mammary gland, can generate all the cell lineages of the mammary epithelium and can self-renew. The MaSC is of interest to the breast cancer biologist since cancer theory suggests that it is the stem cell, and possibly some of its more immediate descendants that have decreased stem cell potential but still have proliferative potential that are the targets for malignant transformation. As well, recent publications in the literature demonstrate that malignancies themselves have a stem cell component that propagates the tumor (Al-Hajj M, Wicha M S, Benito-Hernandez A, Morrison S J, Clarke M F. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100:3983-8). This has huge implications in the treatment of cancer since it suggests that in order for cancer to be successfully contained or eradicated, it is the tumor stem cell component that has to be the therapeutic target. The ability to identify and purify mammary stem cells as well as mammary cells with high proliferative capacity but not necessarily having stem cell properties would be invaluable to the study of breast cancer and epithelial cell tumor biology.
In 1998 an experiment was performed which definitively demonstrated that a cell exists within the mouse mammary gland that fulfils the criteria of a MaSC (Kordon E C, Smith G H. Development 1998;125:1921-30). Our own experiments involving transplantation of freshly isolated non-cultured mammary epithelial cells obtained from adult female mice into recipient mice indicates that MaSC occur at a frequency of about 1 cell in 1,300 total mammary cells and that there are approximately 1,400 MaSC per gland in the mouse.
There have been a number of in vitro studies trying to characterize the cells with proliferative potential in the human, mouse and rat mammary glands in a hope to identify the mammary stem cell. These experiments typically involve seeding phenotypically distinct subtypes of mammary cells at clonal densities in culture dishes in order to identify cells with growth potential by their ability to form colonies. Cells with the potential to form colonies in vitro are termed colony-forming cells (CFCs), and these assays detect all cells that have growth potential, regardless if they are stem cells or not. The inventors research data has demonstrated that the majority (>90%) of CFCs are not stem cells, but cells with growth potential that reside lower in the cellular hierarchy than stem cells. CFCs themselves can be subdivided into different subtypes such as luminal-restricted CFCs (which can only give rise to luminal cells) and bipotent CFCs (which can generate both luminal and myoepithelial cells). In the mouse mammary gland, approximately 90% of all CFCs are of the luminal-restricted type. The phenotypes of mammary CFCs isolated from different species are summarized in Table I:
These in vitro studies to characterize CFCs are limited because colony assays, in their current state, are unable to identify MaSC and to discriminate between MaSC that generate colonies from other CFCs that are deficient in stem cell properties.
The first insight into the phenotype of MaSC was reported by Welm and colleagues who demonstrated that expression of the cell surface molecule Sca-1 enriches for MaSCs that generate ductal-lobular outgrowths when transplanted into the cleared mammary fat pads of recipient mice (Welm B E, Tepera S B, Venezia T, Graubert T A, Rosen J M, Goodell M A. Dev Biol 2002;245:42-56). However this is a crude enrichment strategy since approximately 20-60% of all mammary cells express Sca-1, and thus MaSC are far from being purified in Sca-1 + enriched subpopulations. To date, there has been no description of a method in the prior art that permits the isolation to high purity of stromal, luminal, myoepithelial, CFCs and MaSC subpopulations of mammary cells. The current method of invention satisfies this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to antibody compositions and methods that can be used to separate non-epithelial cells from epithelial cells in a sample containing mammary cells. The present inventors have developed antibody compositions and a method that can be used to identify the following mammary cell subtypes:
Stromal (non-epithelial); and Epithelial, which comprise the subtypes:
Luminal; Myoepithelial; Luminal-restricted CFC; and MaSC.
The present invention relies on the observation that mammary stem cells (MaSC) express CD24 and high levels of CD49f (α-6 integrin), but do not express the hematopoietic markers CD45, Ter 119 and the endothelial marker CD31. Enrichment of mammary cells on the basis of this strategy (CD45 − /Ter 119 − /CD31 − /CD49f ++ /CD24 + ) as outlined this patent application results in a purity of about 1 MaSC in 20 sorted cells. CD140a is a marker expressed by many of the mammary stromal cells and some mammary cells (Crowley M. R., Bowtell D and Serra R. Dev Biol 2005;279: 58-72). Inclusion of CD140a into the stromal cell-depletion cocktail results in similar MaSC purities following FACS. Although the use of the markers CD45, Ter 119, CD31 and CD140a is not essential to isolate MaSCs and CFCs, their use is beneficial since many of these cells types co-express CD24 and CD49f and thus can decrease the purity of stem and CFC cell enriched fractions. This is particularly so in mammary cell preparations with high levels of stromal cell contamination.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of separating non-epithelial cells from epithelial cells in a sample containing mammary cells comprising 1) reacting the sample with an antibody composition capable of binding to antigens on non-epithelial cells under conditions so that conjugates are formed between the antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the non-epithelial antigens; 2) removing the conjugates; and 3) recovering a cell preparation which is enriched in mammary epithelial cells.
The antibody composition used to isolate non-epithelial cells preferably comprises antibodies that bind to CD45, Ter 119, CD31 and optionally CD140a.
In a preferred embodiment, the method is used to enrich for mammary stem cells or luminal restricted colony forming cells. Accordingly, the present inventions provides a method of enriching for mammary stem cells or luminal restricted colony forming cells in a sample containing mammary cells comprising 1) reacting the sample with a first antibody composition capable of binding to antigens on non-epithelial cells under conditions so that conjugates are formed between the antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the non-epithelial antigens; 2) removing the conjugates; 3) recovering a cell preparation which is enriched in mammary epithelial cells; and 4) reacting the sample enriched in epithelial cells with a second antibody composition cable of binding the antigens CD24 and/or CD49f under conditions so that conjugates form between antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the antigens CD24 and/or CD49f; and 5) recovering cells that are bound by the antibodies.
The present invention also relates to a kit useful in performing the process of the invention and instructions for performing the process of the invention. The invention further relates to cell preparations obtained in accordance with the process of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 : Six day-old pure luminal cell colony grown in vitro.
FIG. 2 : Expression of CD24 among cells of the mouse mammary gland. Arrows indicate CD24 + endothelial cells and arrowheads indicate CD24 + stromal cells.
FIG. 3 : Whole mount of a mouse mammary fat pad illustrating the outgrowth obtained by implanting a mouse MaSC.
FIG. 4 : FACS dot plot showing the distribution of CD45 − /Ter119 − /CD31 − /CD140a − cells according to their co-expression of CD24 and CD49f. The different cell subpopulations are indicated by circles and arrows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I. Definitions
The term “differentiated cells” used herein refers to mouse mammary cells which have limited or no proliferative capacity. The differentiated cells represent the specialized end cells that serve a specific function. In the case of the mammary gland, these cells are the luminal cells and the myoepithelial cells.
The term “colony-forming cells” or “CFCs”, also known as “progenitor cells” used herein refers to cells which are the immediate precursors to the differentiated cells. They have extensive proliferative capacity. In the mouse mammary gland, approximately 90° of all CFCs have a luminal cell phenotype and give rise to only pure luminal epithelial cell colonies. Mammary CFCs can be detected by their ability to generate colonies in vitro. FIG. 1 illustrates a pure luminal cell colony generated after 6 days of culture.
The term “stem cells” used herein refers the cells that give rise to the CFCs. Mammary stem cells (MaSC) are defined as those cells that can generate both the ductal and lobular structures of the mammary gland, can generate all the cell lineages of the mammary epithelium and can self-renew.
The term “antibody” is understood to include monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies, antibody fragments (e.g., Fab, and F(ab′) 2 ) and recombinantly produced binding partners. Antibodies are understood to be reactive against a selected antigen on the surface of a cell if they bind with an affinity (association constant) of greater than or equal to 10 7 M −1 .
II. Methods and Compositions
The present invention provides a method of separating non-epithelial cells from epithelial cells in a sample containing mammary cells comprising 1) reacting the sample with an antibody composition capable of binding to antigens on non-epithelial cells under conditions so that conjugates are formed between the antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the non-epithelial antigens; 2) removing the conjugates; and 3) recovering a cell preparation which is enriched in mammary epithelial cells.
In a preferred embodiment, the method is used to enrich for mammary stem cells or luminal restricted colony forming cells. Accordingly, the present inventions provides a method of enriching for mammary stem cells or luminal restricted colony forming cells in a sample containing mammary cells comprising 1) reacting the sample with a first antibody composition capable of binding to antigens on non-epithelial cells under conditions so that conjugates are formed between the antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the non-epithelial antigens; 2) removing the conjugates; 3) recovering a cell preparation which is enriched in mammary epithelial cells; and 4) reacting the sample enriched in epithelial cells with a second antibody composition cable of binding the antigens CD24 and/or CD49f under conditions so that conjugates form between antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the antigens CD24 and/or CD49f; and recovering cells that are bound by the antibodies.
The antibody composition used to isolate non-epithelial cells preferably comprises antibodies that bind to CD45, Ter119, CD31 and optionally CD140a.
CD45 and Ter119 are cell surface proteins that are preferentially expressed by cells of the hematopoietic system (CD45. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 244-47, 1997; Kina T, Ikuta K, Takayama E, Wada K, Majumdar A S, Weissman I L, Katsura Y. Br J Haematol. 2000;109: 280-7). CD31 is a cell surface protein that is preferentially, but not exclusively expressed by endothelial cells (CD31. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 206-8, 1997), whereas CD140a is a cell surface protein that is preferentially, but not exclusively expressed by stromal cells (Orr-Urtreger A, Lonai P. Development. 1992;1 15:1045-58). It is expressed by some cells of the mammary epithelium (Crowley M. R., Bowtell D. and Serra R. Dev Biol 2005; 279:58-72).
CD49f is a cell surface protein that is widely distributed among cells of different tissues (CD49f. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay AN, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 267-8, 1997). In the epithelia, it is preferentially expressed by the cells in the basal compartment (Carter, W. G., Kaur, P., Gil, S. G., Gahr, P. J. & Wayner, E. A. J Cell Biol. 1990: 111, 3141-54). CD24 is widely distributed among cells of different tissues (CD24. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 192-3, 1997). In the mammary (gland, it is widely distributed through-out the epithelium and the stroma ( FIG. 2 ). Many CD45 + /Ter119 + /CD31 + /CD140a + cells express either or both CD49f and CD24.
The present invention also relies on the observation that mammary cell populations enriched for stem cell activity (CD45 − /Ter119 − /CD31 − /CD140a − / CD49f ++ /CD24 + phenotype) are deficient in CFCs since approximately 90% of all CFCs are luminal-restricted CFCs and have a slightly different phenotype in which CD49f is expressed at lower levels (CD45 − /Ter119 − /CD31 31 /CD 140a − / CD49f + /CD24+). Accordingly, the present invention allows one to distinguish the MaSC from the CFCs.
The presence of stem cells can be detected by transplanting a cell suspension containing a stem cell into epithelium-free (“cleared”) mouse mammary fat pads. Six weeks following implantation and pregnancy, engraftment can be detected by resecting the fat pad from the mouse and staining the fat pad with a dye to highlight the mammary tree. An example of an engrafted fat pad is illustrated in FIG. 3 .
When the present invention is used in a cell separation technology such as flow cytometry, the entire mammary epithelial hierarchy spanning from stem cells to differentiated luminal and myoepithelial cells can be visualized on a flow cytometry plot as illustrated in FIG. 4 . Consequently, any of the mammary cell subpopulations can be identified and isolated to high purity. This method is superior to any method described to date since it no other method permits the differential isolation of MaSC and luminal-restricted CFCs. The method is also unique since there is no prior art describing the visualization of the mammary hierarchy.
Two general approaches may be used to differentially isolate the different subsets of mammary cells. The first is to label a portion of the non-epithelial component of the mammary cell suspension with antibodies specific for the cell surface epitopes CD45, Ter119, CD31 and CD140a and then to selectively deplete these cells by a negative selection strategy. Such strategies include directly or indirectly conjugating these antibodies to some type of a matrix such as magnetic beads, a panning surface, dense particles for density centrifugation, and adsorption column or an adsorption membrane. The leftover epithelial enriched population of mammary cells is then labeled with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies specific for CD24 and CD49f and the different epithelial cell subpopulations (as well as CD45 − /Ter119 − /CD31 − /CD 140a − stromal cells) can be visualized by flow cytometry.
A second alternative method is to use stromal- and hematopoietic-specific (CD45/Ter119/CD31/CD140a) antibodies, CD24 antibodies and CD49f antibodies each conjugated directly or indirectly to a different fluorochrome. As a result, the contaminating CD45 + /Ter119 + /CD31 + /CD 140a + stromal and hematopoietic cells can be gated out from the CD24 and CD49f flow cytometry analysis.
The present invention relates to the method of differentially labeling mouse MaSC and luminal-restricted CFCs with antibodies specific for the CD24 and CD49f cell surface epitopes and the subsequent isolation of different subtypes of mammary cells, including MaSC and CFCs to high purities by flow cytometry.
The present invention relates to the antibody composition comprising antibodies specific for the CD24 and CD49f cell surface epitopes to differentially label mouse MaSC and luminal-restricted CFCs and to use this differential labeling strategy to isolate the different subtypes of mammary cells, including MaSC and CFCs to high purities by flow cytometry.
The antibodies used in the method of the invention may be labeled with a marker or they may be conjugated to a matrix. Examples of markers are biotin, which can be removed by avidin bound to a support, and fluorochromes, e.g. fluorescein, which provide for separation using fluorescence activated sorters. Examples of matrices are magnetic beads, which allow for direct magnetic separation (Kemshead J T. J Hematother 1992;1:35-44), panning surfaces e.g. plates, (Lebkowski, J. S, et al., (1994), J. of Cellular Biochemistry supple. 18b:58), dense particles for density centrifugation (Van Vlasselaer, P., Density Adjusted Cell Sorting (DACS), A Novel Method to Remove Tumor Cells From Peripheral Blood and Bone Marrow StemCell Transplants. (1995) 3rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation-Clinical Progress, New Technologies and Gene Therapy, San Diego, Calif.), dense particles alone (Zwerner et al., Immunol. Meth. 1996 198(2):199-202) adsorption columns (Berenson et al. 1986, Journal of Immunological Methods 91:11-19.), and adsorption membranes.
The antibodies in the antibody compositions may be directly or indirectly coupled to a matrix. For example, the antibodies that bind non-epithelial cells in the compositions may be chemically bound to the surface of magnetic particles for example, using cyanogen bromide. When the magnetic particles are reacted with a sample, conjugates will form between the magnetic particles with bound antibodies specific for antigens on the surfaces of the non-epithelial cells and the cells having the antigens on their surfaces.
Alternatively, the antibodies may be indirectly conjugated to a matrix using antibodies. For example, a matrix may be coated with a second antibody having specificity for the antibodies in the antibody composition. By way of example, if the antibodies in the antibody composition are mouse IgG antibodies, the second antibody may be rabbit anti-mouse IgG.
The antibodies in the antibody compositions may also be incorporated in antibody reagents which indirectly conjugate to a matrix. Examples of antibody reagents are bispecific antibodies, tetrameric antibody complexes, and biotinylated antibodies.
Bispecific antibodies contain a variable region of an antibody in an antibody composition of the invention, and a variable region specific for at least one antigen on the surface of a matrix. The bispecific antibodies may be prepared by forming hybrid hybridomas. The hybrid hybridomas may be prepared using the procedures known in the art such as those disclosed in Staerz & Bevan, (1986, PNAS (USA) 83: 1453) and Staerz & Bevan, (1986, Immunology Today, 7:241). Bispecific antibodies may also be constructed by chemical means using procedures such as those described by Staerz et al., (1985, Nature, 314:628) and Perez et al., (1985 Nature 316:354), or by expression of recombinant immunoglobulin gene constructs.
A tetrameric immunological complex may be prepared by mixing a first monoclonal antibody which is capable of binding to at least one antigen on the surface of a matrix, and a second monoclonal antibody from the antibody composition of the invention. The first and second monoclonal antibody are from a first animal species. The first and second antibody are reacted with an about equimolar amount of monoclonal antibodies of a second animal species which are directed against the Fc-fragments of the antibodies of the first animal species. The first and second antibody may also be reacted with an about equimolar amount of the F(ab′) 2 fragments of monoclonal antibodies of a second animal species which are directed against the Fc-fragments of the antibodies of the first animal species. (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,109 to Lansdorp, which is incorporated herein by reference for a description of tetrameric antibody complexes and methods for preparing same).
The antibodies of the invention may be biotinylated and indirectly conjugated to a matrix which is labeled with (strept) avidin. For example, biotinylated antibodies contained in the antibody composition of the invention may be used in combination with magnetic iron-dextran particles that are covalently labeled with (strept) avidin (Miltenyi, S. et al., Cytometry 11:231, 1990). Many alternative indirect ways to specifically cross-link the antibodies in the antibody composition and matrices would also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
In an embodiment of the invention, the cell conjugates are removed by magnetic separation using magnetic particles. Suitable magnetic particles include particles in ferrofluids and other colloidal magnetic solutions. “Ferrofluid” refers to a colloidal solution containing particles consisting of a magnetic core, such as magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) coated or embedded in material that prevents the crystals from interacting. Examples of such materials include proteins, such as ferritin, polysaccharides, such as dextrans, or synthetic polymers such as sulfonated polystyrene cross-linked with divinylbenzene. The core portion is generally too small to hold a permanent magnetic field. The ferrofluids become magnetized when placed in a magnetic field. Examples of ferrofluids and methods for preparing them are described by Kemshead J. T. (1992) in J. Hematotherapy, 1:35-44, at pages 36 to 39, and Ziolo et al. Science (1994) 257:219 which are incorporated herein by reference. Colloidal particles of dextran-iron complex are preferably used in the process of the invention. (See Molday, R. S. and McKenzie, L. L. FEBS Lett. 170:232, 1984; Miltenyi et al., Cytometry 11:231, 1990; and Molday, R. S. and MacKenzie, D., J. Immunol. Methods 52:353, 1982; Thomas et al., J. Hematother. 2:297 (1993); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,733, which are each incorporated herein by reference).
In accordance with the magnetic separation method, the sample containing the epithelial cells to be recovered, is reacted with the above described antibody reagents, preferably tetrameric antibody complexes, so that the antibody reagents bind to the non-epithelial cells present in the sample to form cell conjugates of the targeted non-epithelial cells and the antibody reagents. The reaction conditions are selected to provide the desired level of binding of the targeted non-epithelial cells and the antibody reagents. Preferably the sample is incubated with the antibody reagents for a period of 5 to 60 minutes at either 4° or ambient room temperature. The concentration of the antibody reagents is selected depending on the estimated concentration of the targeted differentiated cells in the sample. Generally, the concentration is between about 0.1 to 50 μg/ml of sample. The magnetic particles are then added and the mixture is incubated for a period of about 5 minutes to 30 minutes at the selected temperature. The sample is then ready to be separated in a magnetic device.
The preparation containing non-magnetically labeled MaSC or CFC cells may be analyzed using procedures such as flow cytometry. The activity of the MaSC cells in the preparation may also be assessed for example by transplanting into mice as described previously.
III. Uses of the Compositions and Methods of the Invention
The invention may be used in the isolation of different subsets of mouse mammary cells including MaSC and luminal-restricted progenitor cells. These cells are of interest to breast cancer biologists, mammary gland biologists and developmental biologists. In particular, the ability to purify mammary progenitors and stem cells free of stromal cell contamination is important in determining the gene expression profiles of these cells and the factors that regulate their cell behaviour.
The invention includes kits for preparing samples enriched in mammary epithelial cells comprising antibodies that bind to non-epithelial cells in a mammary sample and instructions for the use thereof. The antibody composition for use in the kit preferably comprises antibodies that bind to CD45, Ter119, CD31 and CD140a.
The invention further includes kits for preparing samples enriched in MaSC or CFC cells comprising antibodies that bind to CD24 and/or CD49f and instructions for the use thereof.
The following non-limiting examples are illustrative of the present invention:
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Method for Separating Epithelial and Non-epithelial Cells in a Mammary Cell Sample
Mammary glands from young adult female mice were removed and digested for 8 hours at 37° C. in EpiCult-B™ (StemCell Technologies, Vancouver, BC, Canada) supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 300 U/mL collagenase and 100 U/mL hyaluronidase (StemCell Technologies). At the end of this time, the preparation was vortexed and centrifuged at 450 g for 5 minutes. The supernatant was discarded and contaminating red blood cells lysed with an ammonium chloride wash. Following centrifugation, the cells were suspended in 2 mL of 0.25% trypsin prewarmed to 37° C. and further dissociated by gentle pipetting for 1-2 minutes. The cells were then washed once with 10 mL of Hank's Balanced Salt Solution supplemented with 2% FBS (HF) and incubated with 5 mg/mL dispase II (StemCell Technologies) and 0.1 mg/mL deoxyribonuclease I (StemCell Technologies) for 2 min at 37° C. The resultant cell suspension was diluted with HF and then filtered through a 40 μm mesh to obtain a single cell suspension.
Hematopoietic (CD45 + and Ter119 + ), endothelial (CD31 + ) and stromal (CD140a + ) cells were removed by pre-incubating freshly dissociated cells in 2 μg/mL Fc receptor antibody 2.4G2 (American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md., USA) followed by a 10 minute incubation with biotin-conjugated antibodies specific for CD45 (clone 30-F11 from BD Pharmingen, San Diego, USA), Ter119 (clone Ter119 from BD Pharmingen), CD31 (clone MEC13.3 from BD Pharmingen) and with CD140a (clone APA5 from eBioscience, San Diego, Calif., USA). Antibody concentrations during the incubation process typically ranged from 0.5-2.0 μg/mL. Labeled cells (the non-epithelial cells) were then linked to magnetic nanoparticles using the EasySep™ Biotin Selection Kit (StemCell Technologies), and removed by placing the cell suspension in a magnet. Unlabelled cells (CD45 − /Ter119 − /CD31 − /CD140a − ) were poured off. These unlabelled cells are enriched for mammary epithelial cells.
Example 2
Method for Isolating Mammary Stem Cells or Luminal-restricted Colony Forming Cells from a Suspension of Mammary Epithelial Cells
A suspension of mammary epithelial cells prepared as in Example 1 above, or prepared using flow cytometry, was labeled with antibodies recognizing epitopes of the cell surface proteins CD24 and CD49f. A suitable antibody clone specific for mouse CD24 is the M1/69 clone (BD Pharmingen). A suitable antibody clone specific for mouse CD49f is the GoH3 clone (BD Pharmingen). Both antibodies are used at a concentration of 1 μg/mL during the incubation process. The CD24 and CD49f antibodies are directly conjugated to different fluorochromes that are also distinct from that used to identify the CD45 + /Ter119 + /CD31 +/CD 140a + cells. Following treatment of the cell suspension with an agent to discriminate cells with non-intact plasma membranes (e.g., propidium iodide) the labeled cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and cells at any stage of differentiation from MaSC to differentiated luminal and myoepithelial cells were selectively isolated using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) (see FIG. 4 ).
Example 3
Assessment of the Colony Forming Cell and Mammary Stem Cell Content of Enriched Cell Populations
The MaSC and CFC cell populations, isolated as described in Example 2, were then assessed for MaSC and CFC content by transplantation into cleared fat pads (Kordon E C, Smith G H. Development 1998; 12:1921-30) and by in vitro colony assays (Stingl J, Zandieh I, Eaves C J, Emerman J T. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2001:67:93-109), respectively. The MaSC fraction was found to be highly enriched from stem cells since approximately 80% of all stem cells present in the mouse mammary gland were in this subpopulation at a highly enriched frequency of 1 stem cell in 60 cells (from FVB mice) and 1 stem cell per 90 cells (from C57B1/6 mice). This represents an approximately 25-fold enrichment over non-sorted cells.
Self-renewal is the hallmark property of stem cells. To examine the self-renewal properties of MaSCs, 34 fat pads were transplanted with low numbers (11-42) of MaSC-enriched (CD24 med CD49f high ) cells. Because outgrowths were produced in only 11 of the 34 fat pads injected, most of these could be assumed to have arisen from a single MaSC. Secondary limiting dilution MaSC assays were performed on cell suspensions prepared from 4 of these 11 primary outgrowths, and the results demonstrated that they contained 25, 110, 190 and 1,200 MaSCs respectively. Thus, highly purified MaSCs could be shown to execute at least ten symmetrical self-renewal divisions.
The CFC fraction, identified in FIG. 4 , was found to be highly purified for luminal-restricted CFCs, with approximately 1 CFC for every 6 sorted cells. This represented approximately 90% of all CFCs present in the mammary gland. The MaSC frequency in the CFC fraction is <1 in 230 sorted cells (FVB mice) and <1 in 6,100 sorted cells ( C57B1/6 mice).
Example 4
Evaluation of the Gene Expression Profile of Mammary Stem and Progenitor Cells
The gene expression profile of MaSC- and CFC-enriched cell fractions isolated as described in Examples 1 and 2 was examined. Total ribonucleic acid (RNA) was isolated and the gene expression profiles of the different subsets of cells were analyzed by microarray analysis. The genes preferentially expressed by the different subsets of cells were identified. Affymetrix mouse MOE430 genome array chips indicated that the Ma-CFC-enriched cells contain higher levels of keratin 8, 18 and 19 transcripts and a variety of casein transcripts, also typical of luminal cells, in comparison to either the MaSC-enriched or myoepithelial cells. Conversely, transcripts for keratins 5 and 14, smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle myosin, vimentin and laminin, all of which show elevated expression in basal/myoepithelial cells, were found to be present at higher levels in the MaSC-enriched and myoepithelial populations. However, significant differences in gene expression were not evident when the latter two fractions were compared. The differences in keratin 14, 18 and 19 and smooth muscle actin transcript levels in the three populations studied were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Notably, transcripts for keratin 6, a putative progenitor cell marker, were also found to be highest in the fraction enriched in Ma-CFCs. This example is the first description of the gene expression profiles of highly purified mammary stem and progenitor cell fractions.
TABLE I
CFC Phenotype
Luminal-restricted
Bipotent CFC
Species
CFC Phenotype
phenotype
References
Human
EpCAM + /CD49f + /
EpCAM + /CD49f + /
Stingl J, Eaves CJ, Kuusk U, Emerman JT.
MUC1 + /CD133 + /
MUC1 − /CD133 − /
Differentiation 1998; 63: 201-13.
CD10 − /Thy-1 −
CD10 + /Thy-1 +
Stingl J, Zandieh I, Eaves CJ, Emerman JT..
Breast Cancer Res Treat 2001: 67: 93-109.
Stingl J, Raouf A, Emerman JT and Eaves CJ.
J Mammary Gland Biology Neoplasia
2005; 10: 49-59.
O'Hare MJ, Ormerod MG, Monaghan P,
Lane EB, Gusterson BA. Differentiation
1991; 46: 209-21.
Kao CY, Nomata K, Oakley CS, Welsch CW
and Chang CC. Carcinogenesis
1995; 16: 531-38.
Kao CY, Oakley CS, Welsch CW, Chang CC.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim
1997; 33: 282-88.
Stingl J, Eaves CJ, Emerman JT. In: Ip M
and Asch BB, editors. Methods in
Mammary Gland Biology and Breast
Cancer Research. New York (NY): Kluwer
Academic/Plenum Publishers; 2000. p.
177-93.
Clarke C, Titley J, Davies S and O'Hare MJ.
Epithelial Cell Biol 1994; 3: 38-46.
Rat
Peanut Agglutinin binding + Thy-1 −
Kim ND and Clifton KH. Experimental
Cell Res 1993; 207: 74-85.
MUC1 +
CD10 +
Dundas SR, Ormerod MG, Gusterson BA,
O'Hare MJ. J Cell Sci 1991; 100: 459-71.
Mouse
CD45 − /CD49f − /Sca-1 low /PNA +
Stingl J, Ricketson I, Choi D, Eaves CJ.
Proceed Am Assoc Cancer Res
2004; 45: 641-2.
mMFGM +
JB6 epitope +
Smalley MJ, Titley J and O'Hare MJ. In
Vitro Cell Dev Biol-Animal 1998; 34;
711-721.
mMFGM = mouse milk fat globule membrane
JB6 = antibody of unknown epitope specificity
REFERENCES
Al-Hajj M, Wicha M S, Benito-Hernandez A, Morrison S J, Clarke M F. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100:3983-8.
Berenson et al. 1986, Journal of Immunological Methods 91:11-19.
CD24. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 192-3, 1997.
CD31. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 206-8, 1997.
CD45. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 244-47, 1997.
CD49f. In: The Leukocyte Antigen Facts Book. Barclay A N, Brown M H, Law S K A, McKnight A J, Tomlinson M G van der Merwe P A (Eds.) Academic Press Inc., San Diego, USA, pp 267-8, 1997.
Carter, W. G., Kaur, P., Gil, S. G., Gahr, P. J. & Wayner, E. A. J Cell Biol. 1990: 111, 3141-54.
Clarke C, Titley J, Davies S and O′Hare M J. Epithelial Cell Biol 1994;3: 38-46.
Crowley M. R., Bowtell D. and Serra R. Dev Biol 279:58-72.
Dundas S R, Ormerod M G, Gusterson B A, O′Hare M J. J Cell Sci 1991;100:459-71.
Kao C Y, Nomata K, Oakley C S, Welsch C W and Chang C C. Carcinogenesis 1995;16:531-38.
Kao C Y, Oakley C S, Welsch C W, Chang C C. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 1997;33:282-88.
Kemshead J T. J Hematother 1992;1:35-44.
Kim N D and Clifton K H. Experimental Cell Res 1993;207: 74-85.
Kina T, Ikuta K, Takayama E, Wada K, Majumdar A S, Weissman I L, Katsura Y. Br J Haematol. 2000;109: 280-7.
Kordon E C, Smith G H. Development 1998;125:1921-30.
Lebkowski, J. S, et al., (1994), J. of Cellular Biochemistry supple. 18b:58
Miltenyi, S. et al., Cytometry 11:231, 1990
Molday, R. S. and MacKenzie, D., J. Immunol. Methods 52:353, 1982
Molday, R. S. and McKenzie, L. L. FEBS Lett. 170:232, 1984;
O′Hare M J, Ormerod M G, Monaghan P, Lane E B, Gusterson B A. Differentiation 1991;46:209-21.
Orr-Urtreger A, Lonai P. Development. 1992;1 15:1045-58.
Perez et al., (1985 Nature 316:354
Smalley M J, Titley J and O′Hare M J. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol-Animal 1998; 34; 711-721.
Staerz et al., (1985, Nature, 314:628)
Staerz & Bevan, (1986, PNAS (USA) 83: 1453
Staerz & Bevan, (1986, Immunology Today, 7:241
Stingl J, Eaves C J, Kuusk U, Emerman J T. Differentiation 1998;63:201-13.
Stingl J, Eaves C J, Emerman J T. In: Ip M and Asch B B, editors. Methods in Mammary Gland Biology and Breast Cancer Research. N.Y. (NY): Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers; 2000. p. 177-93.
Stingl J, Zandieh I, Eaves C J, Emerman J T. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2001:67:93-109.
Stingl J, Ricketson I, Choi D, Eaves C J. Proceed Am Assoc Cancer Res 2004;45:641-2.
Stingl J, Raouf A, Emerman J T and Eaves C J. J Mammary Gland Biology Neoplasia 2005; 10:49-59.
Thomas et al., J. Hematother. 2:297 (1993)
Van Vlasselaer, P., Density Adjusted Cell Sorting (DACS), A Novel Method to Remove Tumor Cells From Peripheral Blood and Bone Marrow StemCell Transplants. (1995) 3rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation-Clinical Progress, New Technologies and Gene Therapy, San Diego, Calif.
Welm B E, Tepera S B, Venezia T, Graubert T A, Rosen J M, Goodell M A. Dev Biol 2002;245 :42-56.
Ziolo et al. Science (1994) 257:219
Zwerner et al., Immunol. Meth. 1996 198(2):199-202
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The present invention relates to an improved method that permits the differential isolation of mouse mammary stem cells and colony forming cells (CFCs). The method involves depletion of non-epithelial cells from freshly dissociated mouse mammary tissue by incubation with an antibody composition containing antibodies specific for CD45, Ter119, CD35 and optionally CD140 a . After formation of conjugates between the non-epithelial mammary cells and the antibodies specific for CD45, Ter119, CD35 and optionally CD140 a , the cell conjugates are removed and the remaining epithelial cells are then incubated with an antibody composition containing antibodies specific for CD24 and CD49 f . After formation of conjugates between the epithelial cells and the antibodies specific for CD24 and CD49 f , the mouse mammary stem and the luminal-restricted CFC cells can be differentially isolated. The invention also relates to kits for carrying out this method and to the cell preparations prepared by this method.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic welding process and apparatus in which infrared energy is employed as a heat source and pneumatic pressure is used to force one member against another for welding.
There exists a variety of welding techniques for attaching two thermoplastic materials during the manufacture of articles, such as automobile interior panels and the like. Such methods and apparatus include hot plate welding, hot air jet welding, laser welding, and ultrasonic welding. In recent years, the use of infrared welding, such as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 7,006,763, has been employed and represents an improved, relatively inexpensive and easily serviceable system for providing multiple welds coupling one thermoplastic part to another. In such a system, infrared energy from, for example, a halogen light source is focused on a work piece through a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) or Winston cone and, subsequently, pressure is applied by mechanical means, such as an anvil or punch, for completing the welding process. Cooling air may be supplied for cooling the lamp and work piece. Although such a system provides an improved heat staking or infrared welding of thermoplastic materials, it still requires the use of movable mechanical arms for staking the work pieces together for completing the welding process after the infrared heating cycle.
There remains a need, therefore, for an improved method and apparatus for infrared welding of thermoplastic materials which does not employ mechanical staking or punching devices for completion of the welding process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system of the present invention satisfies this need by providing an infrared light source which focuses infrared energy onto a work surface through the open end of a reflector. The open end of the reflector includes an elastomeric seal for sealably coupling the end of the reflector directly to a work piece. Pneumatic pressure is applied through the reflector and the seal to urge the work pieces together during the heating process to complete the weld. In a preferred embodiment, the reflector is a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) or a Winston cone.
The method of infrared (IR) welding of the present invention includes the steps of applying concentrated IR energy to thermoplastic members while simultaneously applying pneumatic pressure to the work pieces for welding one member to another. With such a system and method, therefore, there is no need for separate mechanical anvils, punches or other mechanical feature to press the work pieces together.
The systems and methods of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, therefore, include a source of infrared energy including a concentrator having an open end facing a work piece, a seal extending between the open end of the concentrator and sealably engaging the work piece, and a supply of pneumatic pressure for pressurizing the interior space of the concentrator and urging the work pieces together while infrared energy is applied for completing the weld. The preferred methods embodying the present invention include the steps of sealing an infrared source of light to a work piece, applying infrared energy to the work pieces and applying pneumatic pressure to the work pieces through the source of infrared energy to urge the work pieces together during the thermoplastic welding of them.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an infrared welding apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the concentrator and seal of the apparatus as shown also in FIG. 3 ; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the method of operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring initially to FIG. 5 , there is shown a substrate 10 to which a work piece or thermoplastic part 12 is to be welded. One of the members 10 or 12 is made of a polymeric thermoplastic material which can be heated and fused utilizing infrared energy from a source 14 , such as a halogen lamp within the welding apparatus 20 of the present invention. Thus, one of the materials 10 or 12 may be polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, or a combination of such materials which may be employed for various parts, such as for automotive or other applications, including visors, door panels, headliners with thermoplastic crush absorbing panel members or the like, in which it is desired to secure one member to another without the need for separate mechanical fasteners.
As best seen in FIGS. 1-4 , molding apparatus 20 includes a cylindrical body 22 with a recess 24 for mounting the body to a vertically movable actuator 60 ( FIG. 5 ) in a conventional manner, such that the welding apparatus 20 can be moved from a raised position spaced from the work piece 12 to the welding position shown in FIG. 5 . In the welding position, the lower surface 36 ( FIG. 4 ) of an elastomeric seal 30 positioned at the end of a concentrator 26 surrounds the circular or other shaped opening 27 of the concentrator 26 and is in contact with and sealably engages the work piece 12 . The welding apparatus 20 includes a bulb socket 38 for receiving the infrared energy producing bulb 14 , such as a 100 watt halogen lamp. A supply conductor 16 for electrical energy is coupled to the bulb socket 38 in a conventional manner through the housing 22 to supply electrical operating energy to the bulb. Housing 22 sealably receives a reflector 34 by O-ring 37 . Reflector 34 surrounds the bulb 14 and has a parabolic surface 35 which collimates the IR rays. The concentrator directs the collimated rays downwardly through the open lower exit end 27 of the concentrator and opening 32 in the seal 30 . Concentrator 26 is a non-image-forming offset parabolic reflector similar to that described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,006,763, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The pattern of radiant energy projected by concentrator 26 onto area 15 ( FIG. 5 ) is an annular pattern. Concentrator 26 is coupled to housing 22 by opposed bayonet twist lock mounting slots and posts 40 , 42 , as seen in FIG. 2 , to provide easy access for replacement of bulb 14 as necessary. O-ring seal 45 seals concentrator 26 to housing 22 .
Coupled to housing 22 by means of a supply conduit 52 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) for pressurized air from a suitable source, such as a compressor, air tank, or the like. Pressurized air from the source extends through a channel 28 in seat plate 50 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and downwardly through aperture 25 in the socket 38 and into the center area 29 of concentrator 26 . The seal 30 , which surrounds and is mounted to concentrator 26 , as best seen in FIG. 4 , by a plurality of ridges and channels 31 and 33 , respectively, conforming to corresponding channels and ridges 21 and 23 in concentrator 26 for sealably snap-fitting the elastomeric seal onto the lower end of concentrator 26 . Seal 30 has an annular surface 36 in the embodiment shown which surrounds the work piece 12 in the area 15 ( FIG. 5 ) being welded. In the embodiment shown, area 15 is generally circular, although other geometries can also be employed depending on the geometry of the work piece involved.
As seen in FIG. 5 , the welding apparatus 20 is mounted to an actuator arm 60 which moves upwardly and downwardly, as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 5 , between a non-contacting position and the welding position shown in FIG. 5 . In an assembly environment, an array of welding units 20 may be mounted on a single platen in a pattern which conforms to the desired weld pattern between the work piece and the substrate to which the work piece is to be welded.
In one embodiment of the invention, the pressure applied between the surface 36 of the seal and the work piece 12 by arm 60 was approximately 10 to 40 pounds to effectively seal the concentrator 26 to the work piece 12 . The hold time was from about 2 to about 20 seconds with pneumatic pressure from conduit 52 at a pressure of from about 10 to about 80 pounds per square inch (PSI), depending upon the geometry of the work piece in relation to the substrate. Subsequent to the heating and holding time, the cooling time of from about 2 to about 20 seconds is achieved by moving the welding apparatus 20 about ⅛ inch from the surface 12 of the work piece and providing a cooling air flow of from about 1 to about 5 cubic feet per minute for a time sufficient to harden the molten weld area. Typically, the work piece and substrate are heated to a temperature of about 500° F. during the heat applying step by applying sufficient infrared energy from source 14 to the welding area 15 during the heating step. By supplying air pressure during the heating step of from about 10 to about 80 PSI, the pneumatic pressure (when seal 30 sealably engages surface 15 of the work piece 12 ) adds to the clamping pressure from arm 60 to effectively press the work piece 12 into the melted substrate 10 for the fusion/welding process. Only one of the members 10 , 12 need be a thermoplastic material, although in some applications both members will be thermoplastic. The elastomeric material employed for the seal 30 is selected to withstand the temperatures involved and may, for example, be a urethane or other suitable polymeric seal which is capable of withstanding the temperatures involved in the welding process and provide an effective seal between the concentrator 26 and work piece 12 during the welding process.
The control of actuator arm 60 and the application of pneumatic pressure to conduit 52 as well as power applied by conductor 16 to lamp 14 is achieved by conventional electro-pneumatic devices, such as valves and cylinders, and electrical control circuits known to those skilled in the art. The pressures applied and the holding time will vary depending on the thickness of the work piece, their material including color, and other well known factors to those in the infrared welding art.
It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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An infrared light source focuses infrared energy onto a work surface through the open end of a concentrator. The open end of the concentrator includes an elastomeric seal for sealably coupling the end of the concentrator directly to a work piece. Pneumatic pressure is applied through the concentrator and the seal to urge the work pieces together during the heating process to complete the weld. The method of infrared (IR) welding includes the steps of applying concentrated IR energy to at least one thermoplastic member while simultaneously applying pneumatic pressure to the work pieces for welding one member to another.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to fine sized ground tire rubber which is substituted as a partial rubber source for a specific tire component such as a tire tread.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, large particle size ground rubber (10 to 40 U.S. Standard Mesh) has been utilized for many years in various tire components, but with significant losses of physical properties. Ground tire rubber has also been utilized in asphalt.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Old, spent, worn, etc. Times with the fabric and metal removed therefrom are shredded. The remaining rubber is ground into fine sized particles of about 90 U.S. Standard Mesh or smaller. The particles, which are cured, are recycled by substituting the same for generally an equivalent removed amount of rubber and additives for a specific tire component.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As a replacement source of rubber, scrap, old, or worn tires are shredded and the non-rubber components thereof, such as tire belts, tire beads and fabric ply, are removed. The tires can be from passenger vehicles, buses, preferably trucks, and the like and can be of a bias ply construction or preferably of a radial ply construction. The major rubber components of such tires are generally natural rubber, synthetic isoprene, polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene rubber, halobutyl rubber, and the like. Such cured rubber which contains various additives therein is ground into fine sized particles and recycled by replacing generally an equivalent amount of a rubber otherwise used in the formulation of a tire component rubber. The above tires, of course, contain conventional or suitable amounts of typical additives known to the art such as one or more types of carbon black; curing aids such as sulfur or sulfur containing compounds; various accelerators, such as amines, disulfides, guanidines, thioureas, thiazoles, thiurarris, sulfenamides, dithiocarbamates, and the like. Other additives include silica; silica coupling agents; various oils such as aromatic, naphthenic, or paraffinic; various antioxidants and antiozonants such as various phenylenediamines; various aliphatic acids such as stearic acid; zinc oxide; various waxes such as micro crystalline waxes; various peptizers; and the like. Various fillers can also be utilized such as clay, for example kaolin clay, and the like.
An important aspect of the present invention is that the shredded tire rubber containing various additives therein is ground into fine size particles such as 90 mesh or smaller, desirably 120 or smaller, and preferably 200 U.S. Standard Mesh or smaller. Any rubber grinding method or process can be utilized so long as the rubber is not scorched, degraded, or otherwise damaged during grinding thereof. A particularly preferred method of grinding the rubber is in the presence of water, which keeps the rubber temperature low, as well as extinguishes any possibility of a fire. A more detailed description of such a preferred grinding method is set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,374,573; 4,714,201; 5,238,194; and 5,411,215, which are hereby fully incorporated by reference. Another method is cryogenically grinding the tire rubber. When cured rubber is recycled according to any of the above methods, and analyzed for chemical composition, a small portion (e.g. about 10%) is ash.
Cured, ground rubber is generally utilized in a slightly larger amount to replace, substitute, or compensate for a partial amount of uncured rubber-additive tire formulation. That is, if a specific tire component formulation, contains a total of 100 parts by weight of uncured rubber, and it is desired to add, for example, 30 parts by weight of ground rubber, a slightly smaller amount by weight, for example, about 27 parts by weight of the uncured tire formulation is deleted. Of the 27 parts deleted, 15 parts are rubber, 9 parts are filler (e.g. Carbon Black, Silica), and 3 parts are softener (e.g. oil). In other words, while the preferred amount of rubber and additives replaced, compensated or substituted is about 90% by weight of the recycled rubber added, the actual added recycled amount can generally range from about 40% to about 150%, desirably from about 60% to about 125%, and more desirably from about 80% to about 100%. Although different tire sources or a specific component of a tire will yield different amounts of basically three groups of compounds, that is rubber, fillers such as carbon black, silica, etc. and softeners such as oils, stearic acid, waxes, and the like, the amount of the replacement fine sized ground rubber cured particles containing additives therein is generally within the above noted ranges.
The actual amount of the recycled ground tire rubber particles utilized in any tire component rubber-additive formulation is generally up to or from about 2 to about 50 parts by weight, desirably from about 5 to about 30 parts by weight, and preferably from about 7 to about 15 or 20 parts by weight for every 100 total parts by weight of the specific tire component rubber-additive formulation including the ground rubber-additive particles. While generally the ground tire rubber particles can be utilized in formulating any component of a tire, desired tire components include the side wall, the innerliner, the bead filler, with the tire tread being especially preferred.
The tire component formulation can contain conventional or typical amounts of conventional or typical rubbers and such formulations are generally known to the art. While the type and amounts of rubbers and additives can vary from component to component, they all generally comprise various rubbers such as natural rubber, synthetic isoprene, styrene-butadiene rubber, polybutyldiene, halobutyl rubber, and the like. Such rubbers also include emulsion rubbers such as ESBR 1502, 1712, 1721, and the like, as well as solution SBR such as the various Duradene rubbers made by the Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. Various carbon blacks can be utilized such as the N 100, N 200, or N 300 series. Various types of oil can be utilized such as aromatic, naphthenic, paraffinic, and the like. Various antiozonates can be utilized, as well as various antioxidants such as 6 PPD, 1 PPD, and the like, along with various waxes such as microcrystalline waxes. Still other additives include various aliphatic acids such as stearic acids; zinc oxide; various peptizers, and the like. Curing aids include sulfur or sulfur containing compounds and various accelerators include amines, disulfides, guanidines, thioureas, thiazoles, thiurams, sulfenamides, dithiocarbamates, and the like with specific examples including TBBS (N-Tert-Butyl-Benzothiazolesulfenamide), CBS (Cyclohexyl Benzothiazolesulfenamide), DPG (Diphenylguanidine), and TMTD (Tetramethylthiuram Disulfide). Silica as well as silica coupling agents can also be utilized as well as various fillers such as clay.
The ground cured tire rubber particles can be blended or mixed with a tire component rubber additive or formulation by any conventional or common method. Suitable mixing methods include blending in a Banbury, blending on a two-roll mill, and the like. Once the above noted ground rubber and conventional rubber-additive formulation have been blended to form a tire component composition, they can be assembled into a specific tire component in accordance with conventional techniques, methods, and the like well known to the art and to the literature. Thus, the blended rubber composite can be applied to a tire carcass in the form of a sheet to eventually form a tire tread, placed in a tire curing mold and cured in a conventional manner at typical times and temperatures.
The present invention will be better understood by reference to the following examples, which serve to illustrate but not to limit the invention.
The formulations set forth in Tables I through VI containing 200 mesh ground rubber or a mesh size as otherwise indicated were generally prepared in the following manner. A master batch was made by adding all of the polymers or rubber, fillers such as carbon black, ground rubber particles, oil, optionally silica, zinc oxide, and stearic acid to a Banbury. These ingredients were mixed from about 1.5 to about 2.5 minutes and dropped at a temperature of from about 270° F. to about 350° F. The stock was aged for a minimum of four (4) hours before the next or final stage. An optional re-mill can be utilized.
In the final stage, all the antioxidants, accelerators, sulfur, and the master batch were added to a Banbury. The mix time was approximately from about 60 to 80 seconds and dropped at a temperature of from about 190° F. to about 220° F.
Various formulations for a tire tread are set forth in Tables I through V, wherein the amounts listed are parts by weight were prepared in the above manner and tested.
TABLE I
Control
Ex. I
Solution SBR
80.00
67.50
Natural Rubber
20.00
17.50
Ground Rubber
0.00
30.00
Carbon Black
65.00
56.00
Oil
6.75
3.75
Antioxidants
2.00
2.00
Zinc Oxide
2.00
2.00
Stearic Acid
2.00
2.00
Accelerators
1.40
1.40
Sulfur
1.70
1.70
Physical Properties
Stress/Strain
M 100% RT (MPa)
2.07
2.13
Tensile RT (MPa)
21.15
20.65
Elongation %
390.50
399.00
Ring Tear
100° C. PSI
322.00
333.00
Zwick Rebound
RT
38.00
38.60
TABLE II
Control
Ex. 2
Ex. 3
Ex. 4
Emulsion SBR
36.36
34.96
33.56
32.20
Solution SBR
43.64
41.96
40.28
38.60
Natural Rubber
20.00
19.23
18.46
17.69
Ground Rubber
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
Carbon Black
42.50
39.50
36.50
33.50
Silica
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
Oil
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
Antioxidants
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
Zinc Oxide
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Stearic Acid
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Accelerators
2.50
2.50
2.50
2.50
Sulfur
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Physical Properties
Stress/Strain
M 100% RT (MPa)
3.31
3.20
3.24
3.14
Tensile RT (MPa)
18.65
17.99
20.88
19.86
Elongation %
402.60
385.80
442.80
426.90
Ring Tear
100° C. PSI
395.40
364.10
328.70
335.90
Zwick
RT
31.50
32.00
33.10
32.80
Rebound
TABLE III
Control
Ex. 8
Ex. 9
Ex. 10
Solution SBR
77.05
73.55
70.05
66.55
Butadiene Rubber
33.00
31.50
30.00
28.50
Ground Rubber
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
Carbon Black
36.00
33.00
30.00
27.00
Silica
35.00
35.00
35.00
35.00
Oil
31.20
30.20
29.20
28.20
Antioxidants
2.45
2.45
2.45
2.45
Zinc Oxide
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
Stearic Acid
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Accelerators
2.40
2.40
2.40
2.40
Sulfur
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Physical Properties
Stress/Strain
M 100% RT (MPa)
1.37
1.42
1.44
1.45
Tensile RT (MPa)
16.22
16.54
16.49
16.45
Elongation %
507.00
600.80
593.30
586.80
Ring Tear
100° C. PSI
323.00
302.00
316.00
289.00
Zwick
RT
39.20
38.80
38.90
39.00
Rebound
TABLE IV
Control
Ex. 11
Ex. 12
Ex. 13
Ex. 14
Ex. 15
Solution SBR
50.00
47.72
45.43
43.15
40.86
38.58
Solution SBR
34.40
32.83
31.26
29.69
28.12
26.55
Natural Rubber
25.00
23.86
22.71
21.57
20.42
19.28
Ground Rubber
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
Carbon Black
32.50
29.50
26.50
23.50
20.50
17.50
Silica
36.00
36.00
36.00
36.00
36.00
36.00
Oil
13.00
12.00
11.00
10.00
9.00
8.00
Antioxidants
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Zinc Oxide
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
Stearic Acid
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
Accelerators
2.10
2.10
2.10
2.10
2.10
2.10
Sulfur
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
Physical Properties
Stress/Strain
M 100% RT
2.03
2.02
1.98
1.94
1.90
1.90
(MPa)
Tensile RT
18.48
18.18
17.34
18.17
17.41
18.28
(MPa)
Elongation %
438.60
446.70
434.10
461.00
449.90
497.70
Ring Tear
100° C. PSI
286.00
254.00
249.60
279.80
268.70
238.60
Zwick
Rebound
RT
41.20
41.90
42.10
43.00
43.30
43.80
As apparent from the data in all of the above four tables, retention of physical properties using the finely ground reclaimed tire rubber was quite good. In fact, in many instances, physical properties were actually improved.
TABLE V
Control
Control
Control
Ex. 11
Ex. 12
2
3
Solution SBR
80.00
67.46
67.46
67.46
67.46
Natural Rubber
20.00
17.54
17.54
17.54
17.54
200 Mesh Ground
—
30.00
—
—
—
Rubber
120 Mesh Ground
—
—
30.00
—
—
Rubber
80 Mesh Ground Rubber
—
—
—
30.00
—
60 Mesh Ground Rubber
—
—
—
—
30.00
Carbon Black
65.00
56.00
56.00
56.00
56.00
Oil
6.75
3.75
3.75
3.75
3.75
Antioxidants
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Zinc Oxide
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Stearic Acid
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
Accelerators
1.40
1.40
1.40
1.40
1.40
Sulfur
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
1.70
Physical Properties
Stress/Strain
M 100% RT (MPa)
2.10
2.13
2.03
2.03
2.07
Tensile RT (MPa)
21.15
19.50
20.53
20.72
19.44
Elongation %
532.40
509.60
525.40
478.30
483.40
Ring Tear
100° C. PSI
364.40
374.50
333.40
281.70
282.20
Zwick
Rebound
RT
38.00
38.00
38.30
36.40
34.00
As apparent from Table V, large size ground rubber particles (Control 2 and 3) had poor physical properties such as ring tear and rebound whereas Examples 11 and 12 containing 200 Mesh and 120 Mesh ground rubber respectively had good properties.
While in accordance with the patent statutes, the best mode and preferred embodiment have been set forth, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but rather by the scope of the attached claims.
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Old, spent or worn tires are recycled by removing non-rubber components such as belts, beads, and fabric, and grinding the remaining cured rubber into fine sized particles. The ground particles generally replace equivalent amounts of rubber and additives in various tire formulated components such as tire treads. Good physical properties of the end product are retained.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to both biological engineering and medical fields. In particular, it relates to a method of diagnosing and treating dentinogenesis imperfecta type II using human dentin sialophosphoprotein or DSPP gene and the coded product, and a pharmaceutical composition containing DSPP gene and/or protein.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
[0002] The odontoblasts produce the dentin, which consists in mature tooth or the tooth during tooth development phase. During dentinogenesis, the odontoblasts form dentinal tubules. Dentin cell processes in these tubules make dentin a living tissue. During the primary stage of dentinogenesis, the odontoblasts synthesize, secrete and reabsorb the dentin matrix components. Protein synthesis occurs within cells. Exocytosis and endocytosis occurs mainly in cell processes. The first material formed is unmineralized mantle dentin matrix, mainly including collagen secreted by cells and non-collagenous components. The fasciculata collagen fibers congregate to a ball structure. Due to the continual increase of new fibrils, collagen becomes closer and closer. As a result, these prophase collagen fibers change into collagen fibers. Thus predentin characterized by collagen matrix is formed. Later, the mineralization crystals gradually deposited to become dentin at some distance away from cells.
[0003] The mature dentin contains more inorganic minerals than the bone. 65 wt. % of dentin are minerals, mostly hydroxyapatite crystals. Organic materials are 20%, mainly collagenous proteins and non-collagenous proteins. These collagens offer braces to the deposition of hydroxyapatite plate like crystalline.
[0004] Type I collagen is predominant (about 97%) in dentin collagens, 10%-15% of which is type I collagen trimer. Different from other connective tissue, type III collagen is lacking in dentin. Moreover, there are types V and VI collagens in dentin, but the contents are small. Although the contents of non-collagenous proteins in dentin are small, there are various kinds. According to the source of proteins, the dentin noncollagenous proteins can be divided to four kinds: dentin specific protein, mineralized tissue specific protein, aspecific protein, and blood serum source protein (or dentin affinity protein). Dentin specific protein is the only one which is synthesized and secreted by odontoblasts and exists only in dentin. Mineralized tissue specific proteins means those that are found and exist not only in dentin but also in cementum and bone. They are synthesized and secreted by osteoblasts, odontoblasts and cementoblasts. The non-specific proteins exist both in dentin and other tissues, including parenchyma, and synthesized and secreted by odontoblasts and other kinds of cells. Blood serum source proteins are those which are synthesized by other cells in the body, mainly by liver cells, and secreted to serum. These proteins have a high affinity to dentin, though they are not synthesized by dentin. They can enter dentin by blood circulation, so they are also called dentin affinity proteins. Proteoglycans or PGS are other primary non-collagenous proteins in dentin. They are large covalent molecules formed by many anylose side chains and one core protein. These side chains are composed of repeating disaccharide chain units, each of which consists of one glycuronic acid and one Nacetamidoacetose. One function of PGS in dentinogenesis is to affect or even control the systematism of collagen skeleton in predentin. The dentin proteoglycans fixed on the solid bracket can induce the formation of hydroxyapatite in vivo and in physiologic pH and ionic condition in vitro. On the contrary, the liquid proteoglycans restrain the form of mineral components in vitro. The combination of PGS and Ca 2+ is the precondition of inducing the formation of hydroxyapatite.
[0005] Dentinogenesis imperfecta or DGI is an autosomal dominant dental genetic disease that has a prevalence of {fraction (1/8000)}. There are three types according to clinical taxonomy (1) (The number in brackets shows the relative literature.). Dentinogenesis imperfecta Type I is also named DGI-I. Except for dentinogenesis imperfecta, patients usually have osteogenesis imperfecta The pathogeny is broad mutations in collagen type I gene (2) . Type II or DGI-II is also called hereditary opalescent dentin. DGI-II has a relationship with the improper mineralization of dentin and its penetrance is nearly 100% (3) . Type III or DGI-III is also called dentinogenesis imperfecta Brandywine type or isolate hereditary opalescent dentin. It is a special hereditary opalescent dentin, only found in three isolates in Washington, D.C., the State of Maryland, USA. Witkop first reported this illness in 1956 (4) and there is no related report in China till now. DGI-III has an obviously genetic heterogeneity. Its pathogeny is related to malamineralization. Because the gene causing DGI-I has been found and DGI-III is only found in the isolates in the State of Maryland, USA, DGI-II becomes the focus of tooth endodontics.
[0006] The clinical symptoms and pathology changes of DGI-II are as follows. The malajustment and turbulence of mineralization result in embryonic layer dysplasia in dentin. Both the primary dentition and permanent dentition are affected, with a more serious damage in primary dentition. A predominant feature is a blue-gray or amber brown discoloration of the teeth. The improper mineralized dentin is soft and the crown is prone to be worn. Moreover, compensatory hyperplasia of matrix increases in improperly mineralized dentin, leading to small or obliterated pulp chambers. Radiographs reveal that the affected teeth have bulbous crowns, narrow roots and small or obliterated pulp chambers and root canals. The pathology shows that the enamel surface is normal, but hypoplasia and hypocalcification can be found in about ⅓ of the patients. The enamel dentin junction changes greatly. Some teeth have a non-obvious sector structure in the enamel dentin junction. However, others are especially obvious. Dentin is lamellar with nearly normal outerdentin and dentinal tubules having subdivisional branches. In other parts, the dentin is obviously abnormal. Some short tubules or tubules with abnormal form distribute in dentin matrix disorderly. The predentin zone is very wide. Along the plywood, the remaining embedded cell can be seen, similar to embedded odontoblast and bloods. Observation under electron microscope indicates that the form and size of hypoplastic dentin micro-crystal are unchanged, but the quantity is small. Uncalcified or partly calcified transverse collagen fasciculi and volumes of crystal space can be seen discontinuously.
[0007] For the mapping of DGI-II gene, in 1969, Bixler et al.( 5 ) tried to use some protein polymorphic markers, such as ABO, Rh, MNSs, Ke11, Fy, JK, HP, ACP1, PGM1 and PTC, to perform a linkage analysis in DGI-II families, but they failed to get the linkage evidence. In 1977, Mikkelsen et al. (6) mapped a group of specific components (GC) in Vitamin D conjugated protein to 4q11-q13. In the next year, Kühnl identified that GC included six phenotypes: GC2/2, 2/1+, 2/1−, 1+/1−, 1+/1+, and 1−/1−. Later, Ball. S. P. et al. (7) analyzed the linkage in a DGI-II big family named Family MRC4000 with the polymorphic markers of GC and found that DGI-II had a close linkage with GC (Lod=+7.9, θ=0.13). In 1992, Crall et al. (8) mapped DGI-II to interval defined by two protein polymorphic markers: GC and interferon-inducible cytokine INP-10. The relative chromosome location was 4q12-21. The results above only offered a gross orientation of disease gene of DGI-II. Under that condition, it was almost impossible to clone the disease gene in this region.
[0008] In 1995, Crosby A.H et al (9) analyzed the linkage in two big DGI-II families with 9 short tandem repeat polymorphic markers (STRP) and mapped the disease gene to the 4q21-23 region defined by two STRPs of D4S2691 and D4S2692. Multipoints linkage analysis suggested that the disease gene might be in the region within about 3.2 cM around SPP1. Recently, Aplin H. M et al. (10) genotyped two big families used by Crosby A. H with 5 hyperdense STRPs. The linkage analysis showed that the disease gene of DGIII located between two STRPs of GATA62A11 and D4S1563 with a genetic distance of 2 cM. Moreover, this research group established the YACs Contigs in this region. They also identified that DMP1, IBSP, SPP1 and DSPP are all in this candidate region by PCR technology.
[0009] However, the mechanism of dentinogenesis imperfecta type II is still unclear so far. Also the direct relationship between dentinogenesis imperfecta type II and some special kind of protein is not reported.
[0010] In addition, there is still no effective method to diagnose DGI-II early and/or antenatally and to cure DGI-II by non-operative treatment in the art.
[0011] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new and efficient methods to diagnose and cure DGI-II, the relative pharmaceuticals, and diagnostic technology and reagents.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0012] One purpose of the invention is to provide a new diagnostic method and detection kit, especially for antenatal and/or early diagnosis of dentinogenesis imperfecta type II (DGI-II) and dentinogenesis imperfecta type II with deafness (DGI-II with deafness).
[0013] Another purpose is to provide a new method to treat DGI-II and DGI-II with deafness.
[0014] Still another purpose is to provide a pharmaceutical composition to treat DGI-II and DGI-II with deafness.
[0015] In the first aspect, the invention provides a method for determining the susceptibility of DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness in a subject comprising the steps of:
[0016] detecting the DSPP gene, transcript and/or protein in said subject and comparing it with the normal DSPP gene, transcript and/or protein to determine whether there is any difference,
[0017] wherein said difference indicates that the possibility of suffering DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness in said subject is higher than the normal population.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the DSPP gene or transcript is detected, and compared with the normal DSPP nucleotide sequence to determine the difference. More preferably, said difference is selected from the group consisting of: in position 1 of Exon 3, G1→T1; in position 1 of Intron 3, G1→A1.
[0019] In the second aspect, the invention provides a method for treating DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness comprising the step of administrating a safe and effective amount of normal DSPP and/or DSP protein to the patient in need of said treatment. Preferably, the DSPP and/or DSP protein are administrated topically to periodontal tissues.
[0020] In the third aspect, the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a safe and effective amount of DSPP and/or DSP protein and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably, said pharmaceutical composition is injection.
[0021] In the fourth aspect, the invention provides a kit for detecting DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness comprising the primers which specifically amplify the DSPP gene or transcript. Preferably, the kit further comprises a probe that binds to the site of mutation.
[0022] In view of the technical teaching of the invention, the other aspects of the invention will be apparent to the skilled in the art.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] [0023]FIG. 1 shows the gene structure of DSPP. This gene contains 5 exons and 4 introns. The full length is 8210 bp. Exon 1 (7-98), Exon 2 (2359-2437), Exon 3 (3577-3660), Exon 4 (3794-4780) and Exon 5 (5257-8201) encode DSPP. Exons 1-4 and part of Exon 5 (5257-5520) encode DSP, while another part of Exon 5 (5521-7893) encodes DPP.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2 shows the haplotype construction of STRP markers in 4q21 region in a dentinogenesis imperfecta type II family.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 3 shows the haplotype construction of STRP markers in 4q21 region in a DGI-II with deafness family.
[0026] [0026]FIGS. 4A and 4B show mutations in DSPP gene. FIG. 4A shows G1→T1 in position 1 of Exon 3, which causes codon GTT change into TTT, resulting in a corresponding amine acid change of Val→Phe. FIG. 4B shows G1→A1 in position 1 of Intron 3, which causes the mutation of splicing site.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0027] After studying for several years, the inventors of the invention have, for the first time found and proved dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and/or dentin sialoprotein (DSP) have a close relationship with dentinogenesis imperfecta type II (DGI-II). In addition, the new function of DSPP/DSP was found, i.e., the changes of DSPP or DSP will cause DGI-II directly. Based on this discovery, the inventors accomplished the invention.
[0028] Firstly, the inventors collected two genetic families affected by dentinogenesis imperfecta or dentinogenesis imperfecta with progressive hearing loss in China. Then they localized the disease gene of dentinogenesis imperfecta to the 4q21-22 region in Chromosome 4 by genotyping and linkage analysis with microsatellite markers Then, the inventors identified the candidate genes by the following steps:
[0029] (1) Finding all of the genes mapped in 4q21-22 region, i.e., making the transcription map in 4q21-22 region;
[0030] (2) Checking the expression situation of all of the genes in 4q21-22 region;
[0031] (3) Determining the genes mapped in 4q21-22 region and expressed in dental pulp as the candidates for dentinogenesis imperfecta.
[0032] The results showed that the candidate genes included DMP1, IBSP, SPP1, DSP, DPP and DSPP.
[0033] Further, the inventors used PCR-SSCP technique to screen all candidate genes for mutation and found that the mutations in DSPP have a direct causality with dentinogenesis imperfecta, while other genes do not.
[0034] Finally, the mode and site of DSPP mutation in two genetic families were identified by sequence analysis. In DGI-II family, sequencing revealed a G1→T1 mutation at position 1 of Exon 3 (position 3577 in SEQ ID NO:1). The mutation results in not only an amino acid change, but also a splicing site change which may cause the expression of intron, termination of translation in advance or frame shifting (FIG. 4A). Therefore, the normal DSPP (or DSP) protein is unable to be expressed.
[0035] In another DGI-II with deafness family, the mutation is a G1→A1 mutation in position 1 of Intron 3 (position 3661 of SEQ ID NO:1). The mutation was predicted to result in splicing site change, which may cause the expression of intron, termination of translation in advance or frame shifting (FIG. 4B). Therefore, the normal DSPP (or DSP) protein is unable to be expressed. Further, it may influence the translation of signal peptide so that DSPP can not be correctly localized. Surprisingly, this mutation causes the patient affected with both DGI-II and deafness, suggesting that DSPP mutation is associated with deafness. It is possible to diagnose deafness, especially DGI-II with deafness, by detecting whether DSPP is normal or not.
[0036] On the basis of this invention, one can design and exploit new drugs based on DSPP gene and its products (e.g., transcripts and proteins) as well as the interacting molecule. In addition, one can use DSPP gene in vitro to reconstruct teeth or remodel some tooth structure, such as dentin.
[0037] Human DSPP mutation causes human dentinogenesis imperfecta type II. Based on the DSPP gene and its expression products, one can develop new drugs and diagnosis/treatment techniques for detecting and treating human DGI-II.
[0038] Human DSPP Gene and Protein
[0039] The detailed sequences of human DSPP gene and protein are available in Genbank (The accession number is AF163151) and some references, such as Gu, K., Chang, S., Ritchie, H. H., Clarkson, B. H. and Rutherford, R. B., Eur. J. Oral Sci. 2000 Feb: 108 (1):35-42. In Sequence Listing, human DSPP nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence are shown in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO: 2, respectively. FIG. 1 shows the introns and exons of human DSPP.
Exon 1 7-98 mRNA join (7-98, 2359-2437, 3577-3660, 3794-4780, 5257-8201) Exon 2 2359-2437 CDS join (2387-2437, 3577-3660, 3794-4780, 5257-7896) sig_peptide 2387-2431 mat_peptide join (2432-2437, 3577-3660, 3794-4780, 5257-7893)/ Product “DSPP” mat_peptide join (2432-2437, 3577-3660, 3794-4780, 5257-5520)/ Product “DSP” Exon 3 3577-3660 Exon 4 3794-4780 Exon 5 5257-8201 mat_peptide 5521-7893 misc_feature 5596-5604 /note = “Region: cell binding domain” PolyA_signal 7988-7993 PolyA_signal 8171-8176
[0040] The DSPP and/or DSP protein or polypeptide have various uses including but not limited to: curing disorders caused by low or no activity of DSPP and/or DSP protein (using directly as a medicine), and screening out antibodies, polypeptides or ligands which promote the function of DSPP and/or DSP. The expressed recombinant DSPP and/or DSP protein can be used to screen polypeptide library to find therapeutically valuable polypeptide molecules which activate the function of DSPP and/or DSP protein.
[0041] In another aspect, the invention also includes polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, preferably monoclonal antibodies, which are specific for polypeptides encoded by human DSPP DNA or fragments thereof. By “specificity”, it is meant an antibody that binds to the human DSPP gene products or fragments thereof. Preferably, the antibody binds to the human DSPP gene products or fragments thereof and does not substantially recognize nor bind to other antigenically unrelated molecules. Antibodies that bind to human DSPP and block human DSPP protein and those which do not affect the human DSPP function are included in the invention.
[0042] The present invention includes not only intact monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies, but also immunologically-active antibody fragments, e.g., a Fab′ or (Fab) 2 fragment, an antibody heavy chain, an antibody light chain, a genetically engineered single chain Fv molecule (Lander, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778), or a chimeric antibody, e.g., an antibody which contains the binding specificity of a murine antibody, but the remaining portion of which is of human origin.
[0043] The antibodies in the present invention can be prepared by various techniques known to those skilled in the art. For example, purified human DSPP gene products, or its antigenic fragments can be administrated to animals to induce the production of polyclonal antibodies. Similarly, cells expressing human DSPP or its antigenic fragments can be used to immunize animals to produce antibodies. The antibodies of the invention can be monoclonal antibodies which can be prepared by using hybridoma technique (See Kohler, et al., Nature, 256; 495,1975; Kohler, et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 6: 511,1976; Kohler, et al., Eur. J. Immunol 6: 292, 1976; Hammerling, et al., In Monoclonal Antibodies and T Cell Hybridomas, Elsevier, N.Y., 1981). Antibodies of the invention comprise those which block human DSPP function and those which do not affect human DSPP function. Antibodies in the invention can be produced by routine immunology techniques and using fragments or functional regions of human DSPP gene product. These fragments and functional regions can be prepared by recombinant methods or synthesized by a polypeptide synthesizer. The antibodies binding to unmodified human DSPP gene product can be produced by immunizing animals with gene products produced by prokaryotic cells (e.g., E. coli ), and the antibodies binding to post translationally modified forms thereof (e.g., glycosylated or phosphorylated polypeptide) can be acquired by immunizing animals with gene products produced by eukaryotic cells (e.g., yeast or insect cells).
[0044] The antibody against human DSPP and/or DSP protein can be used in immunohistochemical method to detect the presence of DSPP and/or DSP protein in the biopsy specimen.
[0045] The polyclonal antibodies can be prepared by immunizing animals, such as rabbit, mouse, and rat, with human DSPP and/or DSP protein. Various adjuvants, e.g., Freund's adjuvant, can be used to enhance the immunization.
[0046] The substances that act with DSPP and/or DSP protein, e.g., inhibitors, agonists and antagonists, can be screened out by various conventional techniques, using the protein of the invention.
[0047] The protein, antibody, inhibitor, agonist or antagonist of the invention provides different effects when administrated in therapy. Usually, these substances are formulated with a non-toxic, inert and pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous carrier. The pH typically ranges from 5 to 8, preferably from about 6 to 8, although pH may alter according to the property of the formulated substances and the diseases to be treated. The formulated pharmaceutical composition is administrated in conventional routine including, but not limited to, intramuscular, intravenous, subcutaneous, or topical administration. The topical administration at periodontal tissues is preferred.
[0048] The normal DSPP and/or DSP can be directly used for curing disorders, e.g., DGI-II. The DSPP and/or DSP protein of the invention can be administrated in combination with other medicaments for DGI-II.
[0049] The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising safe and effective amount of DSPP and/or DSP protein in combination with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier. Such a carrier includes but is not limited to saline, buffer solution, glucose, water, glycerin, ethanol, or the combination thereof. The pharmaceutical formulation should be suitable for the delivery method. The pharmaceutical composition of the invention may be in the form of injections which are made by conventional methods, using physiological saline or other aqueous solution containing glucose or auxiliary substances. The pharmaceutical compositions in the form of tablet or capsule may be prepared by routine methods. The pharmaceutical compositions, e.g., injections, solutions, tablets, and capsules, should be manufactured under sterile conditions. The active ingredient is administrated in therapeutically effective amount, e.g., from about lug to 5 mg per kg body weight per day. Moreover, the polypeptide of the invention can be administrated together with other therapeutic agents.
[0050] When using pharmaceutical composition, the safe and effective amount of the DSPP and/or DSP protein or its antagonist or agonist is administrated to mammals. Typically, the safe and effective amount is at least about 0.1 ug/kg body weight and less than about 10 mg/kg body weight in most cases, and preferably about 0.1-100 ug/kg body weight. Of course, the precise amount will depend upon various factors, such as delivery methods, the subject health, and the like, and is within the judgment of the skilled clinician.
[0051] The human DSPP and/or DSP polynucleotides also have many therapeutic applications. Gene therapy technology can be used in the therapy of abnormal cell proliferation, development or metabolism, which is caused by the loss of DSPP and/or DSP expression or the expression of abnormal or non-active DSPP and/or DSP. The methods for constructing a recombinant virus vector harboring DSPP and/or DSP gene are described in the literature (Sambrook, et al.). In addition, the recombinant DSPP and/or DSP gene can be packed into liposome and then transferred into the cells.
[0052] The methods for introducing the polynucleotides into tissues or cells include: directly injecting the polynucleotides into tissue in the body, in vitro introducing the polynucleotides into cells with vectors, such as virus, phage, or plasmid, and then transplanting the cells into the body.
[0053] The invention further provides diagnostic assays for quantitative and in situ measurement of DSPP and/or DSP protein level. These assays are well known in the art and include FISH assay and radioimmunoassay. The level of DSPP and/or DSP protein detected in the assay can be used to illustrate the importance of DSPP and/or DSP protein in diseases and to determine the diseases associated with DSPP and/or DSP protein.
[0054] A method of detecting the presence of DSPP and/or DSP protein in a sample by utilizing the antibody specifically against DSPP and/or DSP protein comprises the steps of: contacting the sample with the antibody specifically against DSPP and/or DSP protein; observing the formation of antibody complex which indicates the presence of DSPP and/or DSP protein in a sample.
[0055] The polynucleotide encoding DSPP and/or DSP protein can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of DSPP and/or DSP protein related diseases. In respect of diagnosis, the polynucleotide encoding DSPP and/or DSP can be used to detect whether DSPP and/or DSP is expressed or not, and whether the expression of DSPP and/or DSP is normal or abnormal, e.g., in the case of diseases. DSPP DNA sequences can be used in the hybridization with biopsy samples to determine the expression of DSPP. The hybridization methods include Southern blotting, Northern blotting and in situ blotting, etc., which are public and sophisticated techniques. The corresponding kits are commercially available. A part of or all of the polynucleotides of the invention can be used as probe and fixed on a microarray or DNA chip for analyzing the differential expression of genes in tissues and for the diagnosis of genes. The DSPP and/or DSP specific primers can be used in RNA-polymerase chain reaction and in vitro amplification to detect the transcripts of DSPP and/or DSP.
[0056] Further, detection of the mutation of DSPP and/or DSP gene is useful for the diagnosis of DSPP and/or DSP protein related diseases. The mutation forms of DSPP and/or DSP include site mutation, translocation, deletion, rearrangement and any other mutations compared with the normal wild-type DSPP and/or DSP DNA sequence. The conventional methods, such as Southern blotting, DNA sequencing, PCR and in situ blotting, can be used to detect mutation. Moreover, mutation sometimes affects the expression of protein. Therefore, Northern blotting and Western blotting can be used to indirectly determine whether the gene is mutated or not.
[0057] The invention is further illustrated by the following examples. It is appreciated that these examples are only intended to illustrate the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. For the experimental methods in the following examples, they are performed under routine conditions, e.g., those described by Sambrook et al., in Molecule Clone: A Laboratory Manual, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989, or as instructed by the manufacturers, unless otherwise specified.
EXAMPLE 1
[0058] DGI-II family had 42 members, and DGI-II with deafness family had 14 members. All individuals were subjected to careful clinical examination and recorded in details by experienced dentists. The patients with deafness were examined carefully by otologists and identified by pure tone audiogram and brain stem evoked potential. 5 ml blood samples in the families were collected by standard venipuncture and stocked by ACD solution. DNA was extracted using the following method:
[0059] Preparation of Blood DNA Sample
[0060] Blood DNA samples were extracted by Qiagen kit according to manufacturer's instructions. The steps were as follows:
[0061] a. Add 20 ul Proteinase K, 200 ul blood sample and 200 ul Buffer AL into a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube. Mix by pulse-vortexing for 15 seconds.
[0062] b. Incubate for digestion at 56° C. for 10 minutes. Add 210 ul 100% ethanol to the sample, and briefly centrifuge for 10 seconds.
[0063] c. Carefully apply the mixture onto a QIAamp spin column and centrifuge at 8000 rpm for 1 minute.
[0064] d. Discard the filtrate and transfer the QIAamp spin column in another 2 ml collection tube.
[0065] e. Add 500 ul Buffer AW1 into QIAamp spin column, centrifuge at 8000 rpm for 1 minute.
[0066] f. Discard the filtrate and add 500 ul Buffer AW2 into QIAamp spin column, centrifuge at 14000 rpm for 3 minutes.
[0067] g. Discard the filtrate and place the QIAamp spin column in a new 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube.
[0068] h. Add 200 ul Buffer AE into QIAamp spin column, incubate at room temperature for 5 minutes, and centrifuge at 8000 rpm for 1 minute. The filtrate collected in the tube was DNA solution from blood sample.
[0069] i. DNA quality was determined by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA quantity was determined by UV spectrophotometer. The DNA samples were stored at −20° C.
EXAMPLE 2
[0070] 1 Genotyping:
[0071] The sequences of high polymorphic STR markers in region 4q21 were obtained from Genome Database and markers A-G were D4S2691, D4S1534, GATA62 μl 1, DSP, DMP1, SPP1, D4S451, respectively. PCR amplifications were carried out following LI-COR company manual for the touchdown program and using PTC-225 DNA Engine Tetrad (MJ-Research Inc.). PCR reactions were in 10 ul system containing 20 ng genomic DNA template, 2.0 mM dNTP, 1.0 pmol M13-tailed forward primer and reverse primer, 1.0 pmol fluorescent M13 primer, 1.5 mM MgCl 2 , 10 mM Tris-HCl, and 1U AmpliTaq Gold Taq Polymerase (Perkin-Elmer Corp.). The reaction system was initially denatured at 95° C. for 8 minutes, followed by 4 cycles of denaturing at 95° C. for 45 seconds, annealing at 68° C. for 2 minutes with a drop of 2° C. per cycle until 60° C., and extending at 72° C. for 1 minute, and by a second set of 2-4 cycles of denaturing at 95° C. for 45 seconds, annealing at 58° C. for 1 minute with a drop of 2° C. per cycle until 50-54° C., and extending at 72° C. for 1 minute, and then by 20-30 cycles of denaturing at 95° C. for 30 seconds, annealing at 50-54° C. for 30 seconds and extending at 72° C. for 30 seconds. Finally the samples were extended at 72° C. for 15 minutes. PCR products and fluorescent-labeled standard size DNA markers were electrophoresed on a LI-COR automated sequencer on a polyacrylamide gel. Data were collected and analyzed by Base Image 4.1 and Gene Image 3.12 software, while linkage ready pedigree files were generated. These files were used for linkage analysis and haplotype analysis.
[0072] 2. Linkage Analysis and Haplotype Analysis
[0073] DGI-II hereditary locus was modeled as an autosomal dominant inheritance with 100% penetrance in a two-allele system. The frequency of disease gene was set to 0.0001, the frequencies of STRs were assumed to be uniformly distributed. Two-point linkage analysis was performed by using MLINK and ILINK program from the LINKAGE version 5.10 software package. Haplotype construction was performed using SIMWALK2 version 2.31 and Cyrillic version 2.02 software.
[0074] The pedigree data are shown in Tables 1-2 and FIGS. 2 - 3 .
TABLE 1 Disease locus in DGI-II pedigree and STRP two-point linkage analysis in 4q21 region Loca- tion Lod score at θ Maximum marker 0.0 0.01 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 Lod θ A −∞ −0.11 2.19 2.76 2.59 1.81 0.83 2.76 0.1 B 1.65 1.62 1.51 1.37 1.09 0.78 0.42 1.65 0.0 C 7.63 7.50 6.96 6.25 4.74 3.09 1.36 7.63 0.0 D 6.06 5.96 5.53 4.98 3.82 2.57 1.24 6.06 0.0 E 8.24 8.11 7.54 6.80 5.22 3.49 1.67 8.24 0.0 F 8.38 8.24 7.67 6.93 5.32 3.55 1.64 8.38 0.0 G 7.34 7.23 6.77 6.16 4.87 3.44 1.84 7.34 0.0
[0075] [0075] TABLE 2 Disease locus in DGI-II with deafness pedigree and Lod score in 4q21 region Loca- tion Lod score at θ Maximum marker 0.0 0.01 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 Lod θ A −∞ −2.86 −1.48 −0.92 −0.42 −0.18 −0.05 −0.05 0.4 B −∞ 0.67 1.19 1.25 1.04 0.65 0.21 1.25 0.1 C 1.20 1.8 1.07 0.93 0.63 0.33 0.08 1.20 0.0 D −0.14 −0.09 −0.05 −0.02 −0.00 −0.00 −0.00 −0.00 0.2 E 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.86 0.67 0.41 0.14 0.92 0.01 F 2.71 2.66 2.46 2.21 1.65 1.02 0.37 2.71 0.0 G 2.11 2.07 1.91 1.70 1.24 0.73 0.23 2.07 0.0
[0076] The results suggested that the disease genes in DGI-II and DGI-II with deafness pedigrees were linked with STRP markers in 4q21 region.
EXAMPLE 3
[0077] Mutation Screening of Candidate Genes
[0078] Using Primer 5.0 software (http://www/PrimerBiosoft.com), we designed primers to amplify exons and the splice junctions between exons and introns of DSP gene (Table 3). PCR-SSCP technique was used to screen DSP gene for mutation. PCR products were electrophoresed on 10% polyacrylamide gel and 9.3% polyacrylamide gel with 4% glycerol. Then, the gels were silver stained according to standard protocol.
[0079] Primers were as follows:
TABLE 3 Primer Sequences in DSPP Coding Region Primer Name Sequence No. bp DSPP-E1 F 5′-TGCAAAAGTCCATGACAGTG-3′ SEQ ID 128 NO:3 DSPP-E1 R 5′-TCAGTTGGTTCTGAGTAAAAAGGA-3′ SEQ ID NO:4 DSPP-E2 F 5′-AAGTAATTTTGTGCTGTTCCTTT-3′ SEQ ID 149 NO:5 DSPP-E2 R 5′-AACAAAGTGAAGAGGTTTTCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:6 DSPP-E3 F 5′-AAGAACCTTTTCAATTGCTAGT-3′ SEQ ID 189 NO:7 DSPP-E3 R 5′-TGGAGAAGTTAATGGAATGTAGCA-3′ SEQ ID NO:8 DSPP-E4 F 5′-TGCAATTTGCTTTCCTTCAA-3′ SEQ ID 205 NO:9 DSPP-E4 R 5′-CCTCTTCGTTTGCTAATGTGG-3′ SEQ ID NO:10 DSPP-E5 F 5′-TCACAAGGTAGAAGGGAATG-3′ SEQ ID 226 NO:11 DSPP-E5 R 5′-GTTTGTGGCTCCAGCATTGT-3′ SEQ ID NO:12 DSPP-E6 F 5′-GGGACACAGGAAAAGCAGAA-3′ SEQ ID 243 NO:13 DSPP-E6 R 5′-TGTTATTGCTTCCAGCTACTTGAG-3′ SEQ ID NO:14 DSPP-E7 F 5′-CAATGAGGATGTCGCTGTTG-3′ SEQ ID 206 NO:15 DSPP-E7 R 5′-TATCCAGGCCAGCATCTTCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:16 DSPP-E8 F 5′-CACCTCAGATCAACAGCAAGAG-3′ SEQ ID 226 NO:17 DSPP-E8 R 5′-TCTTCTTTCCCATGGTCCTG-3′ SEQ ID NO:18 DSPP-E9 F 5′-ATGAAGAAGCAGGGAATGGA-3′ SEQ ID 232 NO:19 DSPP-E9 R 5′-ATTCTTTGGCTGCCATTGTC-3′ SEQ ID NO:20 DSPP-E10 F 5′-TGATGGAGACAAGACCTCCAA-3′ SEQ ID 205 NO:21 DSPP-E10 R 5′-TGCCATTGAAAGAAATCAGC-3′ SEQ ID NO:22 DSPP-E11 F 5′-TTCTTTCCTCCATCCTTCCA-3′ SEQ ID 194 NO:23 DSPP-E11 R 5′-TTCTGATTTTTGGCCAGGTC-3′ SEQ ID NO:24 DSPP-E12 F 5′-GGCAATGTCAAGACACAAGG-3′ SEQ ID 236 NO:25 DSPP-E12 R 5′-TCTCCTCGGCTACTGCTGTT-3′ SEQ ID NO:26 DSPP-E13 F 5′-TGCAAGGAGATGATCCCAAT-3′ SEQ ID 231 NO:27 DSPP-E13 R 5′-TGTCATCATTCCCATTGTTACC-3′ SEQ ID NO:28 DSPP-E14 F 5′-CAAAAGGAGCAGAAGATGATGA-3′ SEQ ID 243 NO:29 DSPP-E14 R 5′-TGCTGTCACTGTCACTGCTG-3′ SEQ ID NO:30 DSPP-E15 F 5′-GCAGTGATAGTAGTGACAGCAGTG-3′ SEQ ID 205 NO:31 DSPP-E15 R 5′-TTGCTGCTGTCTGACTTGCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:32 DSPP-E16 F 5′-CAAATCAGACAGTGGCAAAGG-3′ SEQ ID 508 NO:33 DSPP-E16 R 5′-GCTCTCACTGCTATTGCTGCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:34 DSPP-E17 F 5′-GCAAGTCAGACAGCAGCAAA-3′ SEQ ID 598 NO:35 DSPP-E17 R 5′-CTGCTGTCGCTATCACTGCT-3′ SEQ ID NO:36 DSPP-E18 F 5′-ATAGCAACGACAGCAGCAAT-3′ SEQ ID 583 NO:37 DSPP-E18 R 5′-TCGCTGCTATTGCTATCACTG-3′ SEQ ID NO:38 DSPP-E19 F 5′-GCAACAGCAGTGATAGTGACA-3′ SEQ ID 598 NO:39 DSPP-E19 R 5′-CTGCTGTCGCTGCTTTCA-3′ SEQ ID NO:40 DSPP-E20 F 5′-AGCAGCGACAGCAGTGATAT-3′ SEQ ID 500 NO:41 DSPP-E20 R 5′-TTGTTACCGTTACCAGACTTGC-3′ SEQ ID NO:42 DSPP-E21 F 5′-TGACAGCACATCTGACAGCA-3′ SEQ ID 261 NO:43 DSPP-E21 R 5′-TCCCCCAGTTGTTTTTGTTT-3′ SEQ ID NO:44
[0080] PCR products were sequenced to determine the type and location of mutations.
[0081] 1. The DNA fragments that showed a changed electrophoresis pattern in SSCP analysis were amplified by standard PCR.
[0082] 2. PCR products were purified with Millipore spin column.
[0083] 3. Sequencing Reaction:
(1) Reaction system Reaction mixture 2 ul Primers (0.8 mM) 2 ul Purified PCR products 3 ul (2) Reaction conditions: 96° C. 30 sec 96° C. 30 sec 50° C. 5 sec 60° C. 4 min 60° C. 4 min
[0084] Total 35 cycles
[0085] (3) Precipitation of the Product of Sequencing Reaction
[0086] Add 9 volumes of 70% ethanol into the sequencing product, incubate at 4° C. for 3 minutes.
[0087] Centrifuge at 4° C. at 4000 rpm for 30 minutes.
[0088] Place the centrifuge tube upside down and continue to centrifuge until the speed reaches 1300 rpm at 4° C.
[0089] (4) Loading and Sequencing Samples
[0090] Add 2 ul Loading Dye buffer into precipitated products of sequencing reaction.
[0091] Incubate at 90° C. for 2 minutes and place it on ice immediately.
[0092] Load samples into ABI PRISM automated DNA sequencer to sequence.
[0093] The sequencing results were shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In DGI-II family, sequencing revealed a G1→T1 mutation at position 1 of Exon 3 (position 3577 in SEQ ID NO:1). This mutation resulted in not only an amino acid change, but also a splicing site change that might cause the expression of intron, termination of translation in advance or frame shifting (FIG. 4A). Therefore, the normal DSPP (or DSP) protein was unable to be expressed.
[0094] In another DGI-II with deafness family, the mutation was a G1→A1 mutation in position 1 of Intron 3 (position 3661 of SEQ ID NO:1). This mutation was predicted to result in splicing site change which may cause the expression of intron, termination of translation in advance or frame shifting (FIG. 4B). Therefore, the normal DSPP (or DSP) protein was unable to be expressed. Further, it might influence the translation of signal peptide so that DSPP could not be correctly localized. Surprisingly, this mutation caused the patient affected with both DGI-II and deafness, suggesting that DSPP mutation was associated with deafness. It is possible to diagnose deafness, especially DGI-II with deafness, by detecting whether DSPP is normal or not.
[0095] Discussion
[0096] 1. Linkage and Haplotype Analysis
[0097] We used seven STR markers in 4q21 region to genotype DGI-II and DGI-II with deafness families. Linkage and haplotype construction showed that the disease gene in DGI-II family was linked with 4q21 and the maximum LOD score was 8.38 at SPP1 locus (θ=0.00) (Table 1, FIG. 2) and the disease gene in DGI-II with deafness was also linked with STR markers in 4q21 region and the maximum LOD score was 2.71 (0=0.00) (Table 2, FIG. 3).
[0098] 2. Mutation Screening of Candidate Genes and Confirmation by Sequencing
[0099] We designed 22 primers overlapping the DSPP gene to screen for mutations and identify mutations by sequencing. We found the disease gene in DGI-II family was linked with the STR markers in 4q21 region, while the disease gene in DGI-II with deafness was also linked with STR markers in this region. These mutations were not observed in 100 normal and unaffected individuals. It suggests that these mutations should be the cause of DGI-II disease.
[0100] DPP and DSP are two small polypeptides which have specific chemical properties and are cleaved from a single transcripts of DSPP gene. Both of them are expressed specifically in dental pulp tissue and may also be expressed in cochleae. DSP is a Glu-, Ser- and Gly-rich protein with many phosphorylation sites, which are predicted to be involved in dentin mineralization. DPP affects mineralization in two ways. Low concentration of DPP protein is able to bind to interspace of collagen I and initiate formation of phosphorum apatite crystals, while high concentration of DPP protein binds to the growing crystals, affects the size and form of crystals, and decreases the growth of crystals. It is necessary to further study the mechanism that the mutations in DSPP gene cause dentinogenesis imperfecta and deafness.
[0101] All the documents cited herein are incorporated into the invention as reference, as if each of them is individually incorporated. Further, it would be appreciated that, in the above teaching of the invention, the skilled in the art could make certain changes or modifications to the invention, and these equivalents would still be within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims of the present application.
REFERENCES
[0102] 1. Witkop C J et al. Hereditary defects in enamel and dentin. Acta Genet 1957;7:236˜239
[0103] 2. Cetta G et al. Third international conference on osteogenesis imperfecta. Ann NY Avad Sci, 1998
[0104] 3. Takagi Y et al. Matrix protein difference between human normal and dentinogenesis imperfecta dentin. In the chemistry and biology of mineralized connective tissues. Veis A, editor, New York: Elsevier/North-Holand. 1981
[0105] 4. Witkop C J, et al. Medical and dental findings in the Brandywine isolate. AL J Med Sci 1966;3:382˜403
[0106] 5. Bixler D, et al. Dentinogenesis imperfecta: genetic variation in a six-generation family. J. Dent. Res. 1968;48:1196˜1199
[0107] 6. Mikkelsen, M et al. Possible localization of Gc-system on chromosome 4. Loss of long arm 4 material associated with father-child incompatibility within the Gc-system. Hum. Hered. 1988;27: 105˜107
[0108] 7. Ball. S P, et al. Linkage between dentinogenesis imperfecta and Gc. Ann. Hum. Genet. 1982;46:35˜40
[0109] 8. Crall M G. Genetic marker study of dentinogenesis imperfecta. Proc Finn Dent Soc. 1992;88:285˜293
[0110] 9. Crodby A H, et al. Genetic mapping of dentinogenesis imperfecta type II Locus. Am. J. Hm. Genet. 1995;57:832˜839
[0111] 10. Aplin H. M, et al. Refinement of the dentinogenesis imperfecta type II locus to an interval of less than 2 centimorgans at chromosome 4q21 and the creation of a yeast artificial chromosome contig of the critical region. J. Dent. Res. 1999;78(6):1270˜1276
[0112] [0112]
1
44
1
8201
DNA
Homo sapiens
1
attgtcatgc aaaagtccag gacagtgggc cactttcagt cttcaaagag aaagataaga 60
aattctggat tttcaaaatc cttttgaagc cttttaaggt aagatgaaat atccttttta 120
ctcagaacca actgattcat ttagaaagaa ctttgaattt caaagatgaa gccagtttga 180
ttttaagaag cgagtacccc ttaatgatta gattgtatgc ttcctttttg acttgtcata 240
ttgatagtat gtataaaaga taacggacga ttacgaccta aggaagagat agattgggaa 300
gaagaaagac ctcgtactga aaaattggcc aactgaggtg gaaatttgac aattaactat 360
ctgggcactt tgattagttt tgataaaaaa tgagataact cagatttcaa aaatccacct 420
tgggctttca aacaaggctt caattaggct ttgcttttta gtattttatt acttactatt 480
acttattatt tattgtccca catgaaatga aatttagcaa tcactaatga tgccaaatct 540
aattgctaaa tgaaatgaag ctaaatctca tttcattagt aacaataaat gaaataatct 600
gatggagctt cacaaattct gaagtctttg tttcatgctg aggtcacctg ggccattttt 660
attgtagtct tcgaagtcat tcacctgcct tggaaacggt gataaccatc atggaattgt 720
tcaggagtgg agctgaaaga gagatgtagt ggtcagattt ctgaactgta gctcagaaac 780
tggacacgta tcactctggc cttggctgca ggtacctttc cagtatgctg aggctcttcc 840
aaatcacagt gcagacgggc cttctgcaga gctatgtaat gattaggctt gggactgcaa 900
agtacaggat aactgtggct tagtaaacag ctggccttca acatctgtgc cccagagctc 960
tgcatgatac ttgtcctggt gtcacctcag cctcacttga atctatggca tttcagaagg 1020
agctctagct gttcttggct ttctgttgaa cagctataag aatgagcact tttttccctc 1080
tcagtagctc tggaactgtg tcatctctcc tgtgagaaaa cgccagtaat tctcatgaca 1140
gttgatattc agtgaagttt tattatattt tcactaccac cattaaattc aatcaaagcc 1200
attttatgac atgcagcatt ataatctata catctggtgg gagttcatga aataggagta 1260
aaactctcct ttctatcatt acttcaagaa atccaacttg caatataaat taattttttt 1320
actcacacag attataaaat gtctattcca acttatcaga aacatgtttt agaccatttc 1380
tgaatttgaa ttctaacagg gatgaagaat catgatttta gaagtcccat aaaataattg 1440
ctatcattta ttcaaaaatt gcaaagtgcc tgaagcaatg ctagatattg ctgatagtca 1500
taaatattta tcaacaacat tcagaaaacg tttttttctg tgctttgcat tggaatacaa 1560
taatcaccaa gacactctcc tgggcctcag gagcttacag gaaatcaggg caacacataa 1620
gtaactaggc aattttaaac agtgcaatgc gttaccagtg agacgtgcaa acttccttgg 1680
tataaaaagg aaagagatac caaataccct ttgaagtggc gtcagagagg gcgtctcaga 1740
gataattcta ccaaacttca ggataatcct gaggtgcagg tgttgttatt attccaggtg 1800
gagggataat aaacctactt aaatttctca agcttacaca gcaagtagca ggggtaacat 1860
ttgaacccag gtctctgaat acaaaccccg tattctttcc actagcgtag gctccctcat 1920
gttagtaatt tctttctctt aaagtctggt atagctcaat tctatagatt tggagtaagg 1980
atgacaagtg ttttaccttt gaagcacaat ttcagcagaa ttagttagta cttgattaaa 2040
gctattcaga agagaaatag atgtttttac acccaagaat tgcagaagaa caaagttaca 2100
gctatgccct ttgtacctat tatggtgttt tccttcattg gcacaggcag aaaaaaatct 2160
aggaagctac attagtgctg agcctggtga tgtccccata accacaccag gtatgttctg 2220
gaccatcgta tgtcttctcg tgttagatac atgcttcttg tccaggaaaa gggcaaatgc 2280
ttacacatca aaataatata gtactatgat tttcccttta ctttataagt aattttgtgc 2340
tgttcctttt ttatacagcc attgattatt attattccta aagaaaatga agataattac 2400
atatttttgc atttgggcag tagcatgggc cattccagta agtatgcctt tcttagaaaa 2460
cctcttcact ttgttatctt ttttaaccta acattaatac aaaatgtagt gtgtgtgtgt 2520
gtgtgtgtgt gtgtgtgtgt gtgcatgtac atgtgtgtat atatgtgtgt gtgtatatat 2580
gtttccttaa ttttttttaa caggctgagt ctaaacattt agatttgcac taagggcttt 2640
atgtgatatc tgtgaggttt caacaaaacc actccaattc atcgtctcat tcctctatag 2700
aaactcatat ctcgtctgaa ggattattat tatttaaaac atttattcag attaatttac 2760
acttaatgcc cagaagtcat ggagactttg tccatctttg cttcatactc tgtgaatttc 2820
attctaatac gaacaaagtc tgtgctgttt aggaagtttc caagaaagaa taataagaaa 2880
aagtagattt tttttcaaca tataggagac taatttttca ctcagagtta ttatttatgt 2940
gctcactgtg gaaaatttgg aatatatgac gaaaaccaat aaaaaattga gaaaattcaa 3000
ccatttataa ttttactagc cagccatcat gtttaacatt ttcatatgct ttcataatac 3060
caaacatttg gtatttatgt agttgaaaat gttctcaagt atttcaaatg tgctcttgca 3120
gagcacagaa gtatactagc gtaatacttg attttgcttc tgtgcaggct ctggtcacgc 3180
ctcctgttct cttaagagtt ttcatcagga ttacacttag agcgggtttg tgctagtgca 3240
agaggctttt tgtagagaaa caccagaggt ctatcccctc gtctttctac aagactcttt 3300
ccttctacag ttgagataag tgggctgatc taacacgtcc ataaaattgg taataccaca 3360
gtgaaaaata tccatgtacc cagtttaaat tctacacaag ccctgtaaga agccacttct 3420
cttttctatc tgattagatc atactttggc ctttgtgtta aacctttctt cttcatggag 3480
ggaagaatat ttgtgtgtgt gtgtgtgtgt gtgcacgctc acacacatat tcacaaataa 3540
gaaccttttc aatagccagt attttctact tggcaggttc ctcaaagcaa accactggag 3600
agacatgtcg aaaaatccat gaatttgcat ctcctagcaa gatcaaatgt gtcagtacag 3660
gtataggatg taatatattt cattttattt cctatttctg agttgctaca ttccattaac 3720
ttctccaaga ttgcaatttg ctttccttca agatcattga cactcataat tgattgaatt 3780
gtttcttttt caggatgagt taaatgccag tggaaccatc aaagaaagtg gtgtcctggt 3840
gcatgaaggt gatagaggaa ggcaagagaa tacccaagat ggtcacaagg gagaagggaa 3900
tggctctaag tgggcagaag taggagggaa gagtttttct acatattcca cattagcaaa 3960
cgaagagggg aatattgagg gctggaatgg ggacacagga aaagcagaaa catatggtca 4020
tgatggaata catgggaaag aagaaaacat cacagcaaat ggcatccagg gacaagtaag 4080
catcattgac aatgctggag ccacaaacag aagcaacact aatggaaata ctgataagaa 4140
tacccaaaat ggggatgttg gcgatgcagg tcacaatgag gatgtcgctg ttgtccaaga 4200
agatggacct caagtagctg gaagcaataa cagtacagac aatgaggatg aaataattga 4260
gaattcctgt agaaacgagg gtaatacaag tgaaataaca cctcagatca acagcaagag 4320
aaatgggact aaggaagctg aggtaacacc aggcactgga gaagatgctg gcctggataa 4380
ttccgatggg agtcctagtg ggaatggagc agatgaggat gaagacgagg gttctggtga 4440
tgatgaagat gaagaagcag ggaatggaaa agacagtagt aataacagca agggccagga 4500
gggccaggac catgggaaag aagatgatca tgatagtagc ataggtcaaa attcggatag 4560
taaagaatat tatgaccctg aaggcaaaga agatccccat aatgaagttg atggagacaa 4620
gacctccaag agtgaggaga attctgctgg tattccagaa gacaatggca gccaaagaat 4680
agaggacacc cagaagctca accatagaga aagcaaacgc gtagaaaata gaatcaccaa 4740
agaatcagag acacatgctg ttgggaagag ccaagataag gttagtttgt aaagctgatt 4800
tctttcaatg gcagtttaaa ttcttcccct ccatctattg atgctagcac aaaaataaac 4860
catgacaagc atccatgtat ttttgtatcc atattacttg actatttaag gaaatctaga 4920
gtccttacta gacttcgaga tagaacaact ttaaacatct tacatttctg ataacttagt 4980
tataattcta gaaaagtctt atgtgaaatc atggatcccc atgtaattgt ttacaaaagt 5040
tcctactggg taggaatgtg gatgaatttt taaggaatct aagcaccagg atgctttcaa 5100
ttacagaata aagcacattt tcacaaataa ctgtgaagta ctagaaatgt aactcctatc 5160
cctatggcaa cttttcccag ttattcttcc tcagatcaat gcaattttgc agcaaatatt 5220
cactagttaa tcattctttc ctccatcctt ccatagggaa tagaaatcaa gggtcccagc 5280
agtggcaaca gaaatattac caaagaagtt gggaaaggca acgaaggtaa agaggataaa 5340
ggacaacatg gaatgatctt gggcaaaggc aatgtcaaga cacaaggaga ggttgtcaac 5400
atagaaggac ctggccaaaa atcagaacca ggaaataaag ttggacacag caatacaggt 5460
agtgacagca atagtgatgg atatgacagt tatgattttg atgataagtc catgcaagga 5520
gatgatccca atagcagtga tgaatctaat ggcaatgatg atgctaattc agaaagtgac 5580
aataacagca gtagccgagg agatgcttct tataactctg atgaatcaaa agataatggc 5640
aatggcagtg actcaaaagg agcagaagat gatgacagtg atagcacatc agacactaat 5700
aatagtgaca gtaatggcaa tggtaacaat gggaatgatg acaatgacaa atcagacagt 5760
ggcaaaggta aatcagatag cagtgacagt gatagtagtg atagcagcaa tagcagtgat 5820
agtagtgaca gcagtgacag tgacagcagt gatagcaaca gtagcagtga tagtgacagc 5880
agtgacagtg acagcagtga tagcagtgac agtgatagta gtgatagcag caatagcagt 5940
gacagtagtg acagcagtga tagcagtgac agtagtgata gtagtgacag cagtgacagc 6000
aagtcagaca gcagcaaatc agagagcgac agcagtgata gtgacagtaa gtcagacagc 6060
agtgacagca acagcagtga cagtagtgac aacagtgata gcagcgacag cagcaatagc 6120
agtaacagca gtgatagtag tgacagcagt gatagcagtg acagcagcag tagcagtgac 6180
agcagcagta gcagtgacag cagcaacagc agtgatagta gtgacagtag tgacagcagc 6240
aatagcagtg agagcagtga tagtagtgac agcagtgata gtgacagcag tgatagtagt 6300
gacagcagta atagtaacag cagcgatagt gacagcagca acagcagcga tagcagtgac 6360
agcagtgata gcagtgacag cagcaacagc agtgacagta gcgatagcag tgacagcagc 6420
aacagcagtg acagcagtga tagcagtgac agcagtgata gtagtgacag cagcaacagc 6480
agtgatagca acgacagcag caatagcagt gacagcagtg atagcagcaa cagcagtgat 6540
agcagcaaca gcagtgatag cagtgatagc agtgacagca gtgatagcga cagcagcaat 6600
agcagtgaca gcagtaatag tagtgacagc agcgatagca gcaacagcag tgatagcagc 6660
gacagcagcg atagcagtga cagcagtgat agcgacagca gcaatagaag tgacagtagt 6720
aatagtagtg acagcagcga tagcagtgac agcagcaaca gcagtgacag cagtgatagt 6780
agtgacagca gtgacagcaa cgaaagcagc aatagcagtg acagcagtga tagcagcaac 6840
agcagtgata gtgacagcag tgatagcagc aacagcagtg acagcagtga tagcagcaac 6900
agcagtgata gcagtgaaag cagtaatagt agtgacaaca gcaatagcag tgacagcagc 6960
aacagcagtg acagcagtga tagcagtgac agcagtaata gtagtgacag cagcaatagc 7020
ggtgacagca gcaacagcag tgacagcagt gatagcaata gcagcgacag cagtgacagc 7080
agcaacagca gcgatagcag tgacagcagt gatagcagtg acagcagtga cagcagtgat 7140
agcagcaaca gcagtgatag cagtgacagc agtgacagca gtgatagcag taatagtagt 7200
gacagcagca acagcagtga cagcagcgat agcagtgaca gcagcgatag cagtgacagc 7260
agtgacagca gcaatagcag tgacagcagt gacagcagcg acagcagtga tagcagtgac 7320
agcagtggca gcagcgacag cagtgatagc agtgacagca gtgatagcag cgatagcagt 7380
gacagcagcg acagcagtga cagcagtgac agcagtgaaa gcagcgacag cagcgatagc 7440
agcgacagca gtgacagcag cgacagcagt gacagcagcg atagcagcga cagcagcgac 7500
agcagcgata gcagtgacag cagcaatagc agtgatagca gcgacagcag tgatagcagt 7560
gacagcagcg acagcagcga tagcagcgac agcagtgata gtagtgatag cagtgacagc 7620
agtgacagca gcgacagcag tgacagcagc gacagcagtg acagcagcga cagcagtgac 7680
agcaatgaaa gcagcgacag cagtgacagc agcgatagca gtgacagcag caacagcagt 7740
gacagcagcg acagcagtga tagcagtgac agcacatctg acagcaatga tgagagtgac 7800
agccagagca agtctggtaa cggtaacaac aatggaagtg acagtgacag tgacagtgaa 7860
ggcagtgaca gtaaccactc aaccagtgat gattagaaca aaagaaaaac ccataagatt 7920
ccttttgtga aaagtttggt aatgggatag gaaaaaaaga tttccaagaa agtaaagaaa 7980
ggggagaaat aaacataaga cgtatgtaaa caaaaacaac tgggggaatc aaatcaaaca 8040
gttggattca gaaccaagac ctaactcctg cagagacaga ctctgaatgc atgacctttg 8100
gtacatgcct gttaatattc atgttctgaa aatattttgt taaaagtgta aatctaaaca 8160
taaaagaaca attaaaatat tctttaatac ttcacacaga a 8201
2
1253
PRT
Homo sapiens
2
Met Lys Ile Ile Thr Tyr Phe Cys Ile Trp Ala Val Ala Trp Ala Ile
1 5 10 15
Pro Val Pro Gln Ser Lys Pro Leu Glu Arg His Val Glu Lys Ser Met
20 25 30
Asn Leu His Leu Leu Ala Arg Ser Asn Val Ser Val Gln Asp Glu Leu
35 40 45
Asn Ala Ser Gly Thr Ile Lys Glu Ser Gly Val Leu Val His Glu Gly
50 55 60
Asp Arg Gly Arg Gln Glu Asn Thr Gln Asp Gly His Lys Gly Glu Gly
65 70 75 80
Asn Gly Ser Lys Trp Ala Glu Val Gly Gly Lys Ser Phe Ser Thr Tyr
85 90 95
Ser Thr Leu Ala Asn Glu Glu Gly Asn Ile Glu Gly Trp Asn Gly Asp
100 105 110
Thr Gly Lys Ala Glu Thr Tyr Gly His Asp Gly Ile His Gly Lys Glu
115 120 125
Glu Asn Ile Thr Ala Asn Gly Ile Gln Gly Gln Val Ser Ile Ile Asp
130 135 140
Asn Ala Gly Ala Thr Asn Arg Ser Asn Thr Asn Gly Asn Thr Asp Lys
145 150 155 160
Asn Thr Gln Asn Gly Asp Val Gly Asp Ala Gly His Asn Glu Asp Val
165 170 175
Ala Val Val Gln Glu Asp Gly Pro Gln Val Ala Gly Ser Asn Asn Ser
180 185 190
Thr Asp Asn Glu Asp Glu Ile Ile Glu Asn Ser Cys Arg Asn Glu Gly
195 200 205
Asn Thr Ser Glu Ile Thr Pro Gln Ile Asn Ser Lys Arg Asn Gly Thr
210 215 220
Lys Glu Ala Glu Val Thr Pro Gly Thr Gly Glu Asp Ala Gly Leu Asp
225 230 235 240
Asn Ser Asp Gly Ser Pro Ser Gly Asn Gly Ala Asp Glu Asp Glu Asp
245 250 255
Glu Gly Ser Gly Asp Asp Glu Asp Glu Glu Ala Gly Asn Gly Lys Asp
260 265 270
Ser Ser Asn Asn Ser Lys Gly Gln Glu Gly Gln Asp His Gly Lys Glu
275 280 285
Asp Asp His Asp Ser Ser Ile Gly Gln Asn Ser Asp Ser Lys Glu Tyr
290 295 300
Tyr Asp Pro Glu Gly Lys Glu Asp Pro His Asn Glu Val Asp Gly Asp
305 310 315 320
Lys Thr Ser Lys Ser Glu Glu Asn Ser Ala Gly Ile Pro Glu Asp Asn
325 330 335
Gly Ser Gln Arg Ile Glu Asp Thr Gln Lys Leu Asn His Arg Glu Ser
340 345 350
Lys Arg Val Glu Asn Arg Ile Thr Lys Glu Ser Glu Thr His Ala Val
355 360 365
Gly Lys Ser Gln Asp Lys Gly Ile Glu Ile Lys Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly
370 375 380
Asn Arg Asn Ile Thr Lys Glu Val Gly Lys Gly Asn Glu Gly Lys Glu
385 390 395 400
Asp Lys Gly Gln His Gly Met Ile Leu Gly Lys Gly Asn Val Lys Thr
405 410 415
Gln Gly Glu Val Val Asn Ile Glu Gly Pro Gly Gln Lys Ser Glu Pro
420 425 430
Gly Asn Lys Val Gly His Ser Asn Thr Gly Ser Asp Ser Asn Ser Asp
435 440 445
Gly Tyr Asp Ser Tyr Asp Phe Asp Asp Lys Ser Met Gln Gly Asp Asp
450 455 460
Pro Asn Ser Ser Asp Glu Ser Asn Gly Asn Asp Asp Ala Asn Ser Glu
465 470 475 480
Ser Asp Asn Asn Ser Ser Ser Arg Gly Asp Ala Ser Tyr Asn Ser Asp
485 490 495
Glu Ser Lys Asp Asn Gly Asn Gly Ser Asp Ser Lys Gly Ala Glu Asp
500 505 510
Asp Asp Ser Asp Ser Thr Ser Asp Thr Asn Asn Ser Asp Ser Asn Gly
515 520 525
Asn Gly Asn Asn Gly Asn Asp Asp Asn Asp Lys Ser Asp Ser Gly Lys
530 535 540
Gly Lys Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
545 550 555 560
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asn Ser
565 570 575
Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
580 585 590
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
595 600 605
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Lys Ser
610 615 620
Asp Ser Ser Lys Ser Glu Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Lys Ser
625 630 635 640
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Asn Ser Asp Ser
645 650 655
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
660 665 670
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Asp
675 680 685
Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
690 695 700
Ser Glu Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
705 710 715 720
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn
725 730 735
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
740 745 750
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
755 760 765
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp
770 775 780
Ser Asn Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
785 790 795 800
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
805 810 815
Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser
820 825 830
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
835 840 845
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
850 855 860
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
865 870 875 880
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asn Glu Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp
885 890 895
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
900 905 910
Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Glu
915 920 925
Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Asn Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser
930 935 940
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
945 950 955 960
Asn Ser Gly Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asn Ser
965 970 975
Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser
980 985 990
Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp
995 1000 1005
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp
1010 1015 1020
Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1025 1030 1035
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1040 1045 1050
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Gly Ser Ser Asp
1055 1060 1065
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1070 1075 1080
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Glu Ser Ser Asp
1085 1090 1095
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1100 1105 1110
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1115 1120 1125
Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1130 1135 1140
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1145 1150 1155
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp
1160 1165 1170
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Asn Glu Ser Ser Asp
1175 1180 1185
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asn Ser Ser Asp
1190 1195 1200
Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Ser Asp Ser Thr Ser Asp Ser Asn
1205 1210 1215
Asp Glu Ser Asp Ser Gln Ser Lys Ser Gly Asn Gly Asn Asn Asn
1220 1225 1230
Gly Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Asp Ser Glu Gly Ser Asp Ser Asn His
1235 1240 1245
Ser Thr Ser Asp Asp
1250
3
20
DNA
Artificial Sequence
Primer
3
tgcaaaagtc catgacagtg 20
4
24
DNA
Artificial Sequence
Primer
4
tcagttggtt ctgagtaaaa agga 24
5
23
DNA
Artificial Sequence
Primer
5
aagtaatttt gtgctgttcc ttt 23
6
21
DNA
Artificial Sequence
Primer
6
aacaaagtga agaggttttc t 21
7
22
DNA
Artificial Sequence
Primer
7
aagaaccttt tcaattgcta gt 22
8
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tggagaagtt aatggaatgt agca 24
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tgcaatttgc tttccttcaa 20
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cctcttcgtt tgctaatgtg g 21
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tcacaaggta gaagggaatg 20
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gtttgtggct ccagcattgt 20
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gggacacagg aaaagcagaa 20
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tgttattgct tccagctact tgag 24
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caatgaggat gtcgctgttg 20
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atgaagaagc agggaatgga 20
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tgccattgaa agaaatcagc 20
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gcagtgatag tagtgacagc agtg 24
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gctctcactg ctattgctgc t 21
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gcaagtcaga cagcagcaaa 20
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ctgctgtcgc tatcactgct 20
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The invention has disclosed a method for diagnosis of dentinogenesis imperfecta type II (DGI-II) and/or dentinogenesis imperfecta type II with deafness (DGI-II with deafness). Said method comprises the steps of detecting the DSPP gene, transcript and/or protein in said subject and comparing it with the normal DSPP gene, transcript and/or protein to determine whether there is any variation, wherein said variation indicates that the possibility of suffering DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness in said subject is higher than the normal population. The present invention also discloses the method and pharmaceutical composition for treating DGI-II and/or DGI-II with deafness.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/021,195, filed on Jan. 15, 2008, titled “CONTAINER ASSEMBLY,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates, in general, to a container assembly, and deals more particularly with a container assembly having a unique, utilitarian pattern formed on opposing sides of the container assembly, whereby the pattern provides increased stacking and attachment-point advantages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Containers of various shapes, sizes and configurations have been employed to accommodate all manner of storage and transportation needs. Typically, in the case of containers primarily utilized to transport items, it is often necessary to protect these items from impact and/or environmental damage, as well as to make the container suitable for stacking and storage during transportation.
[0004] Towards this end, it has been known to define structural profiles on the surfaces of containers, in order to provide a pattern, or matrix, by which other like containers may be stacked with one another during transportation.
[0005] Moreover, the stacking patterns of known transportation containers typically utilize similar patterns on opposing sides of the container, oftentimes being mirror images of each other. In addition, known containers also typically employ patterns which are limited to being uni-directional in their stacking ability and frequently employ patterns that contain ‘hard’, or sharp edges.
[0006] With the forgoing problems and concerns in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a container assembly with a novel stacking profile defined on opposing sides of the container. In one preferred embodiment, the profile formed on one side of the container is not the same as the inter-connecting profile defined on the opposing side of the container. Moreover, the defined profiles of the present invention enable a bi-directional stacking capability, as well as having edges of the defined profiles that are more resistant to wear and damage. A novel latch mechanism for the container assembly of the present invention is also proposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a container assembly having stacking patterns formed on opposing sides of the container.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention that the stacking patterns of the container assembly enable the bi-directional stacking of one of the container assemblies with another of the container assemblies.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a container assembly whereby the stacking patterns on opposing sides of the container are different from one another.
[0011] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a container assembly having stacking patterns that are more resistant to wear and damage.
[0012] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a container assembly having stacking patterns which also provide various attachment points for securing accessories to the container.
[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stacking pattern for a container assembly that includes integrated wheels, wherein the integrated wheels do not interfere with the bi-directional stacking ability of the container.
[0014] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a container assembly that includes a novel latch mechanism and location.
[0015] An embodiment of the inventive container assembly for the storage and transport of goods includes a first portion having an interior with a substantially flat interior bottom surface. The assembly further includes a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion. The first portion has an outer surface that includes a first stacking pattern and the second portion has an outer surface that includes a second stacking pattern different from the first stacking portion and configured to engage the first stacking pattern enabling the container assembly to be bi-directionally stacked on another of the container assemblies.
[0016] An embodiment of the inventive locking mechanism for a container assembly includes a hinged leaf portion having a hooked end. The leaf portion is pivotally attached to a leaf bracket which is, in turn, secured to the container assembly. The locking mechanism further includes a base portion also secured to the container assembly. The base portion has a lever with an engagement end for engagement with the hooked end. The lever is pivotally secured to the base portion. The lever may be moved to bring the engagement end into engagement with the hooked end to secure the locking mechanism and, when the locking mechanism is secured, the lever and the leaf portion cover and protect the fasteners that secure the leaf portion and the base portion to the container to prevent unauthorized access to an interior of said container assembly.
[0017] These and other objectives of the present invention, and their preferred embodiments, shall become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings taken as a whole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the container assembly of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the container assembly of FIG. 1
[0020] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the container assembly of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3
[0022] FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative to the embodiment of FIG. 4
[0023] FIG. 6 is a front view of the container assembly according to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 .
[0024] FIG. 7 is a enlarged, perspective view of a latch assembly for use with the container assembly of FIGS. 1 or 3 .
[0025] FIG. 8A-8E are front, perspective views of the latch assembly of FIG. 7 graphically illustrating operation of the latch assembly.
[0026] FIG. 9A-9E are front, perspective view of the latch assembly of FIG. 7 graphically illustrating operation of the latch assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] FIGS. 1-9E illustrate a container assembly according an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the inventive container assembly 2 includes structural profiles formed on opposing sides of the container. In particular, one side of the container 2 defines a first stacking profile 4 that includes a series of wavy ribs or ridges 6 , extending from one lateral side of the container 8 , to the other 10 . When located side-by-side with one another, the wavy ridges 6 define a series of wave-like profiles 12 that create laterally extending channels or valleys 14 therebetween.
[0028] As shown, the raised wavy ridges 6 undulate in a sinusoidal fashion along their lateral axis, thereby forming a series of apexes and depressions along the length of the ridges 6 . The wavy ridges 6 are oriented on the container 2 such that the apexes of adjacent wavy ridges 6 are opposed to one another, thus creating a repeating series of wide and narrow, i.e., convex and concave, sections in the valleys 14 .
[0029] This wave-like configuration of ridges 6 is an important aspect of the present invention. In particular, the wave like shape of the ridges 6 avoids sharp bends which act as stress concentrators. Thus, the wave shape maximizes structural strength and integrity of the ridges 6 . Preferably, the wave-like shape is formed from a series of tangent arcs. As will be appreciated, the shape of the ridges 6 may also be derived from sinusoidal and quadratic equations.
[0030] Further, it is also preferable that the top surface of the ridges 6 have an area equal to the area of the valleys 14 between the ridges 6 . This configuration maximizes the strength of the structure by equalizing the cross-sectional “up” and “down” areas.
[0031] Turning now to FIG. 2 , an opposing side of the container 2 assembly defines a second stacking profile 16 comprising a series of generally rounded protrusions 18 which may be donut shaped as shown or, alternatively puck shaped. As will be appreciated, the protrusions 18 are dimensioned so as to fit within the wide (i.e., rounded) sections of the valleys 14 to facilitate stacking.
[0032] While the protrusions may be puck-shaped, the donut shape with its raised inner area or hole is preferable. This shape increases the flat surface area inside the container, i.e., on the container floor or bottom. The increased flat surface area creates a stable platform for goods placed within the container. The inner flat surface area also provides a convenient point to attach a fastener to, for example, secure cargo to the interior bottom floor of the container. This surface allows for the installation of fasteners without the fasteners touching the ground or interfering with corresponding stacking ridges 6 .
[0033] It will therefore be readily appreciated that the profiles defined on opposing sides of the container assembly of the present invention enable the stacking of one container assembly atop another container assembly. Moreover, given the structural relationship between the protrusions 18 and the wavy valleys 14 , the stacking profiles of the present invention permit the bi-directional stacking of one container assembly atop another. That is, the stacking profiles 4 , 16 created on opposing sides of the container assembly are capable of stacking one such container assembly atop another, even when the two container assemblies (and, thus, their stacking patterns) are oriented at 90° from one another, i.e., bi-directional stacking. Further, the profiles allow cases to be stacked regardless of their footprint so that smaller cases can be stacked on larger cases and vice versa.
[0034] It is another aspect of the present invention that both of the stacking patterns defined on the container assembly are formed with rounded edges. By doing so, the present invention facilitates an easier integration between the donut-like protrusions 18 of one container assembly with the wide sections of the wavy valleys 14 of another container assembly. Moreover, the rounded edges of the stacking profiles make them less susceptible to damage caused by drop-impact, or the like.
[0035] It is yet another important aspect of the present invention that the side edges 12 of the wavy ridges 14 of the container assembly are formed to exhibit a 5° draft. In this manner, various accessories may be more easily and more securely attached to locations between adjacent wavy ridges (i.e., locations at least partially attached within the wavy valleys 14 ).
[0036] Turning now to FIG. 3 , the donut-like protrusions may be cut or segmented. These segmented protrusions 20 are segmented by a cut 22 which prevents water entrapment when the case assembly 2 is inverted, further increases the flat surface area inside the container 2 , and reduces the entrapment of dirt and debris, facilitating easy removal of the same. While the cuts in the donuts can be in various orientations, it is preferable that they be perpendicular to the length of the container 2 . This configuration results in a more rigid container wall 24 than through parallel cuts. Empirical evidence depicting this is presented in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
[0037] Referring back to FIG. 3 , the inventive container 2 may also feature partially cut or segmented perimeter protrusions 26 . These partial cuts create C-shaped perimeteral protrusions, which, along with the fully cut protrusions 22 creates a channel having a centerline 28 . As will be appreciated, the channels allow for the attachment of various objects having a member configured to engage the channels.
[0038] The inventive container 2 may also include casters 27 . These are depicted in FIG. 2 and, as will be readily appreciated, allow the container 2 to be rolled during transport. Preferably, the casters 27 are located within a puck or donut 18 such that sides 29 of the donut 18 protect the casters 27 .
[0039] Turning now to FIGS. 6-9E , a novel latch/locking mechanism 40 is also shown. As most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the locking mechanism 40 is centrally located with respect to the housing of the container assembly 2 , and provides increased effectiveness, security and ease of manipulation.
[0040] More specifically, the locking mechanism 40 includes a fixed base 42 , a guide 43 and a hinged leaf 44 . As shown, the hinged leaf 44 is free to pivot about a pin 46 that is secured within a bracket 48 . The bracket 48 is secured to the container 2 through the use of conventional fasteners (not shown). The hinged leaf 44 includes a free distal end terminating in a hooked portion 50 shaped to receive a portion of the fixed base 42 when the mechanism 40 is secured.
[0041] The configuration of hinged leaf 44 within the bracket 48 is an important aspect of the inventive locking mechanism. In particular, when the hooked portion 50 is engaged by the base 42 , the hinged leaf 44 completely covers the fasteners used to secured the bracket 48 to the container 2 . This prevents removal of the fasteners to bypass the lock and gain access to the interior of the container 2 . Referring now to FIGS. 8C and 8E , the base 42 is similarly secured to the container 2 . Here, a lever 52 of the base 42 covers the fasteners when the lock is secured to prevent access to the case interior.
[0042] The base 42 includes a lever 52 , which pivots up and down about a base bracket 58 to raise or lower a u-shaped engagement surface 54 . The u-shaped engagement surface 54 is configured to engage and pull down on the hooked portion 50 of the hinged leaf 44 to secure a top or lid of a container 2 to a base portion. The lever 52 terminates with a tab 56 that is used to raise or lower the lever 52 . The path and movement of the engagement surface 54 are defined and limited by the guide 43 .
[0043] Moreover, the base bracket 58 includes padlock eyes 60 which, as will be appreciated, receives a u-shaped shackle of a padlock 70 ( FIGS. 7 , 8 A, 8 B, 9 A, 9 B). Significantly, the eyes 60 are shaped such that they include a sloped or angled shackle surface 62 , which includes a shackle divot 64 sized to accommodate the lock shackle ( FIG. 9C ). This surface 62 and divot 64 are important in that they cause a padlock to slide down via gravity toward the container and into the divot 64 . This allows the padlock to be complete recessed within a valley or channel of the outer case surface during shipping. This, in turn, minimizes potential damage to the container, the lock mechanism, the lock, and any adjacent cargo.
[0044] In use, and as shown in FIGS. 8A-8E and 9 A- 9 E, the locking mechanism 40 is unlocked by first unlocking and removing the padlock. The tab 56 and lever 52 are then pulled upward and outward so that the engagement surface 54 disengages with the hooked portion 50 of the hinged leaf 44 allowing the container 2 to be opened. As shown in FIG. 9E , then the container 2 is unlocked the lid may be closed without the risk of self-locking. That is, the engagement portion 54 is not in a position to engage the hooked portion 50 . This is an important safety and operational benefit of the inventive locking mechanism.
[0045] While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various obvious changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the essential scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
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A container assembly for the storage and transport of goods, the assembly including a first portion having an interior with a substantially flat interior bottom surface. The assembly further includes a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion. The first portion has an outer surface that includes a first stacking pattern and the second portion has an outer surface that includes a second stacking pattern which is different from the first stacking pattern and configured to engage the first stacking pattern enabling the container assembly to be bi-directionally stacked on another of the container assemblies.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/534,166, filed May 5, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and from which priority benefit is claimed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a device for monitoring respiratory movements for controlling apnea periods both in humans and in animals. Furthermore the present invention is related to a device for reducing the mortality rate caused by the sudden instant death syndrome (SIDS).
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] The study of respiratory movements and lung capacity is considered a major subject in the medicine filed. For such studies several methods and technologies have been used gathering every bit of information that could lead to a better detection and diagnosis of lung and respiratory dysfunction.
[0006] The use of spirometers dates since the 17th century. The spirometers measure the lung capacity volume of a human being but they cannot measure the residual function capacity of the lungs. Another device used in such medical field is the pletismograph. The pletismograph allows achieving better and more complex studies of the abovementioned respiratory and lung disorders.
[0007] However, both the spirometers and the pletismographs results obtained by the use of such devices generated a limited result based on the data obtained by those devices.
[0008] Further, the use of transducers, the refurbishing of the signals obtained and the digital analysis of data, gave place to a better respiration monitoring by implementing the new technology to the common devices. Nevertheless there is still some situations where the respiration monitoring is not fully developed leading to several holes in that field. For example, while the removing from a patient the tubes from a life support machine, the patient is exposed to a tremendous risk where his body could not be prepared to breathe by it self. Since the moment the tubes of the life support machine are removed from the patient, there is no more monitoring of the patient so the doctors can not tell whether the patient is able to breath by him self not until a few vital seconds and even minutes had passed by, wherein some times those seconds or minutes could lead so death.
[0009] On the other hand, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a medical disorder that claims the lives of many babies from one month to one year of age each year. Once known as crib death, these infant deaths remain unexplained after all known causes have been ruled out through autopsy, death scene investigation, and medical history. SIDS affects families of all races, religions, and income levels. It occurs during sleep, and strikes without warning. Its victims appear to be healthy. Neither parents nor doctors can tell which babies will die. The first year of life is a time of rapid growth and development when any baby may be vulnerable to SIDS.
[0010] According to some recent theories, the baby stops breathing because when sleeping starts to dream as if he were still within the mother's body where no breathing is necessary. If this is so the immediate solution would be to weak up the baby to restore breathing. Then, the solution for this particular cause or even upon the breathing interruption due to any other reason, would be to weak up the baby.
[0011] The reason why SIDS happens to babies is still a mystery to find out, although researchers are making great progress in identifying deficits, behaviors, and other factors that may put an infant at higher risk. Scientists are exploring the development and function of the nervous system, the brain, the heart, and breathing and sleep patterns, body chemical balances, autopsy findings, and environmental factors. Researchers from several universities have, in fact, isolated a neurochemical defect in a portion of the brain of SIDS victims that controls the infant's protective responses to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. It appears likely that SIDS may be caused by some subtle developmental delay, an anatomical defect or functional failure. SIDS, like other medical disorders, may eventually have more than one explanation and more than one means of prevention. This may explain why the characteristics of SIDS babies seem so varied.
[0012] There are several technologies known in the art that monitors the respiration movements, some of them measure the pressure, some detects the electrical resistance variation taken from a transducer, while other technologies sense the respiration movements of the human body.
[0013] The problem for measuring the pressure values obtained by the respiration movements monitored from a human being or animal is to obtain reliable references to perform the tests. To overcome the mentioned problem there are two major technologies used to monitor the apnea in babies. The first one uses a pressure transducer, which is placed under the mattress to monitor the baby's respiration movements. The second technology consists in adhesively attaching a balloon on the baby's abdomen, connecting said balloon to a pressure transducer. The variations in the electrical resistance must be detected by the use of a belt placed around the baby's body.
[0014] When using a transducer under the mattress, as mentioned before, the changes of pressure produced by the respiration movements are partially absorbed by the mattress itself therefore the reading obtained by the transducer as not quite accurate. In the event that a balloon is attached to the baby's abdomen, the reading a rally accurate compared to the technology described above, but since the balloon has to be attached to the baby's abdomen by an adhesive material, said adhesive material prevents from using the balloon in babies for more than 8 month, since skin reactions may appear leading into a rash and making the baby very uncomfortable. Furthermore, while monitoring the baby's respiration movements one must avoid the use of wiring in such devices since no only the baby tends to play with the wiring and could lead to a malfunction of the equipment but also it could represent a big danger to him due to risk of choking.
[0015] Additionally, the monitoring in animals is still under major development since there are no new methods or technologies applied in this field. The monitoring of the respiration movements in animals such as in stallions, and the like has increased significantly. Nowadays there are several veterinarian therapies to be performed on animals, being those therapies very similar to the ones used on humans, including the use of life support devices. However the monitoring techniques are still very limited. One of the major problems involved in the monitoring techniques is the difficulty of placing the wiring, catheter, sensors and the like in the animal.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,988 refers to a system for monitoring wearers of respiratory equipment, such as firemen, wherein the alarm is actuated when an alteration in pressure, temperature, movement, etc. is detected. Thus, this is a system detecting big movements like the ones of a person walking, running and the like, but incapable of detecting the small, almost undetectable, breathing movement of a sleeping baby. In addition, the system includes an alarm operating in a normally “off” status that is activated upon any of the above mentioned alterations, Therefore, upon the failure of any part of the circuit, such as recording system, transmission system, etc. the alarm fails to actuate.
[0017] As stated in column 9, lines 18-22, “Antenna 62 may be, for example, a lambda/4 line antenna which, at this frequency, has a length of approximately 17 cm. To keep the power consumption of mobile part 21 as low as possible, UHF transmitter 60 is activated only when needed.” If UHF transmission is activated only when needed, it is clear that there is no continuous monitoring of “Mobile unit” 21, so the system could fail or could be so far of the “Base station” 20 in a manner that station 20 could read that no data is sent because all is in order. The system operates upon the reception of data acquisition, therefore, the alarm is not activated upon a failure of the system. In addition, the term “Power supply” 105 shows that there is no direct connection of the alarm in order to be actuated upon a general failure.
[0018] In addition to the foregoing, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,988 discloses a complex equipment having a base station with plurality of mobile units to be disposed on a breathing apparatus. This is not a portable, small and compact monitoring apparatus that can be worn in the garment of a baby.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,551 discloses an apparatus for monitoring vital functions and for processing the results, comprising a sensor arrangement to be fitted onto the user's chest by means of a belt or band 9. It is apparent that this system can not be used in a baby's body when slipping because the belt will be uncomfortable for the baby's dream as an obstacle to the normal breathing.
[0020] To overcome the drawbacks aforementioned there is a need for a respiration movement monitor that can be easily handled, compact, reliable in the reception of signals, and that will not interfere with the respiration movements of the human or animal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a monitoring respiratory movements device to be used both in humans and animals for controlling the respiration movements and specially the apnea periods in infants to reduce the mortality rate caused by the sudden instant death syndrome (SIDS).
[0022] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a monitoring respiratory movement device for improving the monitoring techniques and methods used in the veterinary filed for monitoring stallions and the like.
[0023] It also another object of the present invention to provide a monitoring respiratory movement device that uses an accelerometer as a sensor, since there are acceleration motion in the respiration movements that can be monitored. This accelerometer(s) is(are) placed in a silica chip using nanotechnology, thus resulting in a device of really low mass and according the particular arrangement and position of the one or more accelerometers, thus providing a very sensitive device to detect the acceleration vector in the respiration movements. By use of a micro controller and with software associated, the device can perform every necessary function to fashion the signals received from the accelerometer, transmit them and eventually releasing the alarm from its inhibition because the alarm means are normally activated but inhibited or disabled by the microcontroller under normal operation conditions, namely while normal breathing is being detected.
[0024] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a monitor respiratory movement device to be used on both humans and animals for controlling the respiratory movements wherein the devices comprises an accelerometer, a micro controller, said accelerometer includes a motion detector and a plurality of output plugs, said micro controller includes a plurality of input sockets; wherein said plurality of output plugs are connected so said plurality of input sockets and the micro controller includes signal outputs which are connected to an alarm means.
[0025] It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for monitoring breathing of a wearer, the device comprising:
a box for wearing in the wearer s garment, the box being free of any means for retaining the box against the wearer's body; an electronic circuit located into said box, wherein the circuit comprises: at least one accelerometer arranged into said box in a manner to sense a component, or variation of the component, of a gravity acceleration vector due to angular movements of the box, a micro controller for detecting said component, or variation, sensed by the accelerometer, and alarm means connected to the microcontroller in a manner that the alarm means activates at least when the micro controller does not detect any component or variation in the component, of the gravity vector sensed by the accelerometer during a predetermined period of time.
[0031] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be better understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the following drawings wherein:
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the electronic circuit of the device of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 shows the electronic circuit of the device of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the electronic circuit of the device of the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view taken from the back of a box or holder for the device of the present invention;
[0037] FIGS. 5, 6 are schematic views of a baby with the device of the invention placed onto his trunk with the device moving angularly along angle φ under the breathing of the baby.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] As stated before, even though the present invention can be used either for human or animal respiration monitoring, the following description is based exclusively in the monitoring of respiration movements of infants, and specially in one month to one year old babies. Therefore, the following example should not be considered as a limit to the scope and spirit of the present invention.
[0039] Now referring in detail to FIG. 1 , the monitoring respiration movement device is defined by an electronic circuit generally described with the reference number 1 . Said electronic circuit 1 comprises an accelerometer 2 including a motion detector, such as the one showed in FIG. 4 . A micro controller 3 , alarm means 4 , instant acceleration transmission means defined by a series/parallel converting module 5 and a signal transmission module 6 , and a feeding source 7 are also connected to the electronic circuit 1 .
[0040] The accelerometer 2 , being in this embodiment an ADXL202, is an accelerometer of a very high sensitivity and a very low mass. These characteristics allow to not interfering with the normal respiratory movements of the infant. The accelerometer 2 includes digital signal outputs 8 connected to respective inputs 9 of the micro controller 3 . The micro controller 3 includes an output 10 from where the alert signals are sent to the input 11 of the alarm means 4 .
[0041] The micro controller, being in this embodiment a PIC16F87 model, has implemented every necessary function to read the signals of the output 8 of the accelerometer 2 . According to the software used in the micro controller 3 , several signals from output 12 can be sent to the inputs 13 of the series/parallel converting module 5 and then from the outputs 14 to the inputs 15 of the transmission module 6 , to send from the outputs 16 the signals from the accelerometer 2 towards others signal processing devices. Said transmission of signals can be either galvanic or wireless depending on the transmitting module to be used.
[0042] A processing device can be employed as a computer where the processing of the signals will be subject to the software used in the same. If the processing it taken in a laboratory with animals, a galvanic transmission can be safely used. The data should be input trough one of the serial ports (RS232) in the computer. For a wireless transmission of the signals an electromagnetic signal can be easily used, being the most common used signals the radio frequency signals and the infrared signals. However the device of the present invention can be equipped with ultrasound equipment, being these methods of transmitting the signals obtained from the accelerometer 2 not to be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention.
[0043] The converting module 5 included in the micro controller 3 , sends the signals to the transmission module 6 . In this embodiment the transmission module 6 comprises two integrated circuits defining an encoder such as a MCP2150 which encodes the received signal in such a fashion that can be transmitted by an infrared transmitter 6 ′ (e.g. TFDS4500). The infrared transmitter 6 ′ is an IrDA certified transmitter which transmits data at the speed of 115.2 Kb/sec.
[0044] By means of the converting module 5 the parallel n bits signals delivered by the micro controller 3 are converted to a series of n bits, which are added to perform the necessary control tasks. In this embodiment the accelerometer 2 has a 12 bits resolution, however only the more significant 8 bits were used in the assays.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 2 the alarm means 6 comprises a buzzer 17 connected to output 10 of the micro controller 3 through a transistor 18 . The alarm means 6 can present several settings. For example, based on a multivibrating circuit and a speaker attached to it or the speaker can be replaced by a LED or even a combination of both. Still referring to FIG. 2 , the power supply 7 is defined by a voltage regulator 19 such as a 78L05 voltage regulator. The voltage regulator 19 is connected to a battery 20 associated to voltage regulator circuit configured based on a transistor 21 and a Zener diode 22 with their corresponding polarization resistors 23 to 25 . The circuit associated to the Zener diode and transistor 21 is for disabling the microcontroller when the tension of the battery is low, but still above the regulated tension, so that when the microcontroller is disabled a continuous alarm sound is emitted indicating that the battery charge is low.
[0046] In the event that the device of the present invention is used in humans, the power supply 7 delivers DC power required for the proper performance of the circuit from the battery 20 . By doing so, the device does not need to be connected to the electric network, protecting the integrity of the human being. In addition, if any part of the system or circuit fails, the alarm is activated because it is always and directly (as shown) connected to Vdd, that is the alarm is directly fed by the battery without passing through the microcontroller.
[0047] The accelerometer 2 sends modulated signals to the micro controller 3 by means of the DMC corresponding to the instant acceleration measured in two orthogonal axes. The micro controller 3 includes software that demodulates the received signals sent in series to the transmitter module 6 . The transmitter module 6 comprises the IrDA decoder and an IR transducer. In the event that the device of the present invention should be used as only an apnea monitor, the software detects the variations in the acceleration detected by the accelerometer 2 . Since the microcontroller is permanently inhibiting or disabling the alarm activation, If no variations are detected in a period of T=20 seconds, the micro controller's software will interrupt such inhibition or disabling function whereby alarm 4 is able and free to emit alarm signals. Indeed, microcontroller 3 controls the base of transistor 18 to permit or inhibit the pass of current through the transistor to feed the alarm. The polarization of the transistor base is such that, by default, alarm 17 is fed from Vdd even during a failure of the microcontroller.
[0048] Depending on the use of the device of the present invention (e.g. as an apnea monitor for preventing SIDS), only the alarm means 4 should be connected to the micro controller 3 , avoiding the use of the converting module 5 and the transmission module 6 . This embodiment of the device is illustrated in FIG. 3 , wherein the electronic circuit of the device is identified by the reference number 1 ′. Accordingly, the performance of the device using the electronic circuit 1 ′ is exactly the same as the performance of the device using the electronic circuit 1 , except for the absence of the converting module 5 and the transmission module 6 .
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 4 , the geometrical configuration of the device of the present application is shown, specially the shape of the holder or box 26 inside of which either electronic circuits 1 or 1 ′ are housed. Further, it can be seen the motion sensors 28 placed in a wall 27 of holder 26 . Box 26 defines at least one main surface to be attached to or in contact with the garments or body of the wearer and this main surface may be defined by wall 27 or the surface of the box that is opposite to wall 27 . For proper function, the device must be kept in a stable and steady position with respect to the body of the wearer, either the human or animal. Preferably, the device should be placed in the trunk zone of the body where the respiration movements are more easily detected as it will be explained below. Since the device of the present invention does not need to be in touch with the skin of the human, the device can be wore over the subject's garment.
[0050] The device of the invention should be preferably placed in the body wearer, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 , according to the following teachings. Any accelerometer, while very sensitive, it is incapable of detecting very slow movements such as the one involved in breathing An accelerometer has a main sensing direction or, simply, a sensing direction to sense any acceleration in said direction. However, even if the acceleration vector to be detected extends along such direction such acceleration will not be detected if the value of same is very small.
[0051] When detecting breathing movements the following considerations must be taken into account:
the abdominal wall is moved up and down along only about 3 cm. the breathing frequency is about 10 per minute. inspiration/expiration rate is about ⅓. the acceleration formula is:
a = 2 · x t 2
wherein X=distance of the breathing movement t=time
[0059] By replacing the figures:
a = 2 · 3 · 10 - 2 m 36 s 2
then :
a = 0.06 m 36 s 2 = 0.0016 m s 2 = 0.17 mg
[0060] An accelerometer with a very high sensitivity for detecting 0.17 mg would be so sensitive that any vibration or undesirable movement.
[0061] The solution, according to the invention, is to employ a very sensitive accelerometer, not undesirably so sensitive, but with the capacity of sensing the breathing movements by sensing a component of the gravity acceleration, that is the vertical acceleration vector, when the component appears to vary upon the inclination of box 26 . This component is larger than the acceleration vector resulted from the vertical breathing movement. Since the accelerometer has a sensing direction, the way to detect such component or variation is by placing the box in a manner that when the baby breaths the box is inclined in addition to the normal up and down movement. According to the invention, the accelerometer is arranged within the box in a manner that the sensing direction is not vertical, that is, not aligned with the direction of the gravity acceleration. The sensing direction may be in any position except aligned with the vertical. In other words the sensing direction must be transversal to the main surface of the box and to any plane perpendicular to the main plane of the box.
[0062] Preferably, the sensing direction of the accelerometer will be placed perpendicular to the vertical of “g”, namely the gravity direction and more preferably, parallel to the main surface of the box. Thus, if the box is onto a table, the gravity acceleration will be measured as being cero. If the box is inclined, the appearance of a component of the gravity acceleration will be sensed or detected and this is the indication that the baby or wearer is breathing. The component of the gravity acceleration when the box is inclined, for example an angle φ, will be the value of “g” multiplied by sin φ or cos φ.
[0063] If the box is inclined, as a result of breathing, for example along an angle of 2° for each breathing movement, the acceleration will be:
a: 9.8 g×sin 2°=0.342 g, that is a value easily detected or sensed by the accelerometer. This operation is carried out by the software housed into the microcontroller and the 2° inclination is easily obtained in any respiration movement by placing the device, preferably, in the zone or boundary between the ribs and the abdomen.
[0066] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the alarm means is connected to the microcontroller in a manner that the alarm means activates when the micro controller does not detect any variation sensed by the accelerometer during a predetermined period of time. More particularly, the alarm means is connected to the micro controller and to a battery, as illustrated, in a manner that if variations are being detected by the micro controller, the micro controller inhibits the activation of the alarm, if no variations are detected during a period of time the microcontroller stops such inhibition so that the alarm activates and if there is any failure in the overall device the alarm is activated directly by the battery.
[0067] Also according to the invention, the at least one accelerometer is capable of sensing variations in a component of the gravity acceleration vector, and the micro controller detects the variations in the component of the gravity acceleration vector sensed by the accelerometer. According to the invention, the box includes a main surface, such as wall 26 , to be attached to the body of the wearer and the at least one accelerometer defines a main sensing plane for sensing any variation in a force vector acting transversely on the main sensing plane and wherein the accelerometer is arranged in the box in a manner that the main sensing plane of the accelerometer extends in any position other than a position parallel to the main surface of the box. More particularly, the main sensing plane of the accelerometer extends perpendicular to the main surface of the box. When the at least one accelerometer comprises two accelerometers, the main sensing plane of each accelerometer extends in any position other than parallel to each other and than a position parallel to the main surface of the box. More particularly, the main sensing planes of the accelerometers extend perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the main surface of the box.
[0068] The positioning of the accelerometer according to the above teachings of the invention makes the accelerometer detect continuous acceleration, namely gravity acceleration, and, since the box is attached to the garment of the baby, when the baby breaths, the angular position of the accelerometer relative to the gravity acceleration vector, that is the vertical, is altered. This angular alteration causes an alteration in the detected gravity vector each time the box is inclined under the breathing movements. This difference in the detected values is the input signal in the circuit of the invention.
[0069] The good operation of the inventive device may be easily tested also according to the teachings of the invention. The circuit, preferably microcontroller 3 may include a circuit control in a manner that in the startup the alarm provides a signal, either visual or acoustic one, indicating that the overall device is correctly operating. This signal, a three “beeps” for example, is preferably distinguished from the normal acoustic and/or visual signal provided by the alarm when no breathing is detected.
[0070] In addition, the correct operation of the device may be also tested by placing the device onto a surface, such as a table, and await for 20 seconds, after which period of time the alarm must activate if the device is in order.
[0071] The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described above. Departures may be made from such details within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its advantages.
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The present invention relates to a monitor respiration movements device to be used on humans and also on animals for controlling the respiration movements and to control the apnea periods on infants, wherein the device reduces the mortality rate caused by the sudden instant death syndrome (SIDS), wherein the device comprises an accelerometer and a micro controller, with the accelerometer including a motion detector and a plurality of output plugs, the micro controller includes a plurality of input sockets, and wherein the plurality of output plugs are connected to the plurality of input sockets and the micro controller includes signal outputs which are connected to an alarm.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/066,722 filed Oct. 30, 2013.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure relates to distributed computer systems, and more specifically to failure data for distributed computer systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A combination of hardware and software components in computer systems today has progressed to a point such that these computer systems can be highly reliable. Reliability in computer systems may be provided by using redundant components. In some computer systems, for example, components such as node controllers that manage hardware error requests that nodes of the computer system are provided in redundant pairs—one primary node controller and one redundant (backup) node controller. When such a primary node controller fails, the redundant node controller takes over the primary node controller's operations. Redundant pairs can also be used for system controllers for the same purpose. Node controllers and system controllers may also be referred to as service processors. A service processor is the component in a distributed computer system that provides operation tasks such as initialization, configuration, run-time error detection, diagnostics and correction, as well as closely monitoring other hardware components for failures.
[0004] A system dump is the recorded state of the working memory of a redundant node controller at a specific time, such as when a program running on the redundant node controller has determined a loss of communications with the system controller. First failure data capture (FFDC) is a minimum set of information related to a certain error detected by a node and/or system controller. Debug dump data is a superset of FFDC, and it includes all information from the controller, including information that may not be directly relevant to the specific error investigation. When an error occurs in one of the nodes, the dump of debug information is captured immediately from the primary node controller for further analysis. However, the backup node controller may become aware of the error only if the primary fails and consequently the backup takes over as primary. This process is called failover. Waiting for the failover process to be completed to capture the dump may delay the dump of the debug information and negatively impact the ability to analyze the error.
SUMMARY
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for determining a location of failure between interconnects/controller. The method includes a computer collecting debug information simultaneously at a plurality of nodes coupled to an interconnect. Subsequent to collecting debug information, the computer analyzes the debug information collected simultaneously thereby determining which end of the interconnect caused the failure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a distributed computer system environment, including a server computer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram depicting the intercommunications of components within the distributed computer system environment of FIG. 1 , for synchronizing debug information generation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of scenarios for synchronizing debug information generation according to a predetermined map, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of components of the server computer of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] During normal operation within a distributed computer system, a particular node controller may detect an error. That error may include many different types of failures, such as communication failure errors, application or process failure errors, crashes or locking up of a particular node or node controller operation, as well as other errors. When a node controller detects an error in a distributed computer system, resources of the distributed computer system attempt to store error information relevant to that error for later retrieval. The distributed computer system monitors processes, applications, and other resources with a high priority on keeping those resources available to the user and other entities at all times. The distributed computer system may employ one or more system controllers that monitor operations of the node controllers and other devices of the distributed computer system and manage node controller error information. When a node controller detects an error, that error may cause communication failures within the distributed computer system. Communication failures may present a challenge to system controllers in retrieving node controller error detection information.
[0011] In system architectures with multiple service processors configured in a hierarchical architecture, collecting debug information simultaneously from more than one service processors upon encountering any error condition may improve error analysis. For example, if an intra-node interconnect experiences a failure, there is not a reliable method to determine which end of the interconnect is the cause of failure. Collecting debug information from service processors on both of the nodes between which the interconnect failure was seen, at the same time, provides additional data for error analysis. Another example of a failure that may benefit from collecting simultaneous debug information is when a node controller fails. When this occurs, the primary system controller can not communicate with the failed node controller. Gathering failure data simultaneously from both the backup system controller and the backup node controller in the node that experienced the failure may be beneficial. Yet another example of a failure that may benefit from collecting simultaneous debug information is when a primary node controller has difficulty accessing hardware within the node. At that time, failure data collected from both primary and backup node controllers simultaneously may give the system administrator additional insight into the error.
[0012] Embodiments of the present invention recognize analysis of errors within a distributed computer system can be improved if the first failure data capture (FFDC) and debug dump data are captured from all of the involved service processors, i.e. node controllers and system controllers, simultaneously. Embodiments of the present invention detect an error in a distributed computer system, determine from which service processors the debug information is collected, and aggregate the data into a single report. Implementation of embodiments of the invention may take a variety of forms, and exemplary implementation details are discussed subsequently with reference to the Figures.
[0013] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable medium(s) having computer readable program code/instructions embodied thereon.
[0014] Any combination of computer-readable media may be utilized. Computer-readable media may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of a computer-readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
[0015] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
[0016] Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
[0017] Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java® (note: the term(s) “Java” may be subject to trademark rights in various jurisdictions throughout the world and are used here only in reference to the products or services properly denominated by the marks to the extent that such trademark rights may exist), Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on a user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
[0018] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0019] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0020] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0021] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the Figures. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a distributed computer system environment, generally designated 100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The term “distributed” as used in this specification describes a computer system that includes multiple, physically distinct devices that operate together as a single computer system. FIG. 1 provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.
[0022] Distributed computer system environment 100 includes server computer 102 . Server computer 102 may be a management server, a web server, or any other electronic device or computing system capable of receiving and sending data. In other embodiments, server computer 102 may represent a server computing system utilizing multiple computers as a server system, such as in a cloud computing environment. In another embodiment, server computer 102 may be a laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer, personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with other electronic devices. In another embodiment, server computer 102 represents a computing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act as a single pool of seamless resources. Server computer 102 includes nodes 104 , 106 , 108 and 110 , as well as system controller 112 and system controller 114 . Server computer 102 may include internal and external hardware components, as depicted and described in further detail with respect to FIG. 4 .
[0023] Each of nodes 104 through 110 is a processing device that executes user applications and is contained in server computer 102 . Each such node may be a web server, a database, or any other computing device. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 depicts each node containing a processor (e.g. processor 118 of node 104 , etc.), memory (e.g. memory 120 of node 104 , etc.), and two node controllers (e.g. node controllers 116 a and 116 b of node 104 , etc.). Each node controller can be a type of service processor. Although not all shown in FIG. 1 , nodes may include any number of devices such as additional computer processors, additional computer memory, disk drive adapters, disk drives, communication adapters, bus adapters, and so on as will occur to those of skill in the art. As depicted in FIG. 1 , server computer 102 is configured with four nodes ( 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 ), but readers of skill in the art will recognize that computer systems useful in administering a system dump on a redundant node controller of a computer according to embodiments of the present invention may include any number of nodes. In various embodiments of the present invention, for example, a computer system may include from one to eight nodes.
[0024] Each node ( 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 ) in server computer 102 includes two node controllers configured in a redundant relationship, capable of taking over certain responsibilities from one another. A node controller is a device contained in a node that attends to any hardware error requests of the node that occur during operation of the computer system. A pair of node controllers in a node provides, as a group, reliable node controller operations due to redundancy—when one node controller fails, the redundant node controller takes over node controller operations for the node of the computer system. Only one node controller in a pair is configured as a primary node controller at one time. The primary node controller is the node controller in which all node controller operations are carried out for a node of the computer system. A redundant node controller, in contrast, carries out no node controller operations for the node of the computer system until the primary node controller fails. For example, in the context of server computer 102 , in node 104 , node controller 116 a is the primary node controller and node controller 116 b is the backup node controller. In node 106 , node controller 122 a is the primary node controller and node controller 122 b is the backup node controller. In node 108 , node controller 128 a is the primary node controller and node controller 128 b is the backup node controller. In node 110 , node controller 134 a is the primary node controller and node controller 134 b is the backup node controller.
[0025] Server computer 102 includes two system controllers ( 112 , 114 ). Each system controller can be a type of service processor. A system controller is a controller that manages nodes in a computer system. System controllers may collect error and operational status information from nodes during the operation of the computer system as well as direct operations of the nodes. In an embodiment of the present invention, server computer 102 includes a redundant system controller to provide reliability. In particular, in server computer 102 , system controller 112 is the primary system controller and system controller 114 is the backup system controller.
[0026] Each system controller includes nonvolatile memory storage ( 140 , 142 ), such as a hard disk drive, CD drive, DVD drive or other nonvolatile storage. Nonvolatile memory storage is used to aggregate all debug information generated during a failure situation, as discussed in detail below.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram depicting the intercommunications of components within the distributed computer system environment of FIG. 1 , for synchronizing debug information generation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] Upon detecting an error, a service processor, such as a node controller or another system controller, signals the primary system controller that a failure has occurred (step 202 ). In the illustrated embodiment, node controller 116 a signals system controller 112 that a failure has occurred. For example, node controller 116 a may observe a loss of communication with node controller 122 a . The primary system controller determines the failure conditions (step 204 ). As noted in the previous example, system controller 112 determines that a communications failure has occurred between node 104 and node 106 due to the loss of communication between node controller 116 a and node controller 122 a . In another embodiment, the primary system controller may determine failure conditions without receiving a signal from a node controller that a failure has occurred. For example, the primary system controller may determine a loss of communication with a particular node controller without the node controller sending an alert.
[0029] The primary system controller determines whether or not the failure conditions require a simultaneous dump of debug information (decision block 206 ). A simultaneous dump is when multiple service processors working in parallel provide debug information at the same time. Debug information may include first failure data capture (FFDC) as well as debug dump data, where debug dump data is a superset of FFDC that includes all information from the controller, including information that may not be directly relevant to the specific error investigation. A simultaneous dump of debug information may improve the analysis of errors within a distributed computer system by providing information from different service processors at the same instant that the error occurs. For example, capturing data from a backup node controller and/or system controller at the time of a failure of a primary node controller may provide valuable information regarding the system performance at that time. A simultaneous dump of debug information may be required if, for example, the primary system controller detects that interconnect issues arise between multiple nodes. If the primary system controller determines the failure conditions do not require a simultaneous dump of debug information from multiple service processors, no additional actions are taken (no branch, decision block 206 ).
[0030] If the primary system controller determines that the failure conditions do require a simultaneous dump of debug information (yes branch, decision block 206 ), then the primary system controller selects the service processors to alert (step 208 ). For example, in the depicted embodiment, if the interconnect between node 104 and node 106 fails, system controller 112 selects the primary and backup node controllers from each of the two nodes between which an interconnect fail has been detected, specifically, node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a and node controller 122 b , to alert to the error. In one embodiment, a map is created during system design. The map defines scenarios of one or more possible failure conditions and the service processors selected to be alerted for each of the associated failure conditions, as depicted and described in further detail with respect to FIG. 3 .
[0031] Subsequent to selecting which service processors to alert, the primary system controller broadcasts an alert to the selected node controllers and the backup system controller (step 210 ). The alert is a request to generate a dump of debug information. In the example discussed above where a communications failure has been detected between node 104 and node 106 , system controller 112 alerts node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a , node controller 122 b , and system controller 114 that a dump of debug information is required to be generated.
[0032] A plurality of techniques is introduced herein by which the primary system controller may broadcast an alert to the selected service processors from which a simultaneous dump of debug information is required. According to one such technique, in one embodiment the service processors from which a simultaneous dump of debug information is required are alerted by utilizing a programmable interrupt generator in server computer 102 that can communicate with the system controllers and all of the node controllers. A programmable interrupt generator is a device that generates interrupts to one or more selected service processors to which it is connected. For example, if system controller 112 selects node controller 116 a and node controller 122 a to alert, system controller 112 signals the interrupt generator (not shown) to interrupt node controller 116 a and node controller 122 a . According to another such technique, in another embodiment the service processors from which a simultaneous dump of debug information is required are alerted by having the primary system controller broadcast the error on the ethernet transport (not shown) on which all of the selected service processors reside. According to a third technique, in another embodiment, where an inter-node error is detected by only one service processor, one of the service processors can inform another service processor through a functional subsystem interface (FSI). The use of the FSI (not shown) may be implemented if, for example, the receiving end of an inter-node bus experiences an error, but the transmission end of the inter-node bus is not affected by the error. An FSI is a one-level interface which provides two way communications.
[0033] Responsive to receiving the alert from the primary system controller, the selected node controllers and the backup system controller generate a dump of debug information (step 212 ). Continuing the example from the illustrated embodiment, node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a , node controller 122 b , and system controller 114 each generate a dump of debug information.
[0034] Once the dumps have been generated, the selected node controllers and the backup system controller transmit the dumps of debug information to the primary system controller (step 214 ). From the previous example, node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a , node controller 122 b , and system controller 114 each transmit the associated dump to system controller 112 .
[0035] Responsive to receiving the dumps of debug information from each of the selected node controllers and the backup system controller, the primary system controller aggregates the various dumps into a single dataset (step 216 ). The aggregated dataset may be used by a system administrator to analyze the error and determine the root cause and corrective action to take. Continuing the example from the illustrated embodiment, system controller 112 aggregates the data dumps received from node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a , node controller 122 b , and system controller 114 . The aggregated dataset may be stored in memory of the primary system controller, or in the memory of any of the service processors providing that the data is accessible to a system administrator of server computer 102 . In this example, the aggregated data set is stored in memory 140 of system controller 112 .
[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of scenarios for synchronizing debug information generation according to a predetermined map, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned previously with regard to FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention, the primary system controller may determine that failure conditions require a simultaneous dump of debug information from multiple service processors by means of a map created at the time of system design. The map defines scenarios of one or more possible failure conditions and the service processors selected to be alerted for each of the associated failure conditions. In various embodiments, a map, or a collection of scenarios, is stored on one or more service processors. In the depicted embodiment, the primary system controller takes note of service processors that are functioning correctly, as well as service processors that experience an error. Scenario 1 depicts the occurrence of an inter-node failure where there is a loss of communication between node 104 and node 106 . In this scenario, the primary system controller, system controller 112 , alerts and requests debug information from the primary and backup node controllers of both node 104 and node 106 , specifically, node controller 116 a , node controller 116 b , node controller 122 a and node controller 122 b . Scenario 2 depicts the occurrence of a failure of a backup node controller, specifically node controller 122 b in node 106 . In this scenario, the primary system controller, system controller 112 , alerts and requests debug information from the node controller that experienced the error, i.e. node controller 122 b , as well as the redundant node controller of that node, node controller 122 a , and the backup system controller, system controller 114 . The backup system controller has an equal view of the system as the primary system controller. A failure experienced in a node controller may be, for example, a communication failure between the primary system controller and the failed node controller. In this case, the backup system controller may have a different view of the failure since the backup system controller did not experience the failure. Therefore the debug information dumped by the backup system controller may assist in the failure analysis. Scenario 3 depicts the occurrence of a failure of a backup node controller, specifically node controller 116 b in node 104 . In this scenario, the primary system controller, system controller 112 , alerts and requests debug information from the node controller that experienced the error, i.e. node controller 116 b , as well as the redundant node controller of that node, node controller 116 a , and the backup system controller, system controller 114 . It should be appreciated that the scenarios depicted in FIG. 3 are examples of the many scenarios that may exist in a complex, distributed computer system, and do not imply any limitations with regard to scenarios for simultaneous debug information generation for server computer 102 .
[0037] FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of components of server computer 102 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated that FIG. 4 provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.
[0038] Server computer 102 includes communications fabric 402 , which provides communications between computer processor(s) 404 , memory 406 , persistent storage 408 , communications unit 410 , and input/output (I/O) interface(s) 412 . Communications fabric 402 can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and/or control information between processors (such as microprocessors, communications and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware components within a system. For example, communications fabric 402 can be implemented with one or more buses.
[0039] Memory 406 and persistent storage 408 are computer-readable storage media. In this embodiment, memory 406 includes random access memory (RAM) 414 and cache memory 416 . In general, memory 406 can include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage media.
[0040] Aggregated debug datasets are stored in persistent storage 408 for execution and/or access by one or more of the respective computer processors 404 via one or more memories of memory 406 . In this embodiment, persistent storage 408 includes a magnetic hard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetic hard disk drive, persistent storage 408 can include a solid state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, or any other computer-readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information.
[0041] The media used by persistent storage 408 may also be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 408 . Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto another computer-readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage 408 .
[0042] Communications unit 410 , in these examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices, including resources of server computer 102 . In these examples, communications unit 410 includes one or more network interface cards. Communications unit 410 may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links. Aggregated debug datasets may be downloaded to persistent storage 408 through communications unit 410 .
[0043] I/O interface(s) 412 allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to server computer 102 . For example, I/O interface 412 may provide a connection to external devices 418 such as a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable input device. External devices 418 can also include portable computer-readable storage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention can be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 408 via I/O interface(s) 412 . I/O interface(s) 412 also connect to a display 420 .
[0044] Display 420 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor.
[0045] The programs described herein are identified based upon the application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus the invention should not be limited to use solely in any specific application identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.
[0046] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
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In an approach for determining a location of failure between interconnects/controller, a computer collects debug information simultaneously at a plurality of nodes coupled to an interconnect. Subsequent to collecting debug information, the computer analyzes the debug information collected simultaneously thereby determining which end of the interconnect caused the failure.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 804,309 entitled "Sealed Edge Detectable Tape" filed Dec. 3, 1985.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The use of metallic tapes has become useful in the detection of underground plastic pipe and utility lines. Also, ceramic and other nonmetallic materials such as concrete are used in underground service. The precise location of nonmetallic lines cannot be determined by metal detectors so that a simple method was devised to lay a metallic foil and polymer tape over the line which could be detected in the usual manner. Plastic tapes also have become quite useful in marking areas above ground. The tapes are strung around hazardous areas, police investigation lines and can generally serve as demarcation for any purpose. The tapes used for above ground marking are not reinforced and can be easily torn.
This invention is a reinforced metallic tape that has superior tensile strength that has benefits for use in detection of underground utility as well as above ground demarcation tapes. The high tensile strength is particularly beneficial in the layout operation for underground line marking. The metallic layer also has reflective qualities for use as an above ground marking tape. The tape can have pressure sensitive adhesive so that it can be applied to posts and barriers for marking purposes. The reinforced tapes can be colored and prepared with or without a printed message.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,533 discloses a method to locate underground service lines using a metal film coated with a colored plastic. The tape ia not reinforced and has certain drawbacks remedied by the present invention. When a trench is dug for a utility line and a detectable tape is used, typically, the line is laid first. Then there is a partial backfilling of the trench and the tape is laid over the line coming off a roll on a tractor. Then in a continuous process the trench backfilling is completed. As the tape is laid there may be some tension placed on it, as the backfill process is completed, stretching the tape. During this process if too much tension is placed on the tape, it can break causing the operation to be halted until the tape can be mended. Also, the foil layer is not elastic and tension on the tape may cause the metallic foil to break while the plastic coatings are stretched. In some cases a continuous length of metallic conductive material is desirable. Also, the present plastic coated types have a tendency to curl on the edges and care must be taken when laying the tape that it does not become twisted or folded. Although the plastic coated metallic foil tapes have provided a cost efficient method to detect underground piping systems, there are some aspects which can be improved upon.
The present invention is an improved detectable tape which is reinforced. The reinforcing material imparts tensile strength to the tape such that the tape and the foil layer are protected from tearing during the trench backfilling process and the use above ground for marking purposes. For underground usage the metallic foil layer is covered with a thermoplastic layer on the side which is not laminated to the reinforcing material. The metallic layer should be protected from environmental degradation and oxidation. This embodiment may also be used above ground.
Another property is that the reinforced tape does not have a tendency to curl at the edges or twist. The tape lies flat as it comes off a roll. These properties are beneficial from the installation viewpoint, because as the reinforced tape comes off the roll into the trench, there is less likelihood to tear because of the high tensile strength and the tendency of the tape not to curl will make it easier to lay the tape out in the trench.
The reinforced tape can be printed with cautionary messages. Also, a color coating resin can laminate the foil layer and the reinforcing material. This gives a foil or metallic layer on one side and a colored layer on the other. With a nonwoven essentially clear resin reinforcing layer the color coating is clearly visible through the reinforcing layer. Certain color codes have been preselected for use with certain utility installations which can be used in this invention.
The present invention is illustrated by the embodiments in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view of the reinforced tape as placed in service over a non-metallic pipe.
FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the reinforced metallic tape.
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of another embodiment of the reinforced metallic tape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a view of a roll 10 of reinforced tape 12 being laid over a pipe 14. The tape is most useful when the pipe 14 is a nonmetallic construction such as ceramic or plastic. The tape can be laid over telephone cables and buried electrical lines in addition to the piping system shown in FIG. 1. Any type of underground service which needs to be located to be protected from digging equipment operating in the vicinity or located for repairs can be covered with the detectable tape.
The tape can be laid directly on the pipe, cable or other underground construction. More typically, the pipe, cable or underground construction is laid first in the prepared trench. The trench is then partially backfilled and the detectable tape 12 is laid with the underground system approximately directly below the tape 12. The roll 10 is placed on a tractor or other piece of equipment used in the field. The backfilling and tape laying is often an almost simultaneous process and backfill dirt can place stress or tension on the tape during the procedure.
The tape generally carries a printed message of caution that a pipe or cable is buried as shown in FIG. 1. The printed message can include the type of service or any other cautionary message desired. Also, the tapes are color coded according to the service lying under the tape with a particular color generally associated with water, gas, electrical and buried phone lines. The color generally contrasts to the soil so that the tape is visible when digging operations occur to locate the line.
FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a reinforced tape 20 with a nonwoven fabric reinforcement layer 22 which is laminated with a color coating layer 24. The foil layer 24 can be any desired thickness depending on the service of the product with typical range of between about 0.1 and about 3 mils. The foils can be any ductile metal alloys such as aluminum, copper, steel, silver and iron. The foil typically used commercially is aluminum because of the cost and ease of handling.
The foil is laminated with a colored coating layer 24 over which the layer 22 of reinforcement fabric is placed. The colored coating can be any types of color impregnated film. The typical color coating is a coating grade low density polyethylene with a stable pigment. The coating can be other thermoplastic polymers or blends which will carry a pigment. The color pigment chosen relates to the color code corresponding to the buried service line or any other color desired for above ground usage.
The reinforcing nonwoven material can be any type of flexible material which will provide the tensile strength desired for the tape. The reinforcement layer can be chosen from the high performance engineering polymers which have the desired strength characteristics. These polymers can include polypropylene, nylon and polyester. The reinforcing material can also include polyimide and carbon fibers. If the reinforcing material is laid over the color coating, it should be substantially transparent so that the color layer 24 underneath will be visible.
The reinforcing layer 26 shown in FIG. 2 is a nonwoven fabric of high density polyethylene which imparts a texture of the fabric to the finished product. A reinforcement fabric which was used in the preferred embodiment is Conwed product No. CC1001 which is a high density polyethylene nonwoven fabric. The Conwed products come in various weights and can be chosen depending on the strength desired. Other reinforcing materials with similar characteristics can be used also. With Conwed No. CC1001 the color coating underneath clearly shows through in the finished product. During the lamination process the color coating migrates through the interstices of the fabric and since the fabric is essentially clear the color shows through the layer of the fabric as well. After the foil 26, color coating 24 and reinforcing material 22 are laminated together, the tape can be printed with a cautionary message on either side of the laminate.
If for any reason a color coding for the tape is not desired, the color stable pigment can be omitted from the laminating resin to give a plain metallic tape. The color coating is generally applied to one side of the tape however, if desired, color coating could be applied to one or both sides of the tape. Also, printing a cautionary or informative message is optional depending on the use. It is apparent that to practice the invention many variations of color, printing and reinforcement are available depending on the needs of the user.
EXAMPLE 1
A sealed edge detectable tape of the construction shown in FIG. 2 was prepared from aluminum foil 0.35 mils, coating resin Gulf P E 1017 with 5% blue color concentrate extrusion coating grade low density polyethylene laminated with Conwed CC1001 high density polyethylene nonwoven fabric. The finished tape was 6 inches wide. The finished tape laid very flat without a tendency to curl. The following physical properties were shown as compared to TerraTape® Detectable by Reef Industries, Inc. which is a tape now used for underground detection of non-metallic lines.
TABLE 1______________________________________Property Example 1 TerraTape ®______________________________________Thickness 14 ± 2.5 mils 5.0 ± 0.5 milsTensile Strength ASTM-D-8821" Tensile machine direction 40 lbs. (min.) 23 ± 2 lbs.transverse direction 48 lbs. (min.) 26 ± 3 lbs.1" Elongation machine direction 40% (min.) 85% ± 10%transverse direction 60% (min.) 65% ± 10%Standard Weight 58 ± 5 lbs/msf 28 ± 2 lbs/msfBoil Delamination less than less than 10% 10% delam. delam.Tongue Tear ASTM - D-2261machine direction 19 lbs. (min.) 12 oz. avg.transverse direction 12 lbs. (min.) 9 oz. avg.Dart Drop ASTM - D-1709 462 g nominal 400 g nominal______________________________________
EXAMPLE 2
FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a reinforced tape that has a layer of resin 30 coating on one side of the foil layer 32 as well as the laminating resin 34 and reinforcing layer 36 on the other side. The resin layer 30 is to protect the foil layer from corrosion from the environmental elements particularly when used underground. For above ground marking purposes, the foil layer would last longer with a protective resin layer. To preserve the reflective qualities the resin should be clear. For underground service, the resin could carry a color stable pigment. A suitable resin is a low density polyethylene. However, layer 30 can be any thermoplastic polymer or blend which can be used as a coating. The construction of FIG. 3 with a low density polyethylene layer 30 and other corresponding layers of the laminate as described in Example 1 has essentially the same properties shown in Table 1.
For use as an above ground marking and reflective tape, it may be desirable to apply a pressure sensitive adhesive. The tape can be applied to posts, signs or barriers as needed for marking. Applying the adhesive to the side with the reinforcing layer exposes the metallic layer which can be reflective for night warning. Any adhesive with the proper operating temperature range can be used. In the preferred embodiment, a high bond strength solvent less adhesive is coated in a 5 mil thickness to the tape. A release paper is applied to the tape before it is rolled. The release paper protects the adhesive layer and is torn from the tape at the time of use.
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A reinforced metallic and polymer tape which has a light reflecting metallic layer and can have a color coating. The reinforcing material is usually a nonwoven clear resin through which the color is clearly visible. The combination of the metallic layer and reinforcing layer produces a high tensile strength, tear resistant tape. The combination also produces a tape that does not have the tendency to curl.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the control of fuel supply in a dual fuel engine of the kind where a primary diesel fuel is supplemented with a gas such as natural gas or propane.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The substitution of part of the diesel fuel with natural gas or liquid propane gas [LPG] results in cost savings and improved emissions through better combustion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,457 discloses a dual fuel system for a stationary engine. The engine has a diesel injection system controlled by an electronic control unit and a metering valve and mixer which controls introduction of gas into the air intake for the engine. An electronic governor controls the metering valve and a link controller coordinates the ECU and the governor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,396 addresses the problem of varying fuel types and quality of combustion by measuring the oxygen content of the exhaust gases and adjusting the gas supply to the diesel air intake in response to the oxygen content of he exhaust gases. U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,963 discloses a related method in which the oxygen level of exhaust gases as measured is compared to desired exhaust oxygen calculated from engine speed and engine load and then adjusts the energy content value.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,800 addresses the problem of varying energy values for added gaseous fuels by establishing a governor out put energy value required and determining energy rates for the diesel and gas fuels as a function of actual and desired engine speed and engine load. U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,986 filed at the same time as U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,800 is concerned with reducing engine speed fluctuations during transition between liquid and dual fuel modes. This is achieved by establishing a desired diesel amount to be added after transition and substituting an amount of diesel with the energy equivalent of gaseous fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,683 is concerned with dual fuel PCCI engines and controls the timing of combustion by controlling the amount of gas delivered to the air intake.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,478 discloses a dual fuel control system that monitors air intake, diesel intake, exhaust gas temperature and oil pressure. The engine does not shut down when one of the parameters is inadequate but the gas supply can be shut off under no load, low load and excessive load conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,601 discloses a system for preventing knocking in a dual fuel engine by monitoring engine load conditions and in high load conditions providing a 3 stage fuel injection. FIG. 1A plots engine load against RPM to determine a flammability limit which is the fuel to air ratio at which the quantity of gaseous fuel will not support stable combustion. In FIG. 1B fuel to air ratios which are considered to be proportional to engine load, are plotted against RPM.
Despite these many attempts gas fumigation of diesel engines has not been widely adopted particularly for automotive engines. The many variables attached to the efficient use of gas in an automotive diesel engine have made it very difficult to devise a practical and economically viable and environmentally advantageous control device.
It is an object of this invention to manage these variables overcome these problems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
To this end the present invention provides a gas control system for a dual fuel engine which senses
1 RPM 2 Load 3 optionally throttle position or road speed 4 oil pressure and engine temperature alerts and optionally exhaust temperature alerts 5 operational state of the vehicle and the engine including one or more of cruise control, manual control, braking, idling, cold start and accelerating
Most prior art systems did not fully assess the consequences to optimized combustion of the operational state and the change of operational state of the vehicle. Although some switched the gas fumigation off when exhaust temperature or oil pressure exceeded certain predetermined limits they did not consider for example the effect of braking on the emission quality of the exhaust gases.
The major different diesel engine and applications categories to which this invention is applicable to are:
Constant engine speed stationary applications (gensets). Variable engine speed applications, including mobile plant. Automotive applications with mechanical fuel control/metering (no electronic engine management system). Automotive applications with a basic existing electronic engine management system. Automotive applications with an advanced existing electronic engine management system.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of controlling addition of fuel into a dual fuel engine in which
1. Engines are monitored to develop a set of data of fuel requirements against load and RPM 2. The control system monitors the load and RPM of the engine and comparing these to the stored data determines the appropriate gas substitution.
In a further aspect the invention provides a control system for the substitution of gas for diesel in a dual fuel diesel engine which includes
a) means to sense RPM b) means to sense Load c) storage means for a set of data of fuel requirements against load and RPM; d) a control system which monitors the load and RPM of the engine and comparing these to the stored data determines the appropriate gas substitution.
Engines are mapped, preferably using dynamometer bench tests and emissions test equipment, to identify the operating characteristics of the engine across the load/RPM range and the possible fuel substitution percentage range. The instantaneous values of operating characteristics such as fuel consumption, thermal efficiency, emissions and combustion temperature may be recorded at discrete points across the load/RPM/substitution ranges. The outcomes are preferably presented as three dimensional data sets of diesel only and dual-fuel fuel requirements against primary input parameters of load and RPM for each engine family and configuration. These data sets represent control points on three dimensional characteristic surfaces. These characteristic surfaces may be developed for all relevant operating parameters for the engine. In addition, secondary input parameters that may influence the operation of the engine may be taken into account. Secondary variable input parameters include inlet air temperature and humidity and barometric pressure, and secondary constant input parameters include fuel type, compression ratio, bore and stroke. In this invention the preferred method during mapping is to hold the set of secondary input parameters constant while varying both load and RPM. These variations may be made in steps that are each defined as an ordered pair of values. Any output parameter can be collected for each load/RPM pair set. Useful output parameters to collect include fuel consumptions and emissions such as particulate emissions, carbon dioxide or monoxide emissions for each measured load/RPM point. These data sets may be analyzed, using a variety of tools and methods, including linear programming and simulated annealing, to identify, across the RPM/load range, two derived data sets of diesel and gas fuel flow rates that achieve the optimum dual-fuel economic and environmental outcomes while reducing, maintaining or increasing (as required) the power that the engine would have generated operating on diesel only. Environmental outcomes include maximizing reductions in emissions such as Carbon Dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen and Particulates, while minimizing any increases in Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbons. This is an improvement for both stationary and automotive diesel engines.
These two data sets of optimized diesel and gas fuel flow rates, across the RPM/load range, may be converted into functional approximations of flow rates, and these are programmed into the invention's control unit. These functional approximations may take the form of piece-wise, bi-linear or bi-cubic interpolations.
This invention's control system continually monitors the engine RPM and commanded fuel delivery rate, derives load, and combines RPM and load values with the programmed fuel flow rate functional approximations, to determine the appropriate gas and diesel flow rates.
The control system commands the engine's fuel pump or existing electronic engine management system to supply the required diesel flow rate. Simultaneously, the control unit commands the gas flow valve or injector/s to supply the required gas flow rate into the air inlet of the diesel engine. So the optimum amounts of diesel and gas are delivered for the particular conditions of the vehicle and engine at all times. The invention's control system does not replace an existing electronic engine management system but, for example, provides it with a modified signal which maintains or reduces the engine management system command to the diesel injector so that the identified required diesel flow is provided by the injectors. Where the engine has a mechanical fuel control system, the invention's control system intercedes between the throttle and the diesel fuel injection pump to command the identified required modified diesel flow rate. The invention's control system supplies the identified required gas flow by commanding the gas flow valve to vary the cross sectional area of its opening to the programmed setting. If a gas injector or injectors are used, the control system commands a specified variation in the injector/s pulse duration. If the sequential multi-point injection option is selected for gas delivery, the control system varies the timing of operation of the gas injectors so that gas is delivered to the immediate proximity of the air inlet to each cylinder coordinated with the opening of the air inlet port, and the closing of the exhaust outlet port for that cylinder to minimize the amount of gas passing unburned through the cylinders during the scavenging process.
In another aspect this invention provides a system of analyzing engine performance to assist in the improved control of the engine which includes
a) measuring devices for measuring parameters including engine load, RPM, fuel injected, air inlet temperature, exhaust temperature, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels in the exhaust gases, at discrete time intervals b) electronic storage means for storing the data collected by the measuring devices at each of said discrete time intervals c) means to analyze the stored data to establish a data table for each parameter against each measured engine load and RPM point.
This is the basis of analyzing engine performance and the basis for improving performance.
In another aspect this invention provides an information feedback system that acquires key engine and application operating parameters. This information may be fed back immediately to the operator to assist in the improved control of the engine, and/or sampled at discrete time intervals and stored for later download and analysis. The information feedback system includes:
a) A data acquisition sub-system, where data is obtained from existing or installed sensors and/or the existing engine management system. Relevant operating parameters include engine/vehicle operating state, RPM, road speed, diesel fuel supply and return, gas fuel supply, air inlet temperature, exhaust temperature, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels in the exhaust gases. b) A non-volatile electronic storage means for storing the collected data at discrete time intervals. c) A display device and/or, where appropriate, audio/tactile devices options to provide immediate feedback of selected parameter values to the operator. d) A feedback sub-system option that enables a remote authorized observer to establish a connection to the data logging system and request real-time displays of selected parameters. e) A means to download stored data at regular or as required intervals to a web server or computer via a land or mobile telephone link, a point to point cable or a removable storage device. f) A data analysis and reporting sub-system to process and visualize the stored data.
The data produced by the information feedback system may be analyzed to identify the overall performance of the engine/vehicle, including identifying emissions and transforming logged drive cycle data into load profile form where the time spent at all engine load/RPM points is plotted using, for example, histograms or frequency polygons/polyhedrons.
Outcomes of this analysis process may include comparative load profiles and drive cycles and predicted optimum operating conditions. Comparisons may also be made for the fuel consumptions and costs and emissions levels had the same job been done operating on diesel only.
Visualizing software may be used to present the data sets for each parameter as a 3 dimensional surface plotted against load and RPM. The information can also be used to identify ways to improve the driver's control of the vehicle to conserve fuel and reduce unwanted exhaust emissions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a top level system diagram of the engine fuel management system (EFMS) provided by this invention;
FIG. 2 is a hybrid model diagram of the system for modeling combustion and deriving emissions and efficiency for all engines and applications;
FIG. 3 is a system diagram for a gas addition system of this invention for use with a constant engine speed stationary engine;
FIG. 4 is a system diagram for a gas addition system of this invention for use with a variable engine speed application with a mechanical fuel control/metering system.
FIG. 5 is a system diagram for a gas addition system of this invention for use with an automotive engine with mechanical fuel control/metering or a basic existing electronic engine management system;
FIG. 6 is a system diagram for a gas addition system of this invention for use with an automotive engine with an advanced existing electronic management system;
FIG. 7 is a throttle/RPM to load diagram used in deriving engine load;
FIG. 8 is an illustration of RPM/load to fuel flow diagram used in determining gas substitution;
FIG. 9 is a system diagram for the information feedback system shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 10 is a top down system diagram for the analysis system shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 11 is a gas delivery system diagram of one embodiment of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred application of this invention is to diesel engines in stationary or automotive applications. This invention enables optimized operation of these engines in dual-fuel mode by introducing a gas, usually propane gas or natural gas, into the air charge to the diesel engine to substitute for part of the diesel fuel.
As shown in FIG. 1 the system of this invention contains four linked systems, each of which has sub-systems. The four systems are:
A Control System. An Information Feedback System. An Analysis System. A Programming System.
This invention uses a Control System that continuously controls an amount of propane or natural gas to be added, and an amount the diesel supply is to be reduced, to achieve an optimum reduction in weighted greenhouse gas (CO 2 Equivalent) and other emissions, and to maximize operating economic savings without compromising operating performance parameters.
The Control System of this invention may direct (master), or be directed by (slave) the relevant parts of an existing engine management system, or may manage the fuel substitution processes (stand alone) where there is no engine management system installed.
This invention uses an Information Feedback System that records and/or displays measured and/or derived representations of current and historical engine and application operating parameters, including fuel consumption and emissions data, to assist application operators to view and measure current performance and to implement and evaluate actions to achieve improvements.
This invention uses an Analysis System to identify, for each engine family, across total load and RPM ranges, the diesel only and dual-fuel operating characteristics and optimum emissions and fuels consumption results and comparisons. This system also identifies application information such as load profiles or drive cycles and may store and report on multiple/individual application historical performance.
This invention uses a Programming System that contains a library of default Control System operating parameter programs, created by the Analysis System, for each different engine family. A default program is downloaded into the Control System and is customized for each individual engine/application to achieve optimum economic and/or environmental performance across the entire load/speed range.
The Control System used in this invention interacts with major existing diesel engine and application systems and processes, including engine management systems, sensors, governors and throttle controls.
The Control System uses one hybrid method illustrated in FIG. 2 , to model combustion and to derive emissions and efficiency for all engines and applications. Major emissions are calculated using elementary combustion equations, and minor emissions, fuel consumption and efficiency are derived from empirical functional approximations.
The Control System uses different sub-system configurations to interact with the major different types of existing diesel engine control and energy input systems, and uses different methods for obtaining the instantaneous load value. The major different diesel engine and applications categories to which this invention is applicable to are:
Constant engine speed stationary applications (gensets). Variable engine speed applications, including mobile plant. Automotive applications with no existing engine management system. Automotive applications with a basic existing engine management system. Automotive applications with an advanced existing engine management system.
For constant engine speed stationary applications (gensets), the engine's constant speed governor continuously compares the engine speed against a reference set point. As load increases or decreases, the tendency is for the engine speed to drop away from, or to try to exceed, the set point until the fuel delivery rate is adjusted. This governor increases the fuel delivery rate if the engine speed is below the set point, and decreases the fuel delivery rate if the engine speed is above the set point.
As shown in FIG. 3 this invention's Control System measures the genset output current to derive load. The genset's output voltage will be constant, but the output current will vary across the load range. Genset output power is the product of voltage and current. Since voltage does not vary, it is effectively the proportionality constant that relates current to power (neglecting alternator etc losses and power factor variations). This invention's Control System uses this relationship, and the application's specification data, to derive instantaneous load. Depending on the percentage load, the Control System introduces the pre-programmed volume of gas to the air inlet. This volume of gas is calculated to replace part of the energy content formerly supplied by the diesel fuel, as a function of output load. As diesel is always being supplied to an operating engine, the existing governor always provides the fine control of fuel flow in response to engine speed. The combustion of gas produces additional energy, so the engine tends towards increasing speed. The governor detects this tendency, and decreases the diesel fuel flow until the engine is back on the set point. As output load varies, both the diesel and gas flows vary in response.
For variable engine speed applications, including marine applications and mobile plant such as earthmoving equipment, tractors and wharf straddles, there are two main classes, those applications with and without engine management systems.
As shown in FIG. 4 , for variable speed applications without an engine management system, the existing governor maintains engine speed to the presently selected set point at any point on the operating RPM range by increasing or reducing the diesel fuel flow rate.
This invention replaces that governor with a speed limited governor, and a speed control loop. The replacement governor has a throttle input that the invention's Control System adjusts to achieve the calculated required diesel flow rate to supplement the pre-programmed gas flow rate for that RPM setting. Load is derived as a function of size of the error between the engine speed and the presently selected set point engine speed.
For variable speed applications with an engine management system, this invention controls gas and diesel supply and identifies load in much the same ways as those used for automotive applications with an engine management system and operating in cruise control mode which is described below in relation to FIG. 6 .
For automotive applications with mechanical fuel control/metering, this invention uses existing or, as required, installed sensors, and the Control System incorporates signal conditioning units that process the following engine and application input signals:
Road speed Exhaust temperature Wheel brake Engine brake Clutch Set, resume coast and accelerate for cruise control Gas pressure and temperature Engine RPM Throttle position
This invention's Control System contains a varying number of Limit-Detectors, and the safe operating thresholds for each detector are pre-programmed for each engine and application. Typically, Limit-Detectors are required for:
Road speed Exhaust temperature Gas pressure Engine RPM
If any threshold is exceeded, the Limit-Detectors send a no-go signal to the State-Controller sub-system in this invention's Control System.
This State-Controller sub-system accepts signals from the Limit-Detectors and other input signals such as wheel brake, engine brake, clutch and set and resume cruise. The State-Controller uses this information to determine the current operating state of the engine/vehicle. The set of possible operating states is:
Start Idle Manual Cruise Brake Fault
The outputs from the State-Controller are sent to, and are used by, a number of different sub-systems, as shown in the attached system diagram.
The existing mechanical throttle linkage to the automotive governor is replaced by an electronic linkage system that incorporates a throttle position sensor, a Throttle-Signal-Processing-Chain (which is a sub-set of this invention's Control System) and a motorised throttle actuator.
The Control System includes a Throttle/RPM-to-Load-Converter sub-system that uses a generic functional model and any specific parametric modifications that may have been identified and programmed for that specific engine and application. This is shown in FIG. 7 where throttle is shown as a % of the movement from no throttle to full throttle and RPM as a % of the change in RPM from low idle to high idle. For any given engine speed, the engine load can be derived by identifying the displacement of the throttle from the no-load position towards the full load position.
This invention's Control System contains a Cruise-Controller sub-system operating option for these engines when they are operating in dual-fuel mode. This sub-system is a proportional/integral/derivative (PID), fuzzy logic, adaptive or other control loop that compares the current road speed with the previously set cruise speed and generates a cruise load error signal.
The Control System contains a Negative-Load-Controller sub-system (see FIG. 5 ) to direct the engine brake to operate when the engine/vehicle is in cruise operating mode and road speed is in excess of the cruise set speed.
The Control System also contains a Load-Transition-Interpolator sub-system to manage the smooth transition between manual and cruise operating modes. The present operating mode (manual or cruise) is signalled to the interpolator by the State-Controller. The interpolator processes manual and cruise load signals and produces a Requested-Load signal and forwards that signal to the Requested-Load-Rate-of-Change-Limiter sub-system.
This Limiter sub-system processes the requested load signal and produces a Command-Load signal, whose rate of change does not exceed the identified and pre-programmed load step response time for any relevant engine output parameter.
The core of this invention's Control System as shown in FIG. 4 resides in the following two sub-systems, which utilize the same input signals and internal processes, but are programmed with different operating data. The Command-Load/RPM-to-ECU-Throttle-Converter sub-system and the Command-Load/RPM-to-Gas-Flow-Converter sub-system provide as outputs the Command-Diesel and the Command-Gas flow signals. Typically these output signals are bivariate interpolated functional approximations of engine RPM and Command-Load. The approximations are arrived at by referring to a pre-programmed two dimensional grid of command values, with grid axes of the load and RPM independent parameters [see FIG. 8 ]. This enables the Control System to identify, and to generate flow commands for, the optimum gas and diesel flow rates for every possible combination of load and RPM values across that engine's operating range.
As shown in FIG. 5 the Command-Diesel flow signal is sent to the ECU-Throttle-Source-Selector sub-system, which, depending on the present engine/vehicle operating state, selects either the raw throttle pedal signal or the Command-Diesel signal and forwards it to the throttle actuator.
The Command-Gas flow signal is sent to the Gas-Flow-Controller (see FIG. 5 ), which compensates for any changes in gas density by identifying the current gas temperature and pressure, and identifies and signals the required gas flow rate to the valve or injector controller in the gas flow delivery system.
For automotive applications with a basic existing electronic engine management system (see FIG. 5 ) this invention's Control System uses any relevant measured or derived information that can be accessed from existing engine and vehicle sensors rather than installing the sensors as listed above for automotive applications with mechanical fuel control/metering.
If the vehicle has an existing cruise control system, this invention's Control System overrides that cruise control system with its own Cruise-Controller sub-system when the engine is operating in dual-fuel mode.
The only other major change from the process detailed above is that the Throttle-Signal-Processing-Chain Control System sub-set is inserted into the existing electronic linkage system, between the existing throttle position sensor and the ECU.
As shown in FIG. 6 , for automotive applications with an advanced engine management system this invention's Control System uses any relevant measured or derived information that can be accessed from the existing engine management system ECU, rather than installing the sensors as listed above for automotive applications without an engine management system, or accessing the existing signals as discussed in the section on basic existing electronic engine management systems.
To gain access to required information available from an advanced ECU, this invention's Control System uses an industry standard J Bus or other suitable interface between the ECU and the ECU-Protocol-Converter sub-system (see FIG. 6 ).
The ECU-Protocol-Converter is unique to Control Systems interfacing with advanced engine management systems. It enables this invention's Control System to send and receive messages and to interrogate the existing ECU to access and modify required existing ECU parameters and signals. It also converts message and parameter data into the formats, ranges and units required by the Control System and the ECU.
The information for operating limit detections and engine/vehicle operating state identification is now largely obtained from the ECU-Protocol-Converter rather than by using the direct input signal method outlined above.
This invention's Control System accesses the existing ECU command load and engine RPM parameters and uses that data to determine the Command-Gas output signal, and to determine required gas flow using the methods detailed above.
The Control System interfaces with the existing ECU to change the diesel delivery flow rate by the appropriate amount. When the engine is operating in diesel-only mode, the existing ECU uses its default diesel only delivery flow rate. When the engine is operating in dual-fuel mode, the Control System usually directs the ECU to calculate the appropriate reduction in diesel flow rate. If that ECU cannot do this, the Control System directs the ECU to vary the diesel flow rate by the amount calculated by the Control System Command-Load/RPM-to-ECU-Diesel-Delivery-Converter sub-system. This sub-system is almost identical to the Command-Load/RPM-to-ECU-Throttle-Converter sub-system detailed above.
If the vehicle has an existing cruise control system, it is still completely managed by the existing ECU.
This invention's Information Feedback System is illustrated in FIG. 9 and interfaces with the Control System, and contains its own sub-systems as detailed below. It provides an engine operator or a vehicle driver with the capacity to immediately identify inefficient operation and to modify the appropriate operating behavior. The system provides immediate visible feedback of present economic and emissions performance that may be supplemented by tactile or audible feedback.
The visible feedback indicator for each parameter is selected and displayed on a screen as a bar or dial indicator or a graph. Audible feedback may use variable amplitude, frequency and pulse duration signals to indicate the degree of deviation from optimum performance for selected operating parameters. Tactile feedback for automotive applications is provided by progressively increasing the resistance to throttle movement to indicate the degree of divergence from optimum performance.
In addition to this immediate feedback, the Information Feedback System also records designated and/or selected parameters into a non-volatile memory for both immediate display of historical performance and download by a standard cable or modem for remote and off-line historical performance analysis and reporting.
Chosen parameters may be recorded to memory at standard or designated time intervals. The recording system memory is structured as two linked First-in-first-out (FIFO) buffers or stacks. The last hour of operation is recorded at a high sample rate, say once every second, into the first buffer, and data for previous hours/days/weeks is recorded at a lower sample rate, say once every one to fifteen minutes, into the second buffer.
The output of the first buffer is filtered (using convolutions, weighted averages or other relevant digital signal processing techniques) and re-sampled into the second buffer at a much lower data rate. The short period of high sample rate may constitute a detailed “Black Box” record, and the extended period of low sample rate produces a data log of operating parameters for the engine and application.
The Information Feedback System contains a set of Command-Load/RPM-to-Auxiliary-Parameter-Converters which receive Command-Load and engine RPM signals. These converters use empirical and/or theoretical pre-programmed models to describe any required auxiliary parameter. Options include identified or all emissions, fuel consumption, thermal efficiency, inlet air flow, torque and power. These auxiliary parameters are not required for fuel control processes, but are used by the Information Feedback, Analysis and Programming Systems for performance feedback, optimization, monitoring, reporting and analysis and programming.
If the option to provide immediate feedback to the operator is enabled, the Optimum-Operating-Condition-Function-Generator sub-system receives Command-Load, Command-Diesel and Command-Gas sub-system signals, and auxiliary parameter signals such as thermal efficiency and emissions. This generator uses an objective function to generate an Ideal-Load output signal and sends that signal to a Performance-Deviation-Calculator sub-system.
The Performance-Deviation-Calculator sub-system generates a Performance-Deviation output signal by calculating the difference between the Ideal-Load and actual Command-Load input signals. This output signal is sent to the Force-Feedback-Control-Loop and to the Information-Protocol-Converter.
The Force-Feedback-Control-Loop sub-system compares the throttle pedal signal against the Performance-Deviation signal and generates a Force-Feedback signal that operates a torque motor in the throttle pedal assembly. The motor causes the force required to depress the throttle pedal to increase proportionally to the degree of deviation of present performance from the optimum, thus providing Tactile Feedback to the driver.
The Information-Protocol-Converter sub-system receives signals from the Auxiliary-Parameter-Converters, the ECU-Protocol-Converter and other Control System input and intermediate signals, and/or application sensors. The Information-Protocol-Converter formats signal values and makes them available to the display and recording sub-systems of the Information Feedback System, using an industry standard J Bus or other appropriate interface.
If the option to provide immediate real-time operating data to remote observers is enabled, the observer may connect to the information feedback system via a modem/land line/wireless/internet link and request real-time operating data to be sent. This enables remote observers to view selected parameters, perhaps comparing outcomes from different engine/application operating conditions. This invention's Analysis System shown in FIG. 10 contains sub-systems that facilitate the following major processes for engines and applications:
For an engine family:
Mapping. Throttle/RPM-to-Load-Function. Step Response. Optimising Economic and Environmental Performance.
For individual applications:
Converting historical operating data into statistical graphs or surfaces. Approximating historical performance. Projecting performance. Comparing performance. Visualizing and Reporting.
The operation of a diesel engine can be characterised in terms of two primary independently varying operating input parameters, load and RPM. Each engine family is mapped by testing diesel-only and dual-fuel operation using a grid of at least 36 key points across the total load/RPM range.
A group of secondary input parameters influences the operation of the engine. Secondary parameters fall into two sub-groups, variables and constants.
Examples of secondary variable parameters are gas temperature and pressure, ambient temperature and humidity and barometric pressure, and these are measured and recorded throughout test activities. Examples of secondary constant parameters are fuel specifications, compression ratio, bore and stroke, and these are obtained from manufacturers' data.
A tertiary input parameter, required to characterise the engine in dual-fuel mode, is the % of gas substituted for diesel fuel to achieve optimum economic and environmental outcomes. The gas flow rate is held constant while the engine is tested at each of the 36 or more key points, and the engine output parameters are measured and recorded at each key point.
Output parameters include fuels consumption, emissions, engine and exhaust temperature, inlet air flow, power and manifold absolute pressure. This test process is repeated across the range of gas flow rates that can be provided at each key point without exceeding defined engine operating parameters such as peak pressure and exhaust temperature.
This invention's Analysis System takes the sets of key tabular test data and processes these tables by fitting appropriate mathematical functions to each data set. Then, the primary and tertiary variables and secondary variables and constants become the independent parameters to those mathematical functions. The engine output parameters then become the dependent parameters, or outputs of the mathematical functions.
The outcome is a set of functional approximations that is capable of describing or interpolating listed engine output parameters for any load/RPM/fuel-makeup combination (see FIG. 8 ). These approximations can be seen as a series of three dimensional (3D) graph sets, where load and RPM comprise the horizontal x and y-axes of a 3D surface graph, the vertical displacement of the surface indicates the given output parameter and there are individual key surfaces for each of the test series of gas substitution percentages. The outcome of engine mapping is to be able to generate functional models that characterize the listed parameters for any tested engine family.
In addition, the engine mapping process includes a further diesel only test to measure and record, in tabular form, the relationships between throttle displacement, RPM and engine load. This invention's Analysis System uses a special analytical tool to generate a Throttle/RPM-to-Load function.
There is also a separate test, in diesel only and dual-fuel modes, to measure and record the engine's output parameters to identify engine behavior in response to a sudden change in load. The Analysis System uses a special analytical tool to identify the step response time constant for each of the engine's output parameters.
This invention is unique in that it identifies the best possible balance of environmental and economic outcome targets that a mapped engine running in dual-fuel mode could achieve at all load/RPM points. This invention calculates, and controls delivery of, the appropriate amounts of diesel and gas to achieve that optimized performance. So the required fuel flows for any and every load/RPM point are calculated by working backwards from optimized environmental and economic outcome targets.
When identifying optimized performance, this invention takes account of the fact that dual-fuel and diesel only combustion processes are different. Emissions outcomes are quite different for the same load/RPM point in the two modes. Total fuels use across the load/RPM range do not always contain the same energy content. At low loads, dual-fuel mode may use more fuel (reduce thermal efficiency), and produce more of some emissions than diesel only operation. At intermediate and high loads dual-fuel operation results in substantial reductions in some emissions and, on occasion, increases in thermal efficiency. A simple substitution model cannot effectively calculate the varying gas and diesel flows required to manage dual-fuel operation across the load/RPM range, because the relationships between engine outputs and inputs are not simple.
This invention's diesel and gas delivery rates are completely adjustable across the load/RPM range, and are programmed into the Control System for each engine family. These adjustable rates enable this system to calculate and deliver the required fuel flows to achieve the identified optimized environmental and economic outcomes.
This invention's Analysis System takes the data and processed results of the Engine Mapping processes and uses formal optimizing techniques that use a customized Objective Function to find the optimum balance between fuel consumption and listed emissions and therefore identifies the optimum % gas substitution for that engine family across the load/speed range.
This Objective Function may be varied to reflect different economic and/or emissions scenarios. The Objective Function may also incorporate customized rules such as a constraint for any objective parameter (such as a particular emission). The resulting optimized functions are approximated, usually as bivariate Command-Load/RPM-to-Fuel-Flow functions for diesel and gas.
For variable speed and automotive applications, this invention's Analysis System transforms historical time based operating data obtained from the Information Feedback System into a 3D statistical surface (see FIG. 8 ) that exists in the same load/RPM/Parameter space as the engine mapping process functional models are defined in. The Z axis of the statistical surface is the % of time that the engine spends at any point on the (X,Y) grid of load/RPM ordered pairs.
For genset applications RPM is considered to be constant, so a two dimensional statistical graph of time and load is produced.
The Analysis System applies these statistical graphs or surfaces to the mapped engine functional models to arrive at an approximation of historical performance. Performance may be projected by applying any appropriate statistical load/RPM graph or surface to the mapped engine functional models to:
Extrapolate future dual-fuel economic and environmental performance for a particular application operating under similar conditions to those in existence during recording of the historical data. Estimate hypothetical dual-fuel performance for a particular application if it was operating under any of a defined range of statistical surfaces or load profiles. Estimate for a period of dual-fuel operation what the diesel only operation environmental and economic outcomes would have been for that historical period under the same conditions. Estimate what the dual-fuel operation environmental and economic outcomes would be by applying historical diesel only operating data such as load, RPM, and fuel consumption for that application to stored functional models of a similar engine.
The Analysis System uses a variety of analytical tools to compare created statistical graphs or surfaces. Comparisons may be made between the performance of a particular application in diesel only and dual-fuel modes, or applications may be compared against another applications.
This invention's Analysis System contains a range of visualization and reporting tools and pro-formas that may be customized. The visualization tools produce the range of 3D graphs and bivariate functions for engine and application data as well as standard graphs, charts and tables (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Report pro-formas include processing economic and environmental outcomes and presenting the data in the format detailed in relevant international standards or particular legislative, regulatory or customer requirements or requests.
This invention uses a Programming System to program the Control System and some sub-systems in the Information Feedback System.
The outcomes of the Engine Family Analysis processes detailed above are formatted into a library of generic system settings for each mapped engine family and, where appropriate for sub-sets of different engine capacity and/or configuration options within that family.
This library is stored in a portable computer or other appropriate programming device. The programming device is connected, via a serial data link, to the Control System during installation and is removed after programming is completed. For an engine of a mapped engine family, or engines similar to mapped engines, the relevant generic system settings are downloaded from the programming device into the Control System installed on that engine.
This process may be undertaken in reverse, and settings may be uploaded from the Control System on a particular engine into the programming device secondary storage device.
The programming device also includes tools for modifying or fine-tuning the generic settings in response to minor variations in engine or application configurations.
The Gas Delivery system of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 11 . The Control System used in this invention forwards a continuous Gas-Flow-Signal from the Gas-Flow-Controller to the valve(s) motor driver or injector(s) pulser/sequencer installed in the Gas Delivery System. The motor driver or pulser responds to the signal by operating the valve or injector to deliver the required gas flow.
For valve and single injector systems, the Gas Delivery System delivers the required gas flow into the air inlet manifold of the diesel engine. Sequential multi-point injector systems deliver the gas in close proximity to each of the individual cylinder air inlet ports timed to the closing of the exhaust port for that cylinder.
The Control System State-Controller sub-system sends a gas shut-off signal to an appropriate gas lock-off sub-system in the Gas Delivery System whenever the engine/application is detected to be in a Fault state.
The Gas Delivery System includes standard approved gas fittings installed in compliance with the legislation, regulation and codes of practice relevant to the geographical area of operation for each application.
Those skilled in the art will realize that this invention can be implemented in a variety of ways without departing from the inventive concept. It is applicable to a range of diesel engine types and the substitution of gas for diesel is made without affecting engine or vehicle performance and contributes to improved fuel economy and improved environmental emissions.
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A system of analyzing engine performance to assist in the improved control of a dual fuel engine includes measuring devices for measuring parameters including engine load, RPM, fuel injected, air inlet temperature, exhaust temperature, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels in the exhaust gases, at discrete time intervals. An electronic storage device stores the data collected by the measuring devices at each of the discrete time intervals, and analysis apparatus analyzes the stored data to establish a data table for each parameter against each measured engine load and RPM point. Imaging software is provided for presenting the data sets for each parameter as a three dimensional surface plotted against load and RPM.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet printing device used for printing images such as photographs or designs on a substrate. In particular, the present invention relates to a configuration of the inkjet printing device for preventing deterioration of imaging quality due to mechanical vibrations of a platen.
[0002] Inkjet printing devices for forming images or designs on the substrate including fabric and a sheet are widely used. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,628, an inkjet printing device for the fabric is disclosed. The inkjet printing device in this US patent includes a platen which has a plate-like form and is mounted in the inkjet printing device movably in a front and rear direction, and an inkjet head for ejecting ink toward the platen.
[0003] A user loads a T-shirt as the substrate onto the platen from the front side of the inkjet printing device. Then, printing operation is started. During the printing operation, the platen holding the T-shirt is moved relative to the ink-jet head so that a printing position on the T-shit is shifted. After the printing operation is finished, the T-shirt is detached from the platen on the front side of the inkjet printing device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] One of problems of the inkjet printing device disclosed in the above mentioned US patent document is that mechanical vibrations of the platen are caused as the platen moves during the printing operation because the platen is supported by supporting rods in the inkjet printing device. Such mechanical vibrations of the platen may deteriorate imaging quality.
[0005] One of techniques to solve such a problem is to drive the platen such that the platen is stopped for a predetermined time period after the platen is moved so as to wait until the mechanical vibrations decreases. After the predetermined time period has elapsed, ink ejection from the inkjet head is started while the platen is stopped. With this technique, the deterioration of the imaging quality can be avoided.
[0006] However, the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations changes with the printing position on the platen, and therefore a time period, for which the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations decrease to a negligible level, also changes depending on the printing position on the platen. More specifically, the time period for which the mechanical vibrations decrease to the negligible level becomes longer at a point farther from a position of the supporting rod.
[0007] The printing operation may start before the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations decreases to the negligible level if the predetermined time period is relatively short, by which the imaging quality is deteriorated.
[0008] On the other hand, if the predetermined time period is relatively long, the deterioration of the imaging quality can be avoided. However, in this case, a printing time required to finish the printing operation becomes long, which reduces the production efficiency.
[0009] The present invention is advantageous in that it provides an inkjet printing device which is capable of preventing deterioration of imaging quality due to mechanical vibrations of a platen.
[0010] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an inkjet printing device, which is provided with a holding unit that is used to hold a substrate to be subjected to printing operation, an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the substrate held by the holding unit, and a controller that moves the holding unit relative to the inkjet head to perform the printing operation. In this structure, the controller operates to wait a predetermined stopping time after the holding unit is moved to start ejecting the ink onto the substrate held on the holding unit. The predetermined stopping time is determined depending on at least one factor that determines a time period required for mechanical vibrations of the holding unit caused by movement of the holding unit to decrease to the negligible level.
[0011] Since the predetermined stopping time is determined depending on the at least one factor that determines the time period required for the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit to decrease to the negligible level, deterioration of image quality due to the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit can be prevented and the predetermined stopping time more than necessity is not used.
[0012] Optionally, the inkjet printing device may include a detecting system that detects a type of the holding unit. In this case, the at least one factor includes the type of the holding unit detected by the detecting system.
[0013] Still optionally, the type of the holding unit may change in accordance with a shape and material of the holding unit.
[0014] Still optionally, the inkjet printing device may include a supporting member that is used to support the holding unit. In this case, the at least one factor includes a distance between a printing position at which the ink is ejected toward the holding unit and a position of the supporting member on the holding unit.
[0015] Still optionally, the at least one factor may include an amount of movement of the holding unit.
[0016] In a particular case, the controller may operate to move the holding unit by a distance corresponding to one line of an image to be printed each time printing of one of lines of the image is completed. The controller waits the predetermined time period after the holding unit is moved by the distance corresponding to the one line.
[0017] Optionally, the distance corresponding to the one line may change depending on resolution of the image to be printed, and the at least one factor may include the resolution of the image.
[0018] In a particular case, the controller may have a time table in which a plurality of stopping times are defined. The plurality of stopping times are associated with the at least one factor so that the controller selects one of the stopping times as the predetermined stopping time in accordance with the at least one factor.
[0019] In a particular case, the inkjet printing device may include an operation panel that has buttons for inputting information to the controller. In this case, the at least one factor is inputted to the controller manually by use of the operation panel.
[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of printing an image on a substrate held on a holding unit provided in an inkjet printing device. The method includes moving the holding unit relative to an ink-jet head, determining a stopping time depending on at least one factor that determines a time period required for mechanical vibrations of the holding unit caused by movement of the holding unit to decrease to a negligible level, waiting the stopping time after the holding unit is moved in the moving step, and starting to eject ink on the substrate held on the holding unit after the stopping time has elapsed in the waiting step.
[0021] Since the stopping time is determined depending on the at least one factor that determines the time period required for the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit to decrease to a negligible level, deterioration of imaging quality due to the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit can be prevented and the stopping time more than necessity is not used.
[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of printing an image on a substrate held on a holding unit detachably attached to an inkjet printing device. The method includes detecting a type of the holding unit attached to the inkjet printing device, moving the holding unit relative to an inkjet head, and determining a stopping time depending on at least one factor that determines a time period required for mechanical vibrations of the holding unit caused by movement of the holding unit to decrease to a negligible level. The method further includes waiting the predetermined stopping time after the holding unit is moved in the moving step, and starting to eject ink on the substrate held on the holding unit after the stopping time has elapsed in the waiting step. The at least one factor includes the type of the holding unit detected by the detecting step.
[0023] Since the stopping time is determined depending on the at least one factor that determines the time period required for the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit to decrease to a negligible level, deterioration of imaging quality due to the mechanical vibrations of the holding unit can be prevented and the stopping time more than necessity is not used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a front view of an inkjet printing device according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a side view of the inkjet printing device;
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a situation in which a platen is attached to a supporting rod when the platen and the supporting rod are viewed as a side view;
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a situation in which the platen is attached to the supporting rod when the platen and the supporting rod are viewed as a top view;
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a scanning path on a top surface of the platen;
[0029] FIG. 6 shows an electrical block diagram of the inkjet printing device according to the embodiment;
[0030] FIG. 7 schematically shows storing areas in a ROM shown in FIG. 6 :
[0031] FIG. 8 schematically shows storing areas in a RAM shown in FIG. 6 ;
[0032] FIG. 9 shows a platen type table stored in the ROM;
[0033] FIG. 10 shows an example of a determination table for determining a required stop time table;
[0034] FIG. 11 shows an example of a stop time table:
[0035] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process of printing; and
[0036] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process performed by the inkjet printing device under control of a control unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0037] Hereafter, an embodiment according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0038] FIG. 1 is a front view of an inkjet printing device 1 according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the inkjet printing device 1 . The left side in FIG. 2 corresponds to the front side of the inkjet printing device 1 .
[0039] As shown in FIG. 1 , the inkjet head printer 1 has a frame 2 including a horizontal part 2 v located at the bottom of the inkjet printing device 1 and vertical parts 2 h protruding upwardly in the vertical direction at both end portions of the horizontal part 2 v . A guide rail 4 is attached to the tops of the right and left vertical parts 2 h . The guide rail 4 is used to guide a carriage 5 accommodating inkjet heads 6 in a lateral direction (i.e., a longitudinal direction of the guide rail 4 ).
[0040] At the left end portion of the guide rail 4 , a carriage motor 7 is located. At the right end portion of the guide rail 4 , a pulley 8 is located. A carriage belt 9 is hung on a driving shaft of the carriage motor 7 and the pulley 8 to be driven by driving force of the carriage motor 7 . The carriage 5 is fixed to the carriage belt 9 at the rear side thereof to be moved along the guide rail 4 . That is, the carriage 5 reciprocates along the guide rail 4 in the lateral direction.
[0041] A casing 3 is attached to the frame 2 to cover and protect internal components of the inkjet printing device 1 . In FIG. 1 , the casing 3 is indicated by chain lines to show the internal components. As shown in FIG. 1 , an operation panel 40 is provided at the upper right side of the front surface of the casing 3 .
[0042] The carriage 5 accommodates four inkjet heads 6 respectively corresponding to four color components of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Each inkjet head 6 has 128 ejection channels (not shown) for ejecting ink. Each ejection channel has a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuators provided for the ejection channels are selectively driven to eject ink downwardly from desired ones of nozzles provided at tip portions of the ejection channels.
[0043] Cartridge casings 12 , to which two ink cartridges 11 are detachably attached, are located on right and left side surfaces of the frame 2 . The ink is supplied to inkjet heads 6 from the ink cartridges 11 , respectively, via tubes (not shown).
[0044] At the right end position of the guide rail 4 , a purge unit 14 having a suction cap 13 is located. When the cartridge 20 is located at the right end position, the suction cap 13 closely contacts with nozzle-surfaces (on which the nozzles are formed) of the inkjet heads 6 . When the suction cap 13 contacts with the nozzle surfaces of the inkjet heads 6 , head cleaning of the inkjet heads 6 is conducted by suctioning the ink from the nozzle surfaces through the suction cap 13 by a suction pump (not shown) provided in the purge unit 14 .
[0045] Since the nuzzle surfaces are covered with the suction cap 13 when the printing operation is not performed, drying of the ink on the nozzle surface is prevented.
[0046] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a platen driving mechanism 10 is mounted on the horizontal part 2 v . The platen driving mechanism 10 will be explained below. At the front side of the horizontal part 2 v , a pair of bases 35 are fixed to protrude upwardly from the horizontal part 2 v in the vertical direction. At the rear side of the horizontal part 2 v , a pair of bases 36 are fixed to protrude upwardly from the horizontal part 2 v in the vertical direction. By the four bases 35 and 36 as vertexes, a rectangular shape is formed when the four bases 35 and 36 are viewed along the vertical direction.
[0047] Above the top ends of the bases 35 , pulleys 28 are located. Further, above the top ends of the base 36 , pulleys 29 are located. An endless belt 27 is hung on the right side pulley 28 and the right side pulley 29 . Another endless belt 27 is also hung on the left side pulley 28 and the left side pulley 29 .
[0048] Platen rails 26 are located above the two endless belts 27 , respectively. A slide base 23 is attached to the platen rails 26 and the endless belts 27 via a fixing unit 24 . On the slide base 23 , a supporting rod 21 is mounted to support a platen 20 on its upper side. Further, a platen motor 25 is provided to rotate the pulleys 29 .
[0049] In this structure, the fixing unit 24 is moved along the platen rails 26 by the driving force of the platen motor 25 . That is, the fixing unit reciprocates in the front and rear direction of the inkjet printing device 1 .
[0050] Next, installation of the platen 20 to the supporting rod 21 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . FIG. 3 shows a situation in which the platen 20 is attached to the supporting rod 21 when the platen 20 and the supporting rod 21 are viewed as the side view. FIG. 4 also shows the situation in which the platen 20 is attached to the supporting rod 21 when the platen 20 and the supporting rod 21 are viewed as the top view.
[0051] The platen 20 is configured to be a plate-like member. As shown in FIG. 4 , the platen 20 has a substantially rectangular form of which front side corners are cut so that the front end portion thereof has a form of a letter “V”. With this shape of the platen 20 , the user can easily load the T-shirt onto the platen 20 .
[0052] Although in this embodiment the platen 20 is configured to have the shape shown in FIG. 4 , the platen 20 may be configured to have another shape. For example, the shape and the size of the platen 20 may be determined based on a shape of a printed portion of a substrate (e.g., the T-shirt).
[0053] It is understood from FIG. 4 that the shape of the platen 20 of this embodiment is convenient for printing images onto a body portion of the T-shirt.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 3 , a protrusion 20 a is formed at a central portion of the bottom surface of the platen 20 . By fitting the protrusion 20 a into a fitting hole 21 d of the supporting rod 21 , the platen 20 is fixed to the supporting rod 21 . Further, on the bottom surface of the platen 20 , an identification unit 31 used to identifying the type of the platen 20 is attached.
[0055] More specifically, the identification unit 31 has a plurality of projections 32 . Since the number of projections 32 and positions of the projections 32 in the identification unit 31 change depending on the type of the platen 20 , the type of the platen attached to the supporting rod 21 can be determined by detecting the projections 32 .
[0056] The supporting rod 21 has a receiving plate 21 a , a connection member 21 b and a support base 21 c . The support base 21 is configured such that it protrudes upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the slide base 23 , protrudes toward the front side with an angle of 45° being formed with respect to a horizontal direction, and further protrudes toward the front side in the horizontal direction.
[0057] The connection member 21 b is an L-shape member. The connection member 21 b is configured such that it protrudes in the horizontal direction from a front side end of the support base 21 c , and then expands upwardly in the vertical direction. At the top end of the connection member 21 b , the receiving plate 21 a is attached. A portion of the connection member 21 b attached to the front side end of the support base 21 c has a cross section smaller than that of the front side end of the support base 21 c.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 3 , an opening is formed at a central position of the receiving plate 21 a and a hole is formed on the connection member 21 b at a position corresponding to the opening of the receiving plate 21 a , so that the fitting hole 21 d into which the protrusion 20 a is fitted is formed.
[0059] At the rear side of the receiving plate 21 a , a sensor unit 30 is located. The sensor unit 30 has a hole 30 a into which the identification unit 31 is fitted. At the bottom of the hole 30 a of the sensor unit 30 , a photo sensor 30 b is located. When protrusion 20 a of the platen 20 is fitted into the fitting hole 21 d of the supporting rod 21 , the identification unit 31 is also fitted into the hole 30 a and the projections 32 of the identification unit 31 are detected by the photo sensor 30 b of the sensor unit 30 .
[0060] FIG. 5 shows a scanning path 60 on the top surface of the platen 6 . The scanning path 60 is formed by the movement of the platen 6 in the front and rear direction and the movement of the inkjet head 6 in the lateral direction. In FIG. 5 , the platen 20 is shown as the top view. The upper side of FIG. 5 corresponds to the front side of the inkjet printing device 1 .
[0061] As described above, the carriage 5 accommodating the inkjet heads 6 reciprocates in the lateral direction along the guide rail 4 . On the other hand, the platen 20 moves toward the front side (i.e., the upward direction in FIG. 5 ) in the front and rear direction of the inkjet printing device 1 . In other words, the carriage 5 does not move in the front and rear direction, and the platen 26 does not move in the lateral direction.
[0062] When the printing operation is initiated, the platen 20 is moved to the rear end position (i.e., a start position) and the inkjet head 6 is moved to a print start point A at the left end portion of the guide rail 4 . Then, the inkjet head 6 moves leftward in FIG. 5 from the start point A to an endpoint B while ejecting the ink onto the T-shirt held on the platen 20 . Thus, printing for a first line is finished. After the printing for the first line is finished, the inkjet head 6 further moves leftward in FIG. 5 to a point C away from the platen 20 .
[0063] Next, the platen 20 moves toward the front side by a distance corresponding to one line, so that the inkjet head 6 moves downwardly in FIG. 5 to a point D. After the movement of the platen 20 corresponding to one line is finished, the inkjet head 6 moves to a print stat point E. Then, the ink-jet head 6 moves rightward in FIG. 5 from the stat point E to an endpoint F while ejecting the ink onto the T-shirt. Thus, printing for a second line is finished. After the printing for the second line is finished, the inkjet head 6 further moves rightward in FIG. 5 to a point G away from the platen 20 .
[0064] Next, the platen 20 moves toward the front side by a distance corresponding to one line, so that the inkjet head 6 moves downwardly in FIG. 5 to a point H. After the movement of the platen 20 corresponding to one line is finished, the inkjet head 6 moves to a print stat point I. It is noted that the print start point I is equal to the print stat point A with regard to the position of the inkjet head 6 along the guide rail 4 .
[0065] Such printing operation is continued along the scanning path 60 on the platen 20 . It should be noted that the distance corresponding to one line changes depending on resolution of the image to be printed. When an area in which the image is printed is constant, the distance corresponding to one line decreases as the resolution increases, and the distance corresponding to one line increases as the resolution decreases.
[0066] Hereafter, a control system of the inkjet printing device 1 will be described. FIG. 6 shows an electrical block diagram of the inkjet printing device 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 schematically shows storing areas in a ROM 82 . FIG. 8 schematically shows storing areas in a RAM 83 .
[0067] As shown in FIG. 6 , the inkjet printing device 1 has a control unit 80 including a CPU (central processing unit) 81 for controlling various kinds of operation of the ink-jet printing device 1 . The control unit 8 further includes the ROM 82 storing various programs to be executed by the CPU 81 , and the RAM 83 used to storing various types of data temporarily.
[0068] Further, the control unit 80 includes a head driving unit 84 which drives the piezoelectric actuators provided for the ejection channels, and a motor driving unit 85 which drives the carriage motor 7 and the platen motor 25 . The ROM 82 , the RAM 83 , the head driving unit 84 and the motor driving unit 85 are connected to the CPU 81 via a bus 86 .
[0069] Further, the control unit 80 includes a display control unit 87 which controls a display 41 and a lamp 42 provided on the operation panel 40 , an input detection unit 88 which receives input from various buttons 43 provided on the operation panel 40 , and a voice control unit 89 which controls a speaker 44 provided on the operation panel 44 to conduct voice output operation.
[0070] The control unit 80 further includes a communication control unit 90 which operates to communicate with an external device such as a personal computer (PC) 91 . The display control unit 87 , the input detection unit 88 , the voice control unit 89 and the communication control unit 90 are connected to the CPU 81 via the bus 86 .
[0071] As shown in FIG. 7 , in the ROM 82 , an initial settings storing area 821 , a program storing area 822 , a stop time table storing area 823 , a table determination data storing area 824 and a platen type determination table storing area 825 are assigned.
[0072] In the initial settings storing area 821 , various types of initial settings used for the programs stored in the ROM 82 are stored. In the program storing area 822 , various types of programs for controlling the inkjet printing device 1 are stored. In the stop time table storing area 823 , stop time tables are stored. In the table determination data storing area 824 , a determination table for determining a required stop time table is stored. In the platen type determination table storing area 825 , a platen type table for determining the type of the platen is stored.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 8 , in the RAM 83 , a print data storing area 831 and a line counter area 832 are assigned. In the print data storing area 831 , print data received from the PC 91 are stored. In the line counter area 832 , the count indicating the number of printed lines is stored.
[0074] As described above, the platen 20 vibrates with respect to the supporting rod as an axis of the vibration motion when the platen 20 moves during the printing operation.
[0075] Considering that a case where the printing operation is performed while the platen 20 vibrates, the distance between the inkjet head 6 and the T-shirt changes because the T-shirt held on the platen 20 also vibrates. In this case, the imaging quality deteriorates.
[0076] For this reason, in this embodiment the control unit 80 operates to wait a stopping time after the movement of the platen 20 so as to watt until the mechanical vibrations of the platen 20 stops (i.e., until the amplitude of the mechanical vibration of the platen 20 decreases to a negligible level). In this embodiment, various lengths of the stopping times are prepared because a time period for which the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations of the platen decreases to the negligible level changes depending on the type (including the shape (a size) and material) of the platen being used.
[0077] As described above, various types of the platens are prepared and the platen 20 to be attached to the supporting rod 21 is determined in accordance with, for example, the fabric to be subjected to the printing operation. More specifically, the type of the platen changes depending on, for example, a shape of the fabric, a size of the fabric (e.g., a small size, medium size, or large size), and a position at which the image is printed on the fabric. For example, the platens for printing on short-sleeve clothe, for printing on long-sleeve clothe, for printing on a pocket of cloth, for printing on a neck of cloth, and for printing on a handkerchief are prepared.
[0078] Since one of various types of material such as resin (e.g., acrylic) and metal (e.g., aluminum) can be used to form the platen, the amplitude of mechanical vibrations of the platen also changes depending on the material of the platen.
[0079] For this reason, a plurality of types of stop time tables are prepared in accordance with the type of the platen. As described above, the type of the platen being used is detected by the sensor unit 30 , and the detection result of the sensor unit 30 is used by the CPU 81 .
[0080] FIG. 9 shows a platen type table 825 a stored in the platen type determination table storing area 825 . The platen type table 825 is used to determine the type of the platen 20 attached to the supporting rod 21 . The maximum number of projections 32 formed on the identification unit 31 is three in the embodiment, and the sensor unit 30 is configured to detect the existence of each of the three projections 32 .
[0081] In the platen type table 825 a , the three projections 32 are represented as a first projection, a second projection and a third projection, respectively. In the platen type table 825 a , a value “1” represents the existence of the projection 32 and a value of “0” represents the absence of the projection 32 . Depending on the existence and the absence of the projections 32 , eight types (type 1 -type 8 ) of the platen are identified. The type of the platen is indicated as identification numbers in FIG. 9 .
[0082] As shown in FIG. 9 , the type 1 corresponding to the detection result of first to third projections of (1,1,1) indicates that the shape is L-size (large size) and the material of the platen is acrylic. The type 2 corresponding to the detection result of (1,1,0) indicates that the shape is L-size and the material of the platen is aluminum. The type 3 corresponding to the detection result of (1,0,1) indicates that the shape is M-size (medium size) and the material of the platen is acrylic.
[0083] The type 4 corresponding to the detection result of (1.0,0) indicates that the shape is H-size and the material of the platen is aluminum. The type 5 corresponding to the detection result of (0,1,1) Indicates that the shape is S-size (small size) and the material of the platen is acrylic. The type 6 corresponding to the detection result of (0,1,0) indicates that the shape is S-size and the material of the platen is aluminum.
[0084] The type 7 corresponding to the detection result of (0,0,1) indicates that the shape of the platen is for the sleeve and the material of the platen is acrylic. The type 8 corresponding to the detection result of (0,0,0) indicates that the shape of the platen is for the sleeve and the material of the platen is aluminum.
[0085] Factors for determining the stopping time further include resolution of the image because the amount of movement of the platen 20 for the one line changes depending on the resolution of the image and: the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations of the platen (i.e., the time period for which the mechanical vibrations decrease to the negligible level) changes depending on the amount of movement of the platen.
[0086] The factors for determining the stopping time further include a printing position, at which the ink is ejected toward the platen 20 , because the time period for which the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations of the plate 20 decreases to the negligible level changes depending on the distance between the printing position and the position of the supporting rod on the platen 20 .
[0087] That is, the time period for which the mechanical vibrations decrease to the negligible level changes depending on the type of the platen (i.e., the shape (size) and material), the resolution of the image to be printed, the distance between the printing position and the supporting rod 21 . For this reason, in this embodiment a plurality of types of stop time tables are prepared according to the type of the platen and the resolution of the image (see FIG. 10 ).
[0088] In each stop time table, a plurality of stopping times are prepared according to the distance between the printing position and the supporting rod 21 . In this embodiment, the number of linefeeds is counted to obtain information concerning the printing position.
[0089] FIG. 10 shows an example of a determination table 824 a for determining a required stop time table. As shown in FIG. 10 , the stop time table to be used changes depending on the type of the platen 20 and the resolution of the image. In the example of FIG. 10 , three different stop time tables are prepared depending on three kinds of resolution, for each type of the platen.
[0090] According to the determination table 824 a in FIG. 10 , a stop time table T 111 is selected when the type of the platen (indicated as “identification number” in FIG. 10 ) is “1” and the resolution of the image is 450 dpi. A stop time table T 112 is selected when the type of the platen is “1” and the resolution of the image is 600 dpi. A stop time table T 113 is selected when the type of the platen is “1” and the resolution of the image is 1200 dpi. A stop time table T 121 is selected when the type of the platen is “2” and the resolution of the image is 450 dpi.
[0091] A stop time table T 411 is selected when the type of the platen is “7” and the resolution of the image is 450 dpi. A stop time table T 412 is selected when the type of the platen is “7” and the resolution of the image is 600 dpi. A stop time table T 413 is selected when the type of the platen is “7” and the resolution of the image is 1200 dpi.
[0092] FIG. 11 shows the stop time table T 212 as an example of the stop time tables. As shown in FIG. 11 , the plurality of stopping times are prepared depending on the number of linefeeds. According to the example shown in FIG. 11 , the stopping time is set at 400′ milliseconds when the number of linefeeds is in an range of 1 through 4, the stopping time is set at 300 ms when the number of linefeeds is 5 and 6, the stopping time is set at 0 ms when the number of linefeeds is in a range of 37 through 42, the stopping time is set at 300 Ms when the number of linefeeds is 73 and 74, and the stopping time is set at 400 ms when the number of linefeeds is in a range of 75 through 78.
[0093] The stop time table T 212 of FIG. 11 is selected when the platen 20 of the type 3 is used (see FIG. 10 ). The platen 20 of the type 3 has the medium size, and the supporting rod 21 is situated at the position corresponding to the number of linefeeds ranging from 37 through 42. Since the mechanical vibration in the vicinity of the supporting rod (i.e., at the position corresponding to the number of linefeeds ranging from 37 through 42 on the platen 20 of the type 4 ) is small, the stopping time is set at 0 ms.
[0094] The stopping time increases as the distance between the printing position and the supporting rod 21 (i.e., the position corresponding to the number of linefeeds ranging from 37 through 42) increases.
[0095] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process of printing. Firstly, the print data is transmitted from the PC 91 to the inkjet printing device 1 (step S 1 ). The user selects an appropriate platen from among the plurality types of platens in accordance with the fabric to be subjected to the printing operation, and mounts the selected platen on the ink-jet printing device 1 (step S 2 ). Then, the user loads the fabric as the substrate onto the platen 20 (step S 3 ).
[0096] When the print data is successfully received by the inkjet printing device 1 , the lamp 42 is lighted and the name of received print data is indicated on the display 41 . When the lamp 42 is lighted, the user pushes a print stat button (which is one of the buttons 43 ) to start the printing operation (step S 4 ).
[0097] In step S 5 , the printing operation is performed by the inkjet printing device 1 . After the printing operation is finished and the platen 20 is moved to the front end of the inkjet printing device 1 , the user detaches the fabric from the platen 20 (step S 6 ).
[0098] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the printing process performed by the inkjet printing device 1 under control of the control unit 80 . The printing process is initiated when the user pushes the print start button. Firstly, the type of the platen 20 is determined based on the platen type table 825 a using the detection result of the sensor unit 30 (step S 10 ). For example, when the first and third projections are detected, the type of the platen 20 is determined to be the type 3 .
[0099] Next, the stop time table to be used is selected based on the determination table 824 a using the type of the platen 20 determined in step S 10 and the resolution of the image of the received print data (step S 11 ). For example, when the type of the platen 20 is the type 3 and the resolution of the image is 600 dpi, the stop time table T 212 is selected.
[0100] Next, the platen 20 and the inkjet head 6 are moved to respective start points (step S 12 ). Then, the count in the line counter area 832 (the line counter) is rested to “0” (step S 13 ). In step S 14 , it is determined whether data to be printed exists regarding the current line. When the data to be printed on the current line does not exist (S 14 : NO), control proceeds to step S 19 where platen 20 is moved by one line. Then, the line counter is incremented by one (S 20 ).
[0101] When the data to be printed on the current line exists (S 14 : YES), control proceeds to step S 15 where the stopping time is obtained from the determined stop time table. Then, the inkjet printing device 1 waits until the obtained stopping time has elapsed (S 16 ). After the obtained stopping time has elapsed, the printing on the current line is conducted (S 17 ). For example, when the number of linefeeds is three, the stopping time of 400 ms is obtained from the stop time table T 212 . After the 400 ms has elapsed, the printing on the current line is started. When the number of linefeeds is 38 and the stopping time of 0 ms is obtained from the stop time table T 212 , the printing on the current line is started without a wait time.
[0102] Next, it is determined whether the image is completely formed on the fabric or not (S 18 ). When the image is not completely formed on the fabric (S 18 : NO), control proceeds to step S 19 where the platen 20 is moved by the one line (S 19 ). Then, the line counter is incremented by one (S 20 ), and control returns to step S 14 to continue the printing on succeeding lines.
[0103] When the image is completely formed on the fabric (S 18 : YES), control proceeds to step S 21 where the platen is moved to an ejected position.
[0104] As described above, according to the embodiment, the type of the platen is detected automatically, and the stopping time is determined depending on the various factors including the determined type of the platen, the resolution of the image and the distance from the supporting rod 21 . Therefore, the appropriate stopping time for waiting until the mechanical vibration decreases to the negligible level is secured. Consequently, the deterioration of the imaging quality due to the mechanical vibration of the platen can be prevented.
[0105] The stopping time more than necessity is not used. Therefore, the printing operation can be finished in a time period shorter than a time period required to finish printing operation in which a constant stopping time, determined to suit to the maximum distance between the printing position and the supporting rod 21 , is used.
[0106] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible.
[0107] For example, in the above mentioned embodiment, the type of the platen is determined automatically using the identification unit 31 and the sensor unit 30 ; however, the type of the platen may be inputted to the inkjet printing device 1 manually. For example, the inkjet printing device may be configured such that the type of the platen is inputted by using the operation panel 40 . Alternatively, the inkjet printing device may be configured such that the platen to be used is selected by the user from a menu listing the types of platens and/or information concerning the characteristics of platens displayed on the display 41 .
[0108] The technique for automatically detecting the type of the platen 20 is not limited to the combination of the identification unit 31 and the sensor unit 30 . For example, the inkjet printing device may be configured such that a barcode is attached to the platen and a barcode reading device is provided, for example, on the supporting rod 21 to detect the type of the platen mounted on the supporting rod 21 .
[0109] Alternatively, an IC tag may be utilized to detect the type of the platen. In this case, the IC tag is attached to the platen and a reading device for reading information from the IC tag is mounted on, for example, the supporting rod 21 .
[0110] Although, in the above mentioned embodiment, the unit of the amount of movement of platen is one line, the platen may be moved by a distance corresponding to a plurality of lines when successive lines without print data exist in the image to be printed. In this case, the factors for determining the stopping time may additionally include the amount of movement of the platen. That is, the stopping times may be prepared depending on the current line number at which the printing is conducted and the amount of movement of the platen required to move platen to the current line.
[0111] The amount of movement of the platen as the factor may be used in the determination table 824 a in place of the resolution of the image.
[0112] It should be noted that the present invention can be applied to various types of inkjet printing device for forming images or designs onto the substrate held on a platen.
[0113] The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-340524, filed on Sep. 30, 2003, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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An inkjet printing device, which is provided with a holding unit that is used to hold a substrate to be subjected to printing operation, an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the substrate held by the holding unit, and a controller that moves the holding unit relative to the inkjet head to perform the printing operation. In this structure, the controller operates to wait a predetermined stopping time after the holding unit is moved to start ejecting the ink onto the substrate held on the holding unit. The predetermined stopping time is determined depending on at least one factor that determines a time period required for mechanical vibrations of the holding unit caused by movement of the holding unit to decrease to a negligible level.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to radiation elements (sensors) for antennas and phased arrays and more particularly to a macro-sized, magnetic RF antenna for mobile devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Global telecommunication systems, such as cell phones and two way radios, are migrating to higher frequencies and data rates due to increased consumer demand on usage and the desire for more content. Current mobile devices are challenged by the increased functionality and complexity of multi-modes, multi-bands, and multi-standards, and progressing beyond 3G with the increasing requirement of multimedia, mobile internet, connected home solutions, sensor-network, high-speed data connectivity such as Bluetooth, RFID, WLAN, WiMAX, UWB, and 4G. Limited battery power and tight design space will become bottlenecks for the high integration and development of mobile devices. The tight design space is especially challenging for RF technologies and the requisite design/fabrication of adaptive/tunable antennas and antenna arrays. Nanosized RF antennas with low power consumption will be necessary.
[0003] Known antennas ranging from macro-size to micro-size, are based on a top-down approach, and are bulky. They have difficulties in meeting performance and power-consumption requirements, particularly with increased frequency, functionality and complexity of multi-modes, multi-bands, and multi standards for seamless mobility. Size and frequency limitation such as the Terahertz gap have been reached. With the increase of high frequency for high data rate communications, skin effect becomes more of an issue and causes the loss of efficiency for these conventional solid and bulky antennas, thereby impacting power consumption.
[0004] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a macro-sized RF antenna for mobile devices having low power consumption and wide-range frequency spectrum based on bottom-up nanotechnology. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A communication device includes a macro-sized RF antenna having low power consumption and wide-range frequency spectrum based on bottom-up nanotechnology. The communication device includes receiver circuitry coupled to a controller. An antenna coupled to the receiver circuitry comprises a magnetic element including a plurality of electrons having a spin. A voltage source provides a DC current through the magnetic element. A detector measures changes in the DC current caused by reception of an RF signal that changes the spin on the plurality of electrons.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
[0007] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment;
[0008] FIGS. 2 and 3 are graphs depicting the operation of the first exemplary embodiment;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a partial top view of the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4
[0011] FIG. 6 is a partial block diagram of a third exemplary embodiment including either the first or second exemplary embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a portable communication device that may be used in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a diagram of portable communication device that may be used in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description of the invention.
[0015] An antenna system incorporating a magnetic nanostructure similar to those used in magnetic random access memories (MRAM) can perform in the broad wireless frequency spectrum from microwave such as 3G/WCDMA, to millimeter wave, and to terahertz and beyond. The detection of RF signals is based on tuning of the spin resonance of a free ferromagnetic layer of a nanostructured MRAM device. The free ferromagnetic layer's magnetization is modulated by the incoming RF signal and is characterized by a proportionate modulation of a DC current through the device. The initial sensing of an RF signal that resonates with the spin resonance frequency causes the free layer magnetization to rotate, at least partially. This results in the modulation of the magnetic dipoles in the free magnetic layer of the MRAM device, resulting in a detectable modulation of the device current. The rate of change in the direction of the magnetization vector depends on the energy of the incoming RF signal.
[0016] Moreover, a nanostructure array of these devices provides a mechanism to detect individual frequencies in a wide frequency spectrum of RF signals by coupling a broadband antenna. This allows a high degree of tunability and specificity for which the individual MRAM devices are biased.
[0017] Generally, a single MRAM cell includes an upper ferromagnetic layer, a lower ferromagnetic layer, and a non-magnetic or insulating spacer between the two ferromagnetic layers. The upper ferromagnetic layer is the fixed magnetic layer because the direction of its magnetization is fixed. The lower ferromagnetic layer is the free magnetic layer because the direction of its magnetization can be switched to change the bit status of the cell. When the magnetization in the upper ferromagnetic layer is parallel to the magnetization in the lower ferromagnetic layer, the resistance across the cell is relatively low. When the magnetization in the upper ferromagnetic layer is anti-parallel to the magnetization in the lower ferromagnetic layer, the resistance across the cell is relatively high. The data (“0” or “1”) in a given cell is read by measuring the resistance of the cell. In this regard, electrical conductors attached to the cells are utilized to read the MRAM data.
[0018] The orientation of magnetization in the free magnetic layer can point in one of two opposite directions, while the orientation of the fixed magnetic layer is fixed along one direction. In conventional MRAM, the orientation of the magnetization in the free magnetic layer rotates in response to current flowing in a digit line and in response to current flowing in a write line. Selecting the directions of the currents will cause the magnetization in the free magnetic layer to switch from parallel to anti-parallel to the magnetization in the fixed magnetic layer. In a typical MRAM, the orientation of the bit is switched by reversing the polarity of the current in the write line while keeping a constant polarity of the current in the digit line.
[0019] Transmission mode spin-transfer switching is one technique for sensing an incoming signal. Writing bits using the spin-transfer interaction can be desirable because bits with a large coercivity (Hc) in terms of magnetic field induced switching (close to 1000 Oersteds (Oe)) can be switched using only a modest current, e.g., less than 5 mA. The higher He results in greater thermal stability and less possibility for disturbs. A conventional transmission mode spin-transfer switching technique for an MRAM cell includes a first magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer, and a second magnetic layer. In this technique, the write current actually flows through the tunnel junction in the cell. According to the spin-transfer effect, the electrons in the write current become spin-polarized after they pass through the fixed magnetic layer. In this regard, the fixed layer functions as a polarizer. The spin-polarized electrons cross the nonmagnetic layer and, through conservation of angular momentum, impart a torque on the free magnetic layer. This torque causes the orientation of magnetization in the free magnetic layer to be parallel to the orientation of magnetization in the fixed magnetic layer. The parallel magnetizations will remain stable until a write current of opposite direction switches the orientation of magnetization in the free magnetic layer to be anti-parallel to the orientation of magnetization in the fixed magnetic layer.
[0020] The transmission mode spin-transfer switching technique requires relatively low power (compared to the conventional switching technique), virtually eliminates the problem of bit disturbs, results in improved data retention, and is desirable for small scale applications.
[0021] The spin-transfer effect is known to those skilled in the art for use in MRAM devices (See for example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0087880 which discloses an MRAM being written using spin-transfer reflection mode techniques; U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,863; and WIPO publication WO 2005/082061). Briefly, a current becomes spin-polarized after the electrons pass through the first magnetic layer in a magnet/non-magnet/magnet trilayer structure, where the first magnetic layer is substantially thicker than the second magnetic layer. The spin-polarized electrons cross the nonmagnetic spacer and then, through conservation of angular momentum, place a torque on the second magnetic layer, which switches the magnetic orientation of the second layer to be parallel to the magnetic orientation of the first layer. If a current of the opposite polarity is applied, the electrons instead pass first through the second magnetic layer. After crossing the nonmagnetic spacer, a torque is applied to the first magnetic layer. However, due to its larger thickness, the first magnetic layer does not switch. Simultaneously, a fraction of the electrons will then reflect off the first magnetic layer and travel back across the nonmagnetic spacer before interacting with the second magnetic layer. In this case, the spin-transfer torque acts so as to switch the magnetic orientation of the second layer to be anti-parallel to the magnetic orientation of the first layer. Spin-transfer as described so far involves transmission of the current across all layers in the structure. Another possibility is spin-transfer reflection mode switching. In reflection mode, the current again becomes spin-polarized as the electrons pass through the first magnetic layer. The electrons then cross the nonmagnetic spacer layer, but instead of also crossing the second magnetic layer, the electrons follow a lower resistance path through an additional conductor leading away from the interface between the nonmagnetic spacer and the second magnetic layer. In the process, some fraction of the electrons will reflect off this interface and thereby exert a spin-transfer torque on the second magnetic layer to align it parallel to the first magnetic layer.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 , a side sectional view of a magnetic layer cell, or antenna cell 100 , is configured in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. In practice, an architecture or device will include many cells 100 , typically connected together in a matrix of columns and rows. The cell 100 is fabricated using known lithographic techniques. The fabrication of integrated circuits, microelectronic devices, micro electro mechanical devices, microfluidic devices, and photonic devices, involves the creation of several layers of materials that interact in some fashion. One or more of these layers may be patterned so various regions of the layer have different electrical or other characteristics, which may be interconnected within the layer or to other layers to create electrical components and circuits. These regions may be created by selectively introducing or removing various materials. The patterns that define such regions are often created by lithographic processes. For example, a layer of photoresist material is applied onto a layer overlying a wafer substrate. A photomask (containing clear and opaque areas) is used to selectively expose this photoresist material by a form of radiation, such as ultraviolet light, electrons, or x-rays. Either the photoresist material exposed to the radiation, or that not exposed to the radiation, is removed by the application of a developer. An etch may then be applied to the layer not protected by the remaining resist, and when the resist is removed, the layer overlying the substrate is patterned. Alternatively, an additive process could also be used, e.g., building a structure using the photoresist as a template.
[0023] The antenna cell 100 generally includes the following elements: a first conductor 102 ; a fixed magnetic element 108 ; a nonmagnetic spacer or insulator 110 ; a free magnet element 112 ; a second conductor 114 ; and an optional select transistor 116 . In some exemplary embodiments, the fixed magnet element 108 may include (not shown) a fixed magnetic layer, a spacer layer, a pinned magnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic pinning layer. The select transistor 116 is addressed when it is desired to sense the cell 100 by providing a current 118 from voltage source 124 therethrough from the first conductor 102 to the select transistor 116 . In one embodiment, a plurality of similar MRAM cells 100 (e.g., a column of cells) may be coupled between a common first conductor 102 and a common second conductor 114 wherein only one of the transistors 116 would be utilized. The ellipses in the conductors on either side of the voltage source 124 indicate that the voltage source 124 may be coupled to a plurality of cells 100 .
[0024] First conductor 102 is formed from any suitable material capable of conducting electricity. For example, first conductor 102 may be formed from at least one of the elements Al, Cu, Au, Ag, or their combinations.
[0025] The free magnetic element 112 is formed from a magnetic material having a variable magnetization. For example, free magnetic element 112 may be formed from at least one of the elements Ni, Fe, Mn, Co, or their alloys as well as so-called half-metallic ferromagnets such as NiMnSb, PtMnSb, Fe 3 O 4 , or CrO 2 . As with conventional MRAM devices, the direction of the variable magnetization of free magnetic element 112 determines whether MRAM cell 100 represents a “1” bit or a “0” bit. In practice, the direction of the magnetization of free magnetic element 112 is either parallel or anti-parallel to the direction of the magnetization of fixed magnet element 108 .
[0026] Free magnetic element 112 has a magnetic easy axis that defines a natural or “default” orientation of its magnetization. When the cell 100 is in a steady state condition with no current 118 applied, the magnetization of free magnetic element 112 will naturally point along its easy axis. As described in more detail below, the cell 100 is suitably configured to establish a particular easy axis direction for free magnetic element 112 . From the perspective of FIG. 1 , the easy axis of free magnetic element 112 points either to the right or to the left (for example, in the direction of the arrow 120 ). In practice, MRAM cell 100 utilizes anisotropy, such as shape or crystalline anisotropy, in free magnetic element 112 to achieve the orthogonal orientation of the respective easy axes.
[0027] In this exemplary embodiment, a nonmagnetic spacer or an insulator 110 is located between free magnetic element 112 and fixed magnet element 108 . Spacer 110 is formed from any suitable material that can function as a non-magnetic conductor or an electrical insulator. For example, the non-magnetic conductor may be formed using materials like Cu or Al and the insulator 110 may be formed from a material such as oxides or nitrides of at least one of Al, Mg, Si, Hf, Sr, or Ti. For purposes of the cell 100 , insulator 110 serves as a magnetic tunnel barrier element, and the combination of free magnetic element 112 , insulator 110 , and fixed magnet element 108 form a magnetic tunnel junction.
[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, fixed magnet element 108 has a magnetization that is either parallel or anti-parallel, e.g., arrow 122 , to the magnetization of free magnetic element 112 . In one practical embodiment, fixed magnet element 112 is realized as a pinned synthetic antiferromagnetic that may include (not shown) a fixed magnetic layer, a spacer layer, pinned magnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer. As depicted in FIG. 1 , the fixed magnetic layer 108 may be formed from any suitable magnetic material, such as at least one of the elements Ni, Fe, Mn, Co, or their alloys as well as so-called half-metallic fertomagnets such as NiMnSb, PtMnSb, Fe 3 O 4 , or CrO 2 .
[0029] The optional select transistor 116 includes a first current electrode coupled to a voltage potential, a second current electrode coupled to the free magnetic layer 112 and a gate that, when selected, allows electrons to flow through the cell 100 to the first conductor 102 .
[0030] In practice, the cell 100 may employ alternative and/or additional elements, and one or more of the elements depicted in FIG. 1 may be realized as a composite structure or combination of sub-elements. The specific arrangement of layers shown in FIG. 1 merely represents one suitable embodiment of the invention.
[0031] The other cells that share the first conductor 102 will not receive the current 118 . Only the designated bit at the intersection of the first conductor 102 and the selected select transistor 116 will receive the current 118 .
[0032] When an RF signal is received by the antenna cell 100 , the RF signal strikes the free magnetic layer 112 . Each antenna cell 100 has a characteristic resonance frequency that depends on the external magnetic field. The spins in the free magnetic layers precess at this resonance frequency, which is known as Larmor frequency. The energy corresponding to the resonance frequency is given by the equation E=μ e . B, where μ e is the magnetic moment of the electron and B is the external magnetic field. This external magnetic field that influences the spins in the free ferromagnetic layer is generated by a dc current line and the field generated by the fixed ferromagnetic layer. When the RF signal strikes the free magnetic layer 112 , the electrons within start to undergo Bloch oscillations, giving rise to a modulation in the DC current 118 through the nanostructure. This change in DC current is detected by the detector 126 and would indicate the reception of the frequency of the RF signal. Hence the incoming RF signal is detected as a modulation in the DC current, thus providing a mechanism for RF detection in a simple and straightforward manner.
[0033] FIGS. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate current 118 and magnetization 120 , respectively, versus time. When an RF signal is received, the magnetization vector 138 is “flipped” from the initial orientation of the magnetization vector 140 when no RF signal is being received. When a carrier signal for a incoming RF signal is received, a change 132 in the current 118 occurs. After a predetermined period of time, t 1 , that signifies a data bit, the magnetization is reset. After the zero reset, t 2 , and if the carrier signal is still being received, another change 134 in the current 118 occurs. After another zero reset at t 3 , and if the RF signal discontinues, there will be no change 136 in the current 118 starting at t 4 . These current changes in relation to the spin of electrons, or magnetization, within free magnetic layer 112 may be seen in FIG. 3 . The magnetization vectors 138 shown in FIG. 3 are less than 180 degrees out of phase with the magnetization vectors 140 . Basically, a zero reset is used to remove ambiguities arising due to variation in the incoming RF power. After the duration of every bit, the device is reset to its lowest resistance state, which is when the orientations of the two magnetic layers are parallel.
[0034] To improve the sensitivity of the antenna cell 100 , a spiral antenna 142 is coupled by conductors 144 , 146 (a side cross sectional view in FIG. 4 and a top view in FIG. 5 ) to a conductive line 148 formed adjacent the antenna cell 100 . The spiral antenna 142 , conductors 144 , 146 , and conductive line 148 may be integrated in an integrated circuit with the cells 100 , or they may be external to the integrated circuit. The conductive line 148 may optionally simply comprise a wire adjacent to the cell. An RF signal striking the spiral antenna 142 is provided to the line 148 , thereby providing a magnified signal. The spiral antenna 142 comprises the front end of a receiver and the cell 100 would be tunable to the required frequency that needs to be detected. Although the spiral antenna 142 is described with this exemplary embodiment, any type of antenna may be used with the antenna cell 100 . A spiral antenna is just one example of a broadband antenna that may be used. When a plurality of antenna are used, each tuned to a different frequency, a broadband antenna would be required to cover all of the frequencies of the devices. Alternately, multiple antennas could be used, one for each device.
[0035] A practical architecture may include an array or matrix of the cells 100 having individual selectivity as described herein. FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an example array 200 that may employ any number of the cells 100 . The ellipses in FIG. 6 indicate that the MRAM array 200 can include any number of rows and any number of columns. In this example, each cell 100 is coupled to its own isolation transistor 202 , and cells 100 in a given row share a common current line 210 , 212 , and 214 . The array 200 includes logic 218 that controls the selection of isolation transistor 202 , and logic 220 that in turn controls the selection and/or application of current to the appropriate write line 210 , 212 , 214 .
[0036] As discussed above, the device can be tuned to the desired frequency by simply changing the external magnetic field. This field is controlled by the DC current through the bias line that is fabricated next to each individual nanostructure. The change in the current causes a change in the magnetic field which in turn tunes the resonance frequency of the electron spins in the free magnetic layer. The selectivity of the device is determined by the line width of the resonance, or absorption spectrum, of the spins. This provides the mechanism for high selectivity in the detection of the frequency of interest. Multi-frequency detection can be achieved using an array of the magnetic nanostructures, where each individual nanostructure can be turned to a particular frequency of interest, thereby leading to multi-frequency detection. Change in the orientation of the free magnetic layer of individual nanostructures results in a mismatch of orientation with respect to the fixed magnetic layer, hence leading to a change in the resistance of the device. This results in a change in the current through the nanostructure device that can be detected.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 7 , a block diagram of a portable communication device 310 such as a cellular phone, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The portable electronic device 310 includes an antenna 312 for receiving and transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals, which may comprise any embodiments within the present invention, e.g., structures 100 and 200 . A receive/transmit switch 314 selectively couples the antenna 312 to receiver circuitry 316 and transmitter circuitry 318 in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art. The receiver circuitry 316 demodulates and decodes the RF signals to derive information therefrom and is coupled to a controller 320 for providing the decoded information thereto for utilization thereby in accordance with the function(s) of the portable communication device 310 . The controller 320 also provides information to the transmitter circuitry 318 for encoding and modulating information into RF signals for transmission from the antenna 312 . As is well-known in the art, the controller 320 is typically coupled to a memory device 322 and a user interface 324 to perform the functions of the portable electronic device 310 . Power control circuitry 326 is coupled to the components of the portable communication device 310 , such as the controller 320 , the receiver circuitry 316 , the transmitter circuitry 318 and/or the user interface 324 , to provide appropriate operational voltage and current to those components. The user interface 324 includes a microphone 328 , a speaker 330 and one or more key inputs 332 , including a keypad. The user interface 324 may also include a display 334 which could include touch screen inputs.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 8 , the portable communication device 310 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The portable communication device 310 includes a housing which has a base portion 340 for enclosing base portion circuitry and an upper clamshell portion 342 for enclosing upper clamshell portion circuitry. The base portion 340 has the microphone 328 mounted therein and a plurality of keys 332 mounted thereon. The upper clamshell portion 342 has the speaker 330 and the display 334 mounted thereon. A plurality of hinges, such as hinge knuckles 344 and 346 , rotatably couple the base portion 340 of the housing to the upper clamshell portion 342 . The antenna 312 can be mounted either external or internal or inside the housing with a proper grounding in the portable device 310 .
[0039] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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A communication device ( 310 ) is provided that includes a nano-sized RF antenna ( 100 ) having low power consumption and wide-range frequency spectrum based on bottom-up nanotechnology. The antenna ( 100 ) includes an insulator layer ( 110 ) positioned between a free magnetic layer ( 112 ) and a fixed magnetic layer ( 108 ). A DC voltage source ( 124 ) is coupled to the free magnetic layer ( 112 ) and the fixed magnetic layer ( 108 ) for providing a current ( 118 ) therethrough. A detector ( 126 ) is coupled between the antenna ( 100 ) and the DC voltage source ( 124 ) for detecting a change in the current ( 118 ) in response to a radiated signal being received by the antenna ( 100 ) which causes a change in the spin on electrons in the free magnetic layer ( 112 ).
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to improvements in color management for polypropylene fiber production in terms of permitting similar if not identical processing conditions for both colored and uncolored fiber production. Generally, either separate polypropylene fiber manufacturing lines or different processing conditions on the same manufacturing line are required for the production of colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers. This coloring is, for example, done by using pigments that may have a nucleation effect on the PP polymer which affects fiber properties. Such an inefficient situation exists due to the physical properties of drawn polypropylene fibers during manufacture, particularly the different properties exhibited between fibers including color and fibers that are colorless. Thus, it has been determined that specific additives can permit substantially identical fiber processing conditions (such as temperature and draw ratios, as examples) for colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers, providing greater efficiency to the manufacturer when switching between such fiber types or between different colors is elected and/or necessary.
[0002] Such fibers require the presence of certain compounds that quickly and effectively provide rigidity to the target polypropylene fiber on cooling. Generally, these compounds include any structure that nucleates polymer crystals within the target polypropylene after exposure to sufficient heat to melt the initial pelletized polymer and upon allowing such a melt to cool. The compounds must nucleate polymer crystals at a higher temperature than the target polypropylene without the nucleating agent during cooling. In such a manner, the “rigidifying” nucleator compounds provide nucleation sites for polypropylene crystal growth. After drawing the nucleated composition into fiber form, the fiber is then exposed to sufficient heat to grow the crystalline network, thus holding the fiber in a desired position. The preferred “rigidifying” compounds include dibenzylidene sorbitol based compounds, as well as less preferred compounds, such as certain sodium and lithium phosphate salts (such as sodium 2,2′-methylene-bis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate, otherwise known as NA-11 and similar product NA-21). Specific methods of manufacture of such fibers, as well as fabric articles made therefrom, are also encompassed within this invention.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] There has been a continued desire to utilize polypropylene fibers in various different products, ranging from apparel to carpet backings (as well as carpet pile fabrics) to reinforcement fabrics, and so on. Polypropylene fibers exhibit excellent strength characteristics, highly desirable hand and feel, and do not easily degrade or erode when exposed to certain “destructive” chemicals. However, even with such impressive and beneficial properties and an abundance of polypropylene, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and readily available as a petroleum refinery byproduct, such fibers are not widely utilized. Some reasons for such a lack of use include high and generally non-uniform heat- and moisture-shrink characteristics exhibited by typical polypropylene fibers and inefficiency in manufacturing when switching between production of colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers on the same manufacturing line.
[0004] Such fibers are not heat stable and when exposed to standard temperatures (such as 150° C. and 130 ° C. temperatures), the shrinkage range from about 5% (in boiling water) to about 7-8% (for hot air exposure) to 12-13% (for higher temperature hot air). These extremely high and varied shrink rates thus render the utilization and process ability of highly desirable polypropylene fibers very low, particularly for end-uses that require heat stability (such as apparel, carpet pile, carpet backings, molded pieces, and the like). To date, there has been no simple solution to such a problem. Some ideas have included narrowing and controlling the molecular weight distribution of the polypropylene components themselves in each fiber or mechanically working the target fibers prior to and during heat-setting. Unfortunately, molecular weight control is extremely difficult to accomplish initially, and has only provided the above-listed shrink rates (which are still too high for widespread utilization within the fabric industry). Furthermore, the utilization of very high heat-setting temperatures during mechanical treatment has, in most instances, resulted in the loss of good hand and feel to the subject fibers. Another solution to this problem is preshrinking the fibers, which involves winding the fiber on a crushable paper package, allowing the fiber to sit in the oven and shrink for long times, (crushing the paper package), and then rewinding on a package acceptable for further processing. This process, while yielding an acceptable yarn, is expensive, making the resulting fiber uncompetitive as compared to polyester and nylon fibers. As a result, there has not been any teaching or disclosure within the pertinent prior art providing any heat- and/or moisture-shrink improvements in polypropylene fiber technology.
[0005] Furthermore, there exist substantial hurdles in manufacturing efficiency for polypropylene fibers, notably in terms of utilizing a single manufacturing line for the production of both colored using various pigments and noncolored polypropylene fibers. The processing conditions generally followed and essentially required for production of such varied fibers are quite dissimilar, particularly in terms of draw ratios between rolls and the draw temperature levels required for proper drawing of the fibers as well. Generally, colored fibers using various pigments will give different physical properties, related to those pigments, unless the equipment setup is changed to account for the effect of the pigment. Further processing and final applications require physical properties which are consistent and controlled, and thus the required changes in manufacturing setup needed to give consistent fiber properties with various pigments creates considerable undesirable complexity. Such complexity, and changes in manufacturing setup, require time and accumulate waste and are thus costly. It is this discrepancy that has been problematic from an efficiency standpoint for many polypropylene fiber manufacturers as the specific manufacturing lines must be reset to the requisite draw ratios or temperatures every time a change from colored to non-colored (or to differently colored) fiber products is effectuated. No modifications to compensate for such an inefficient discrepancy have been provided the polypropylene fiber manufacturing industry to date.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is thus an object of the invention to provide improved efficiencies in manufacturing procedures between colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers on the same manufacturing line. Further objects include improving the shrink rates for standard polypropylene fibers. A further object of the invention is to provide a class of additives that, in a range of concentrations, will permit such efficiency improvements as well as such low shrinkage rates. A further object of the invention is to provide a specific method for the production of nucleator-containing polypropylene fibers permitting the desired manufacturing processing condition similarities as well as the ultimate production of colored, pattern-colored, or non-colored low-shrink fabrics therewith. A further object of this invention is to provide a fiber containing a non-colored nucleating additive, and also containing a pigment or combination of pigments, such non-colored nucleating additive allowing the fiber to be manufactured under substantially the same manufacturing conditions, and give substantially the same fiber properties, regardless of the color of the pigment or combination of pigments. A further object of the invention is to provide a polypropylene fiber containing a soluble nucleating agent and a colored pigment.
[0007] Accordingly, this invention encompasses a colored polypropylene fiber, wherein said fiber is dimensionally stable and is made in accordance with substantially the same manufacturing procedures as a dimensionally stable non-colored polypropylene fiber having the same exact polypropylene composition but free from any coloring agent therein. Furthermore, this invention encompasses a method of producing such a colored fiber as above comprising the sequential steps of a) providing a polypropylene composition in pellet or liquid form comprising at least 200 ppm by weight of a nucleator compound and at least 200 ppm pf a coloring agent; b) melting and mixing said polypropylene composition of step “a” to form a substantially homogeneous molten plastic formulation; c) extruding said plastic formulation to form a fiber structure; optionally d) mechanically drawing said extruded fiber (optionally while exposing said fiber to a temperature of at most 105° C.); and, optionally, e) exposing said drawn fiber of step “d” to a subsequent heat-setting temperature of at least 110° C. Preferably, step “b” will be performed at a temperature sufficient to effectuate the melting of all polymer constituent (e.g., polypropylene), and possibly the remaining compounds, including the nucleating agent, as well (melting of the nucleating agent is not a requirement since some nucleating agents do not melt upon exposure to such high temperatures). Thus, temperatures within the range of from about 175 to about 300° C., as an example (preferably from about 190 to about 275°, and most preferably from about 200 to about 250° C., are proper for this purpose. The extrusion step (“c”) should be performed while exposing the polypropylene formulation to a temperature of from about 185 to about 300° C., preferably from about 190 to about 275° C., and most preferably from about 200 to about 250° C., basically sufficient to perform the extrusion of a liquefied polymer without permitting breaking of any of the fibers themselves during such an extrusion procedure. The drawing step may be performed at a temperature which is cooler than normal for a standard polypropylene (or other polymer) fiber drawing process. Thus, if a cold-drawing step is followed, such a temperature should be below about 105° C., more preferably below about 100° C., and most preferably below about 90° C. Of course, higher temperatures may be used if no such cold drawing step is followed. The final heat-setting temperature is necessary to “lock” the polypropylene crystalline structure in place after extruding and drawing. Such a heat-setting step generally lasts for a portion of a second, up to potentially a couple of minutes (i.e., from about {fraction (1/10)} th of a second, preferably about ½ of a second, up to about 3 minutes, preferably greater than ½ of a second). The heat-setting temperature must be greater than the drawing temperature and must be at least 110° C., more preferably at least about 115°, and most preferably at least about 125° C. The term “mechanically drawing” is intended to encompass any number of procedures which basically involve placing an extensional force on fibers in order to elongate the polymer therein. Such a procedure may be accomplished with any number of apparatus, including, without limitation, godet rolls, nip rolls, steam cans, hot or cold gaseous jets (air or steam), and other like mechanical means.
[0008] The term “dimensionally stable” is intended to mean specifically a fiber that exhibits a minimum level of each of the following measurements: tensile strength, peak load, elongation at peak load, flexural modulus, tenacity, 1% secant modulus, 3% secant modulus, 5% secant modulus, and stress at 5% elongation. Thus, the term is intended to encompass a fiber that exhibits certain physical requirements in order to withstand incorporation within a fabric without breaking or otherwise disintegrating.
[0009] In another embodiment of the method of making such inventive fibers, step “c” noted above may be further separated into two distinct steps. A first during which the polymer is extruded as a sheet or tube, and a second during which the sheet or tube is slit into narrow fibers of less than 5000 deniers per filament (dpf).
[0010] All shrinkage values discussed as they pertain to the inventive fibers and methods of making thereof correspond to exposure times for each test (hot air and boiling water) of about 5 minutes. The heat-shrinkage at about 150° C. in hot air is, as noted above, at most 11% for the inventive fiber; preferably, this heat-shrinkage is at most 9%; more preferably at most 8%; and most preferably at most 7%. Also, the amount of nucleating agent present within the inventive fiber is at least 10 ppm; preferably this amount is at least 100 ppm; and most preferably is at least 1250 ppm. Any amount of such a nucleating agent should suffice to provide the desired shrinkage rates after heat-setting of the fiber itself; however, excessive amounts (e.g., above about 10,000 ppm and even as low as about 6,000 ppm) should be avoided, primarily due to costs, but also due to potential processing problems with greater amounts of additives present within the target fibers.
[0011] The term “polypropylene” is intended to encompass any polymeric composition comprising propylene monomers, either alone or in mixture or copolymer with other randomly selected and oriented polyolefins, dienes, or other monomers (such as ethylene, butylene, and the like). Such a term also encompasses any different configuration and arrangement of the constituent monomers (such as syndiotactic, isotactic, and the like). Thus, the term as applied to fibers is intended to encompass actual long strands, tapes, threads, and the like, of drawn polymer. The polypropylene may be of any standard melt flow (by testing); however, standard fiber grade polypropylene resins possess ranges of Melt Flow Indices between about 2 and 50. Contrary to standard plaques, containers, sheets, and the like (such as taught within U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,118 to Hamada et al., for example), fibers clearly differ in structure since they must exhibit a length that far exceeds its cross-sectional area (such, for example, its diameter for round fibers). Fibers are extruded and drawn; articles are blow-molded or injection molded, to name two alternative production methods. Also, the crystalline morphology of polypropylene within fibers is different than that of standard articles, plaques, sheets, and the like. For instance, the dpf of such polypropylene fibers is at most about 5000; whereas the dpf of these other articles is much greater. Polypropylene articles generally exhibit spherulitic crystals while fibers exhibit elongated, extended crystal structures. Thus, there is a great difference in structure between fibers and polypropylene articles such that any predictions made for spherulitic particles (crystals) of nucleated polypropylene do not provide any basis for determining the effectiveness of such nucleators as additives within polypropylene fibers.
[0012] The terms “nucleators”, “nucleator compound(s)”, “nucleating agent”, and “nucleating agents” are intended to generally encompass, singularly or in combination, any additive to polypropylene that produces nucleation sites for polypropylene crystals from transition from its molten state to a solid, cooled structure. Hence, since the polypropylene composition (including nucleator compounds) must be molten to eventually extrude the fiber itself, the nucleator compound will provide such nucleation sites upon cooling of the polypropylene from its molten state. The only way in which such compounds provide the necessary nucleation sites is if such sites form prior to polypropylene recrystallization itself. Thus, any compound that exhibits such a beneficial effect and property is included within this definition. Such nucleator compounds more specifically include dibenzylidene sorbitol types, including, without limitation, dibenzylidene sorbitol (DBS), monomethyldibenzylidene sorbitol, such as 1,3:2,4-bis(p-methylbenzylidene) sorbitol (pMDBS), dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol, such as 1,3:2,4-bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol (3,4-DMDBS); other compounds of this type include, again, without limitation, sodium benzoate, NA-11, NA-21 and the like. Sodium benzoate, while partially effective, is not preferred because it exhibits critical flaws such as the off gassing of benzoic acid, which tends to deteriorate equipment and also cause debris in the manufacturing process. The concentration of such nucleating agents (in total) within the target polypropylene fiber is at least 200 ppm, preferably at least 1250 ppm. Thus, from about 200 to about 10,000 ppm, preferably from about 400 ppm to about 6000 ppm, more preferably from about 1250 ppm to about 5000 ppm, still more preferably from about 1500 ppm to about 4000 ppm, and most preferably from about 1750 to about 3000 ppm. Furthermore, fibers may be produced by the extrusion and drawing of a single strand of polypropylene as described above, or also by extrusion of a sheet, then cutting the sheet into fibers, then following the steps as described above to draw, heat-set, and collect the resultant fibers. In addition, other methods to make fibers, such as fibrillation, and the like, are envisioned for the same purpose.
[0013] Also, without being limited by any specific scientific theory, it appears that the nucleators which perform the best are those which exhibit relatively high solubility within the propylene itself. Thus, compounds which are readily soluble, such as 1,3:2,4-bis(p-methylbenzylidene) sorbitol provides the most consistent physical properties for the desired pigmented polypropylene fibers. The DBS derivative compounds are considered the best nucleators within this invention due to the low crystalline sizes produced by such compounds. Other nucleators, such as NA-11, also provide good characteristics to the target polypropylene fiber; however, apparently due to poor dispersion of NA-11 in polypropylene and the large and varied crystal sizes of NA-11 within the fiber itself, the physical properties and or processing differences are noticeably more varied than for the highly soluble, low crystal-size polypropylene produced by well-dispersed MDBS.
[0014] One manner of testing for the presence of a nucleating agent within the target fibers is preferably through differential scanning calorimetry to determine the peak crystallization temperature exhibited by the resultant polypropylene. The fiber is melted and placed between two plates under high temperature and pressure to form a sheet of sample plastic. A sample of this plastic is then melted and subjected to a differential scanning calorimetry analytical procedure in accordance with modified ASTM Test Method D3417-99 at a cooling rate of 20° C./minute. A sufficiently high peak crystallization temperature (above about 115° C., more preferably above about 116° C., and most preferably above about 116.5° C.), well above that exhibited by the unnucleated polypropylene itself, shall indicate the presence of a nucleating agent since attaining such a high peak crystallization without a nucleating agent is not generally possible.
[0015] It has been determined that the nucleator compounds that exhibit good solubility in the target molten polypropylene resins (and thus are liquid in nature during that stage in the fiber-production process) provide more effective characteristics. Thus, low substituted DBS compounds (including DBS, p-MDBS) appear to provide fewer manufacturing issues as well as lower shrink properties within the finished polypropylene fibers themselves. Although p-MDBS is preferred, however, any of the above-mentioned nucleators may be utilized within these inventive colored fibers as long as the amounts present accord the same temperature and draw ratios for like nucleated non-colored fibers to impart substantially similar physical properties exhibited by such non-colored fiber thereto such inventive colored fibers ultimately. Mixtures of such nucleators may also be used during processing in order to provide such low-shrink properties as well as possible organoleptic improvements, facilitation of processing, or cost.
[0016] In addition to those compounds noted above, sodium benzoate and NA-11 are well known as nucleating agents for standard polypropylene compositions (such as the aforementioned plaques, containers, films, sheets, and the like) and exhibit excellent recrystallization temperatures and very quick injection molding cycle times for those purposes. The dibenzylidene sorbitol types exhibit the same types of properties as well as excellent clarity within such standard polypropylene forms (plaques, sheets, etc.). For the purposes of this invention, it has been found that the dibenzylidene sorbitol types are preferred as nucleator compounds within the target polypropylene fibers
[0017] The closest prior art references teach the addition of nucleator compounds to general polypropylene compositions (such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,118, referenced above). However, some teachings include the utilization of certain DBS compounds within limited portions of fibers in a multicomponent polypropylene textile structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,167 to Connor et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,045 to Pike, both teach the addition of DBS compounds to polypropylene in fiber form; however, there are vital differences between those disclosures and the present invention. For example, both patents require the aforementioned multicomponent structures of fibers. Thus, even with DBS compounds in some polypropylene fiber components within each fiber type, the shrink rate for each is dominated by the other polypropylene fiber components which do not have the benefit of the nucleating agent. Also, there are no lamellae that give a long period (as measured by small-angle X-ray scattering) thicker than 20 nm formed within the polypropylene fibers due to the lack of a post-heatsetting step being performed. Again, these thick lamellae provide the desired inventive higher heat-shrink fiber. Also of importance is the fact that, for instance, Connor et al. require a nonwoven polypropylene fabric laminate containing a DBS additive situated around a polypropylene internal fabric layer which contained no-nucleating agent additive. The internal layer, being polypropylene without the aid of a nucleating agent additive, dictates the shrink rate for this structure. Furthermore, the patentees do not expose their yarns and fibers to heat-setting procedures in order to permanently configure the crystalline fiber structures of the yarns themselves as low-shrink is not their objective. Nor is there any discussion of the improvements in manufacturing efficiency provided such inventive colored fibers with such additives present therein, as has now been discovered.
[0018] In addition, Spruiell, et al, Journal of Applied Polymer Science , Vol. 62, pp. 1965-75 (1996), reveal using a nucleating agent, MDBS, at 0.1%, to increase the nucleation rate during spinning. However, after crystallizing and drawing the fiber, Spruiell et al. do not expose the nucleated fiber to any heat, which is necessary to impart the very best shrinkage properties, therefore the shrinkage of their fibers was similar to conventional polypropylene fibers without a nucleating agent additive. In none of the above mentioned prior art was any experimentation or discovery of the interaction of nucleating agents and pigments during the manufacture of polypropylene yarn. It is principally within this interaction that the beneficial effect of the inventive fibers is found.
[0019] Coloring agents, herein defined as any of at least one colorant, pigment, dye, and/or dyestuff, may impart not only the required colorations within the target fibers, but also may impart some degree of nucleation therein as well. Surprisingly, however, although a potential nucleator, being a coloring agent, is present within the target fibers, the presence of specific nucleators provides the desired results in terms of substantial similarities in processing conditions to produce similar physical characteristics as non-colored polypropylene fibers of the same polypropylene composition. Without intending to be limited to any specific scientific theory, it is believed that the nucleators required within the inventive colored fibers dominate crystal formation to such a degree within either colored or non-colored fibers that the fibers ultimately appear to the substantially the same from a physical standpoint, no matter what other nucleating agents may be present therein.
[0020] Other additives may also be present within the target fibers as well, including antistatic agents, brightening compounds, clarifying agents, antioxidants, antimicrobials (preferably silver-based ion-exchange compounds, such as ALPHASAN® antimicrobials available from Milliken & Company), UV stabilizers, fillers, and the like. Furthermore, any fabrics made from such inventive fibers may be, without limitation, woven, knit, non-woven, in-laid scrim, any combination thereof, and the like. Additionally, such fabrics may include fibers other than the inventive polypropylene fibers, including, without limitation, natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, abaca, hemp, ramie, and the like; synthetic fibers, such as polyesters, polyamides, polyaramids, other polyolefins (including non-low-shrink polypropylene), polylactic acids, and the like; inorganic fibers such as glass, boron-containing fibers, and the like; and any blends thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate a potentially preferred embodiment of producing the inventive low-shrink polypropylene fibers and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention wherein:
[0022] [0022]FIG. 1 is a schematic of the potentially preferred method of producing the target colored polypropylene fibers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING AND OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] [0023]FIG. 1 depicts the non-limiting preferred procedure followed in producing the inventive low-shrink polypropylene fibers. The entire fiber production assembly 10 comprises an extruder 11 comprising four different zones 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 through which the polymer (not illustrated) passes at different, increasing temperatures. The molten polymer is mixed with the nucleator compound (also molten) within a mixer zone 20 . Basically, the polymer (not illustrated) is introduced within the fiber production assembly 10 , in particular within the extruder 11 . The temperatures, as noted above, of the individual extruder zones 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 and the mixing zone 20 are as follows: first extruder zone 12 at 205° C., second extruder zone 14 at 215° C., third extruder zone 16 at 225° C., fourth extruder zone 18 at 235° C., and mixing zone 20 at 245° C. The molten polymer (not illustrated) then moves into a spin head area 22 set at a temperature of 250° C. which is then moved into the spinneret 24 (also set at a temperature of 250° C.) for strand extrusion. The fibrous strands 28 then pass through a heated shroud 26 having an exposure temperature of 180° C. The speed at which the polymer strands (not illustrated) pass through the extruder 11 , spin pack 22 , and spinneret 24 is relatively slow until the fibrous strands 28 are pulled through by the draw rolls 32 , 34 , 38 . The fibrous strands 28 extend in length due to a greater pulling speed in excess of the initial extrusion speed within the extruder 11 . The fibrous strands 28 are thus collected after such extension by a take-up roll 32 (set at a speed of 370 meters per minute) into a larger bundle 30 which is drawn by the aforementioned draw rolls 34 , 38 into a single yarn 33 . The draw rolls are heated to a very low level as follows: first draw roll 34 68° C. and second draw roll 38 88° C., as compared with the remaining areas of high temperature exposure as well as comparative fiber drawing processes. The first draw roll 34 rotates at a speed of about 377 meters per minute and is able to hold fifteen wraps of the polypropylene fiber 33 through the utilization of a casting angle between the draw roll 34 and the idle roll 36 . The second draw roll 38 rotates at a higher speed of about 785 meters per minute and holds eight wraps of fiber 33 , and thus requires its own idle roll 40 . After drawing by these cold temperature rolls 34 , 38 , the fiber is then heat-set by a combination of two different heat-set rolls 42 , 44 configured in a return scheme such that eighteen wraps of fiber 33 are permitted to reside on the rolls 42 , 44 at any one time. The time of such heat-setting is very low due to a low amount of time in contact with either of the actual rolls 42 , 44 , so a total time of about 0.5 seconds is standard. The temperatures of such rolls 42 , 44 are varied below to determine the best overall temperature selection for such a purpose. The speed of the combination of rolls 42 , 44 is about 1290 meters per minute. The fiber 33 then moves to a relax roll 46 holding up to eight wraps of fiber 33 and thus also having its own feed roll 48 . The speed of the relax roll 46 is lower than the heat-set roll (1280 meters per minute) in order to release some tension on the heat-set fiber 33 . From there, the fiber 33 moves to a winder 50 and is placed on a spool (not illustrated).
Inventive Fiber and Yarn Production
[0024] The following non-limiting examples are indicative of the preferred embodiment of this invention:
[0025] Yarn Production
[0026] Yarn was made by compounding Amoco 7550 fiber grade polypropylene resin (melt flow of 18) with 2500 ppm of a nucleator additive in half of the samples, a dyestuff or pigment, and a standard polymer stabilization package consisting of 500 ppm of Irganox® 1010, 1000 ppm of Irgafos® 168 (both antioxidants available from Ciba), and 800 ppm of calcium stearate. The base mixture was compounded in a twin screw extruder (at 220° C. in all zones) and made into pellets. The nucleating additive was selected from the group of two polypropylene clarifiers commercially available from Milliken & Company, Millad® 3940 (p-MDBS) and Millad® 3988 (3,4-DMDBS).
[0027] The pellets were then fed into the extruder on an Alex James & Associates fiber extrusion line as noted above in FIG. 1. Yarn was spun with the extrusion line conditions shown in Table 1 using a 68 hole spinneret, giving a yarn of nominally 150 denier. Heatset rolls 42 , 44 , were set at 130 C.
[0028] The yarns were tested for tensile strength, modulus strength, fiber tenacity, stress at 5% elongation, 1%, 3%, and 5% secant modulus strength, peak load, and elongation at peak load, to determine if the produced fibers were, in fact, dimensionally stable.
[0029] The shrink measurements are listed below the tested nucleators and coloring agents for each yarn sample. The yarn samples were as follows (with the nucleators all added at 2750 ppm):
POLYPROPYLENE YARN COMPOSITION TABLE Yarn Samples with Specific Nucleators Added Yarn Sample Nucleator Added Coloring Agent A None None B p-MDBS None C None 250 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP D p-MDBS 250 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP E None 500 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP F p-MDBS 500 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP G None 1000 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP H p-MDBS 1000 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP I None 2000 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP J p-MDBS 2000 ppm 86600 Blue 25% GSP K None 250 ppm Lawn Green 12% L p-MDBS 250 ppm Lawn Green 12% M None 1000 ppm Lawn Green 12% N p-MDBS 1000 ppm Lawn Green 12% O None 2000 ppm Lawn Green 12% P p-MDBS 2000 ppm Lawn Green 12% Q None 250 ppm Fade Red HUV R p-MDBS 250 ppm Fade Red HUV S None 500 ppm Fade Red HUV T p-MDBS 500 ppm Fade Red HUV U None 750 ppm Fade Red HUV V p-MDBS 750 ppm Fade Red HUV W None 250 ppm Yellow HG 25% X p-MDBS 250 ppm Yellow HG 25% Y None 1000 ppm Yellow HG 25% Z p-MDBS 1000 ppm Yellow HG 25%
Fiber and Yarn Physical Analyses
[0030] These sample yarns, produced at 125° C. draw temperature and at a draw ratio of 3.4, were then tested for the above-noted fiber physical measurements and shrink characteristics. The results are tabulated below:
EXPERIMENTAL TABLE 1 Experimental Physical Measurements for Sample Yarns % Elong. Fib. Sample Denier Peak Load (gf) At Peak Load Tenac. (gf/den) A 154.5 692.5 48.76 4.482 B 156.1 618.3 86.52 3.961 C 153.2 590.4 81.17 3.854 D 152 564.2 63.22 3.712 E 153.7 577.1 84.71 3.755 F 152.2 560.3 34.57 3.681 G 152 562.8 91.78 3.703 H 150.8 317.4 57.34 4.094 I 153.8 545.9 77.21 3.549 J 153.5 591.3 75.97 3.594 K 154.1 578.8 40.79 3.756 L 156.1 633.0 64.09 4.055 M 152.3 585.9 48.79 3.847 N 151.7 600.2 65.23 3.957 O 154.8 580.8 64.02 3.752 P 157.1 545.2 45.52 3.470 Q 152.3 534.8 63.36 3.511 R 152.7 602.9 74.30 3.948 S 150.7 504.7 66.88 3.349 T 156.5 579.1 66.80 3.700 U 156.5 505.8 24.03 3.232 V 153.0 611.6 69.14 3.997 W 152.2 712.0 55.99 4.678 X 153.8 578.2 54.68 3.759 Y 152.4 608.4 39.29 3.992 Z 152.1 580.5 76.02 3.816
[0031] [0031] EXPERIMENTAL TABLE 2 Experimental Physical Measurements for Sample Yarns Secant Stress at 5% Modulus (gf/denier) Sample Elongation (psi) 1% 3% 5% A 9.568 63.51 51.94 35.11 B 8.831 63.93 39.36 32.08 C 8.608 59.69 37.06 31.86 D 8.335 58.55 36.84 31.09 E 8.011 57.14 35.77 29.56 F 8.432 61.86 37.95 31.41 G 8.021 57.93 36.20 29.92 H 8.903 65.09 40.43 33.48 I 7.701 56.02 34.55 28.39 J 8.558 59.96 38.04 31.61 K 8.538 58.20 37.59 31.42 L 8.970 61.28 39.05 32.58 M 8.422 60.79 37.36 31.35 N 9.078 67.17 40.88 33.93 O 8.257 58.24 36.37 30.24 P 8.030 54.61 34.78 28.93 Q 8.202 58.64 37.36 30.54 R 8.679 61.91 38.67 32.23 S 7.778 57.98 35.81 29.27 T 8.423 61.35 37.19 30.52 U 8.031 57.26 35.22 29.10 V 8.797 63.88 39.48 32.60 W 9.784 63.78 42.70 36.45 X 8.747 59.99 38.57 32.25 Y 9.057 64.43 40.55 33.70 Z 8.433 60.14 37.99 31.44
[0032] [0032] EXPERIMENTAL TABLE 3 Shrinkage Data for Different Colored Polypropylene Yarns Shrinkage Test and Sample Yarn Temp. (° C.) Shrinkage A 130 Hot air 9.7% R 130 Hot air 6.0% T 130 Hot air 6.6% U 130 Hot air 5.8% Y 130 Hot air 8.0%
[0033] Similarly, other inventive example yarns were made with varying extruder temperatures, draw roll 1 at 60° C., draw roll 2 at 90° C., draw rolls 3 A and 3 B at 130° C., and a final speed of 3500 m/min. The speeds of draw roll 2 and draw roll 1 were varied in order to give 60% +/−5% elongation at break, with a corresponding draw ratio the ratio of the final speed 3500 m/min to the speed of draw roll 1 . The table below shows the extruder temperature, the color (with white indicating no color, and navy indicating the same blue pigment utilized above in Samples C-J), the nucleating additive, the level of the additive, and the draw ratio required to achieve 60% +/−5% elongation at break. Comparative fibers were also made and tested with no nucleating agent present.
Level Draw Temp (° C.) Color Additive (ppm) Ratio 195 white p-MDBS 2000 3.0 200 white p-MDBS 2000 3.0 205 white p-MDBS 2000 3.0 210 white p-MDBS 2000 3.2 215 white p-MDBS 2000 3.4 220 white p-MDBS 2000 3.4 195 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.0 200 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.0 205 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.0 210 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.3 215 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.4 220 navy p-MDBS 2000 3.4 195 white DMDBS 2000 2.6 200 white DMDBS 2000 2.9 205 white DMDBS 2000 3.1 210 white DMDBS 2000 3.3 195 navy DMDBS 2000 3.0 200 navy DMDBS 2000 3.0 205 navy DMDBS 2000 3.3 210 navy DMDBS 2000 3.3 195 white none 0 2.3 220 white none 0 2.6 195 navy none 0 3.2 220 navy none 0 3.4
[0034] As can be seen from the data, the difference in draw ratio required for the inventive fibers of different colors is lower than that of the comparative fibers to make the same colors.
[0035] There are, of course, many alternative embodiments and modifications of the present invention which are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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Improvements in color management for polypropylene fiber production in terms of permitting similar if not identical processing conditions for both colored and uncolored fiber production are provided. Generally, either separate polypropylene fiber manufacturing lines or different processing conditions on the same manufacturing line are required for the production of colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers. This coloring is, for example, done by using pigments that may have a nucleation effect on the PP polymer which affects fiber properties. Such an inefficient situation exists due to the physical properties of drawn polypropylene fibers during manufacture, particularly the different properties exhibited between fibers including color and fibers that are colorless. Thus, it has been determined that specific additives can permit substantially identical fiber processing conditions (such as temperature and draw ratios, as examples) for colored and non-colored polypropylene fibers, providing greater efficiency to the manufacturer when switching between such fiber types is elected and/or necessary.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invent relates to radio communication and in particular to a single sideband modulator.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
A single sideband modulator provides a means of translating low frequency baseband signals directly to radio frequency in a single stage. Such modulators, providing suppressed carrier and one or two of the sidebands, facilitates the transmission of intelligence with significantly increased gain over AM transmission.
A well known way of creating a single sideband signal is to split a low frequency signal carrying intelligence into two identical but 90° phase shifted signals. A radio frequency carrier signal is also split into two separate signals, one having a 90° phase shift relative to the other. One radio frequency and one low frequency component are combined in each of two balanced modulators, the output signals of the modulators being summed. This system acts to suppress the carrier signal, and to provide sidebands, one being balanced out (cancelled) and the other being increased in the combined output.
The low frequency baseband signals can be provided by a digital signal processor and digital-to-analog converters. Signals can be generated this way with precise control over phase and frequency. If the desired signal is digitally generated as two quadrature signals, it can be up-converted by the modulator, with a single local oscillator.
However it has been found that such modulators are limited by several factors:
1. Local oscillator (carrier frequency) breakthrough in the balanced modulators.
2. The phase split of the local oscillator to the two balanced modulators must be precisely 90° . Real phase splitters have their characteristics changed over time, temperature and frequency. The result is incomplete cancellation of the carrier and one sideband.
3. The two, mutually 90° phase shifted carrier signals, when combined, must have the same amplitude. If they do not, incomplete cancellation as noted above occurs. Typically the carrier breakthrough and image sideband levels at the output of the modulator have been found to be between -10 and -20 dBc without careful calibration of the components.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides control signals continuously generated to keep the local oscillator breakthrough and image sidebands down to an insignificantly low level. This is achieved by monitoring amplitude of the RF output of the single sideband modulator, and comparing this with the baseband signals. By adjusting the d.c. offsets at the baseband inputs to the balanced modulators, carrier breakthrough is cancelled. By adjusting the relative phases of the baseband signals, deviations from the 90° split are compensated. By changing the amplitude of one of the baseband signals, the level of one of the RF paths is adjusted to achieve amplitude balance.
In accordance with the present invention, a single sideband modulator comprises apparatus for providing in-phase and a quadrature shifted baseband signals, apparatus for modulating the baseband signals with respective in-phase and quadrature shifted local oscillator carrier signals to provide modulated signals, apparatus for summing the modulated signals to provide a single sideband output signal, apparatus for detecting the amplitude of the output signal, and for comparing the amplitude with the baseband signals, apparatus for generating an amplitude balance signal resulting from the comparison and for adjusting the amplitude of one of the baseband signals s as to balance the baseband signal.
In accordance with another embodiment, a a single sideband modulator comprises apparatus for providing in-phase and a quadrature shifted baseband signals, apparatus for modulating the baseband signals with respective in-phase and quadrature shifted local oscillator carrier signals to provide modulated signals, apparatus for summing the modulated signals to provide a single sideband output signal, apparatus for detecting the amplitude of the output signal, and for comparing the amplitude with the baseband signals, apparatus for generating d.c. offset signals resulting from said comparison, and for adjusting d.c. offsets of said modulator apparatus therewith so as to cancel carrier signal breakthrough in the output signal.
In accordance with another embodiment, a single sideband modulator comprises apparatus for providing in-phase and a quadrature shifted baseband signals, apparatus for modulating the baseband signals with respective in-phase and quadrature shifted local oscillator carrier signals to provide modulated signals, apparatus for summing the modulated signals to provide a single sideband output signal, apparatus for detecting the amplitude of the output signal, and for comparing the amplitude with the baseband signals, apparatus for generating a phase offset signal resulting from the comparison, and using the offset signal for adjusting the phase relationship of the baseband signals so as to provide accurate in-phase and quadrature shifted baseband signals.
In accordance with still another embodiment, a single sideband modulator is comprised of a direct digital synthesizer for providing in-phase and quadrature shifted baseband signals, including apparatus for shifting the relative phase of the baseband signals, digital-to-analog converters for converting the baseband signals to analog form, one of the converters including apparatus for varying the amplitude of its output signal, low pass filters for receiving analog output signals of the converters, for limiting the signals to baseband, a pair of balanced modulators for respectively receiving the limited baseband signals and for modulating respective ones of the limited baseband signals with respective in-phase and quadrature shifted local oscillator (carrier) signals to provide a pair of modulated signals, apparatus for summing the modulated signals to provide a single sideband output signal, apparatus for detecting the amplitude of the single sideband output signal, apparatus for comparing the detected amplitude with the limited baseband signals, and for generating d.c. offset, amplitude balance and phase offset control signals, apparatus for applying in-phase and quadrature shifted d.c. offset control signal to respective modulators to reduce carrier breakthrough, for applying the amplitude balance control signals to the one digital-to-analog converter to balance the baseband signals, and for applying the phase offset control signal to a direct digital synthesizer phase control input to the direct digital synthesizer for adjusting the relative phase of the baseband signals to 90° .
Using the present invention, the carrier breakthrough and image sideband levels at the output of the modulator have been reduced significantly, to -55 dBc. Using mixers to generate the correction signals allows higher frequency baseband signals to be processed than using a digital signal processor. For example, a digital signal processor can handle baseband signals up to typically 10 kHz (less than 50 kHz) while the present invention can handle signals several orders of magnitude higher, e.g. 5-10 mHz or higher, and are limited only by the bandwidth of the mixers.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained by reference to the detailed description below, in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior art single sideband modulator,
FIG. 2 is a graph in the frequency domain of the energy output of the circuit of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the present invention, and
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating in more detail the feedback control circuit of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a single sideband modulator in accordance with the prior art. Balanced modulators 1 and 2 receive low frequency baseband modulating signals on the lines 3 and 4, relatively phase shifted by 90° , one signal being shown as cos (ωmt) and the other being shown as sin(ωmt). The balanced modulators also receive respective local oscillator signals phase shifted by 90° from each other in a quadrature splitter 6, the local oscillator signal being applied to the splitter, and shown as LO cos (ωct). The outputs of the modulators are combined in a summer 6, providing a single sideband output signal on output line 7, the signal being shown as cos (ωct+ωmt).
FIG. 2 illustrates, in the frequency domain, the output signal on line 7, using the circuit of FIG. 1. The carrier frequency at ωc is shown on line 7 as carrier breakthrough. An unwanted lower image sideband is present, having the frequency of ωc-ωm. The desired sideband is shown as ωc+ωm. Clearly the carrier breakthrough ωc and unwanted lower sideband ωc-ωm represents wasted power, interference, and produces other undesirable effects such as jitter.
FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of the present invention. A direct digital synthesizer 10 produces the baseband signals 90° out of phase on lines 12 and 13. These are input to digital-to-analog converters 15 and 16. The outputs of converters 15 and 16 are connected to the inputs of low pass filters 18 and 19, the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of balanced modulators (mixers) 21 and 22. Also input to modulators 21 and 22 are local oscillator carrier signals derived from a single carrier signal, mutually 90° out of phase. The outputs of balanced modulators 21 and 22 are applied to the inputs of a summer 24, the output of which is line 25, carrying the single sideband output signal.
The circuit described so far is known, and is described for instance in the published Application Note entitled "Complex Waveform Generation Using Direct Digital Synthesizer Technique" by Robert P. Gilmore, Engineering Director, QUALCOMM, Inc., particularly in FIG. 6b thereof.
In accordance with the present invention, however, at least one of the digital-to-analog converters 15 or 16 is controllable in respect of its output voltage level. This facilitates equalizing the eventual input signals, from the outputs of low pass filters 18 and 19, into modulators 21 and 22.
In addition, in accordance with the present invention, the DC offsets in modulators 21 and 22 are variable.
The signal sideband output signal is applied to an envelope (amplitude) detector 27. This can be formed by multiplying an attenuated single sideband output signal with single sideband output. The single sideband output signal is rectified. This can be done with a mixer as illustrated or a single diode detector. The local oscillator breakthrough component ωc appears at the frequency ωm at the output of detector 27. The image sideband appears at 2ωm. These signals are applied to the input of a feedback control circuit 29, with the in-phase and 90° phase shifted and low pass filtered signals at the outputs of filters 18 and 19.
The feedback control circuit 29 provides DC offset signals which are applied to each of the balanced modulators 21 and 22 respectively, an amplitude balance signal which is applied to the amplitude control digital-to-analog converter -6, and a phase offset signal. That signal is applied to analog-to-digital converter 31, the output of which is applied to a microcontroller 33, the output of which is a digital control signal applied to the direct digital synthesizer 10 to adjust the relative phases of the baseband signals on lines 12 and 13.
Thus it may be seen that carrier breakthrough is cancelled by adjusting the DC offsets at the baseband inputs to the balanced modulators 21 and 22. Deviations from the 90° phase split of the baseband signals appearing on lines 12 and 13 are compensated by adjusting the relative phases of the baseband signals, by means of a phase offset signal to the digital synthesizer 10 from the feedback control circuit 29. By means of an amplitude balance output signal of the feedback control circuit 29 applied to digital-to-analog converter 16, the level of the signal carried by one of the RF paths leading to e.g. balanced modulator 22 is adjusted go achieve amplitude balance. This is done by changing the amplitude of the baseband signal by adjusting the output level of the D/A converter 16.
Thus the RF output of the modulator is compared with the baseband signal, and control signals are generated to continuously keep the local oscillator breakthrough and image sideband signals down to a low level, e.g. -55 dBc.
A block diagram of the feedback control circuit 29 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The output signal of the amplitude detector 27 is applied to one input of both of mixers 33 and 34. The orthogonal output signals I and Q at the outputs of low pass filters 18 and 19 are respectively applied to second inputs of mixers 33 and 34. The output of mixer 33 is applied to an addition input of mixer 35, and the output of mixer 34 is connected to a subtracting input of mixer 35.
The output of mixer 33 is also connected to an input of a mixer 36.
The in-phase component Q of the output of low pass filter 18 is connected to the other input of mixer 36, and the sum of the in-phase and quadrature shifted signals Q+I, from the outputs of filters 18 and 19 is connected to another input of mixer 35.
The output of mixer 35 is connected to the input of an operational amplifier 38, the output of mixer 35 is connected to the input of operational amplifier 39, the output of mixer 36 is connected to the input of operational amplifier 40, and the output of mixer 34 is connected to the input of operational amplifier 41. These operational amplifiers act as buffers.
As noted earlier, the signals with the unwanted spurious energy are found at ωm and 2ωm, where ωm is the frequency of the modulating signal. The carrier breakthrough component at ωm is composed into two quadrature components, one in-phase with the I (in-phase) baseband signal at the output of mixer 33, which corresponds to the local oscillator breakthrough in the in-phase channel modulator 22, and the other, at the output of mixer 34, in-phase with the Q (quadrature shifted) baseband signal, corresponding to the local oscillator breakthrough in mixer 21. The low frequency outputs of the two mixers 33 and 34, correlating the amplitude detector 27 output with the I and Q baseband signals, contain the error information needed to drive the in-phase and quadrature shifted channel DC offset controls. The output of mixer 33 translated through operational amplifier (buffer) 38, provides the in-phase DC offset signal which is input to modulator 22. The output of mixer 34, translated through operational amplifier (buffer) 41 is the quadrature shifted DC offset signal which is input to modulator 21. The DC offset continuously controls in order to cancel, the carrier breakthrough at the baseband inputs to modulators 21 and 22.
The 2ωm component at the output of amplitude detector 27 is also a composite of two quadrature related signals, one resulting from amplitude inbalance and the other from non-quadrature phase splitting of the local oscillator. This signal appears as an ωm frequency component at the output of the modulators 21 and 22. The AM detected signals mixed with the in-phase I and quadrature shifted Q baseband signals in mixers 33 and 34 produces the error information needed to drive the amplitude balance and phase offset control. This is effected in mixers 35 and 36, the outputs of which, buffered in operational amplifiers 39 and 40 respectively, provide the amplitude balance signal which is applied to the output amplifier control input of digital-to-analog converter 16, and the phase offset signal which is applied to the input of analog-to-digital converter 31. The amplitude balance signal adjusts the level of the signal at the output of digital-to-analog converter 16 in order to achieve amplitude balance. The phase offset control signal causes microcontroller 33 to adjust the relative phases of the baseband signals generated by the direct digital synthesizer 10.
The direct digital synthesizer can be type Q2334 which is available from QUALCOMM,, Inc. The self-controlled single sideband modulator, combined with the direct digital synthesizer, can be used as a high frequency fine step frequency synthesizer. The frequency resolution and stability of the direct digital synthesizer can be up-converted to the desired radio frequency band by a stable radio frequency source, which could itself be a synthesizer of the described type with a frequency stepping requirement at least twice the maximum frequency generated by the direct digital synthesizer. The radio frequency synthesizer output is applied to the local oscillator inputs of the single sideband modulator as described above. For example, if the direct digital synthesizer can generate frequencies from 0 to -1 MHz, the single sideband modulator is able to offset the frequency of the radio frequency source by ±1 MHz, a total of 2 MHz coverage. To cover a wider band, the radio frequency synthesizer can move in 2 MHz steps.
The direct digital synthesizer could be phase modulated, in addition to providing fine resolution frequency synthesis. As long as the two baseband signals generated by the direct digital synthesizer are kept at 90° offset, plus whatever phase offset is required for calibration, the single sideband modulator will remain calibrated as long as the bandwidth of the modulation is narrow compared to the bandwidth of the quadrature splitter and the local bandpass filters 18 and 19.
A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternative structures and embodiments or variations of the above using the described principles. All of those which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto are considered to be part of the present invention.
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A single sideband modulator provides a means of translating low frequency baseband signals directly to radio frequency in a single stage. Such modulators, providing suppressed carrier and one or two of the sidebands, facilitates the transmission of intelligence with significantly increased gain over AM transmission. Control signals are continuously generated to keep the local oscillator breakthrough and image sidebands down to an insignificantly low level. This is achieved by monitoring amplitude of the RF output of the single sideband modulator, and comparing this with the baseband signals. By adjusting the d.c. offsets at the baseband inputs to the balanced modulators, carrier breakthrough is cancelled. By adjusting the relative phases of the baseband signals, deviations from the 90° split are compensated. By changing the amplitude of one of the baseband signals, the level of one of the RF paths is adjusted to achieve amplitude balance.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application corresponds to French application 98.00594 of Jan. 21, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to lifting apparatus of the hoist type, which are used for handling various loads and are adapted to be mounted on portable structures such as bridges, booms, pylons, rail, jibs, gantries, masts and other suspension devices.
The invention is particularly applicable to mechanical hoists comprising an attachment device carried by pulleys on a flexible traction means, generally a cable adapted to be wound on the headstock of a motorized winch. When winding the cable, the lengths of the runs is identically shortened, such that the suspension system of the attachment device rolling on the cable remains practically immovable relative to the vertical and rises along this vertical. This type of lifting apparatus is well known and is not described in greater detail.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Several drawbacks have been encountered in use when delicate or dangerous loads must be handled with great precision, particularly when it is prohibited to have a human being near the load, to aid in guiding the load in the course of handling.
There is primarily noted a tendency toward twisting of the runs of the traction cable, which twisting gives rise to rotation of the load itself, this rotation being unable to be controlled by the rotatable mounting of the attachment means on its support. Moreover, because the attachment means is free to move along the cable, there is noted a tendency of the load to swing and to slacken along the cable during lifting operations.
The document DE 682 482 discloses a lifting block mounted together with an electric motor drive. The flexible traction means is constituted by metallic strips of small thickness rolled spirally on at least one pair of spaced apart rollers, such that the two strips are simultaneously rolled or unrolled by an identical amount during operations of lifting a load. The use of a strip as enrollable traction means avoids any substantial twisting of the strip, whilst permitting raising the load along a vertical axis.
However, in this known device, the simultaneous rotation in opposite directions of the rollers of at least one pair of rollers requires the use of a high power electric motor coupled to a gear train adapted to drive the two mentioned rollers simultaneously in rotation.
The document EP 0 082 046 discloses an improved hoist with a flexible flat connection constituted by a textile strap or a flat metallic braid. This hoist is generally satisfactory, but has the drawback of being of complicated construction, costly production and difficult maintenance. This hoist is accordingly difficult to use in an environment in which a human cannot be present.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks, by providing a lifting apparatus in which the phenomena of twisting and slack have been minimized, or even overcome, and in which the replacement of the different elements can be carried out in a simple, rapid and economical matter, if desired by remote control.
The invention has for its object a lifting apparatus of the hoist type, comprising a flat strip forming two hoist runs, the two hoist runs being adapted to be unrolled and rolled up together on a single reel, by rolling up and unrolling simultaneously by an identical amount during the lifting operation of the load, characterized in that the strip passes over a spacing roller which forms in the strip a substantially horizontal upper run, so as to improve the stability of the load by the spacing thus imparted to the two rising runs of the hoist.
According to other characteristics of the invention:
the flat strip is constituted by a strap of braided polyamide,
the attachment member is mounted freely on the strip,
the attachment member is mounted fixedly on the strip, or alternatively the attachment member is fixed to the lower ends of each run of the strip,
a gear train can be disposed between the motor gear and the drive gear of the single reel.
the strip can comprise an auxiliary strip forming a safety loop enclosing an attachment member mounted on the strip,
the strip can pass over a supplemental spacing roller, so as to increase the stability of lifting; in this case, said supplemental spacing roller and the first spacing roller are mounted substantially at the same height and substantially symmetrically relative to the vertical plane of lifting of the load; and said supplemental spacing roller preferably forms in the strip a substantially vertical run winding up on a single reel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood from the description which follows, giving by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows schematically an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a lifting apparatus according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows schematically in fragmentary perspective view a second embodiment of lifting apparatus according to the invention; and
FIG. 3 shows schematically a gear train disposed between the motor gear and the drive gear.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
According to the two embodiments of the invention, the lifting apparatus is adapted to be used on any type of support, for example a bridge, or several suspended rails, a jib, one or several masts, or like supports. The lifting apparatus according to the invention is made modular to render easily interchangeable the various constituent elements and to facilitate all assembly and maintenance operations.
With reference to FIG. 1, the lifting apparatus according to the invention comprises two plates 1 interconnected to form a frame 2 with cross-connectors comprising plates transverse to the plates 1 and parallel to the plates 1.
The frame 2 comprises an intermediate plate 3 with a cutout 3a and a recess 3b located opposite the cutout 3a.
The frame 2 is adapted for mounting a reel 4 for rolling up a strip 5 supporting an attachment member 6 to attach a connecting member for a load (not shown) of the hook, jaw, electromagnet type, or the like. The frame 2 is also adapted on the side of the cutout 3a for the mounting of a drive motor 7 whose output shaft carries an externally toothed gear 8 which is adapted to be mounted within a space 9 and be secured to the frame because of the securement of the member 10 secured to the frame 2.
In the mounted position, the gear 8 engages with a gear 11 of the windup reel 4, shown fragmentarily. The frame 2 can be a motionless frame suspended from a fixed position or it can constitute a carriage displaceable along a beam or support (not shown). In this case, the frame or carriage 2 preferably comprises rollers 12 and 13 for rolling on the flange of a beam or a support (not shown). The movement of the carriage 2 is ensured by the motor 14 mounted on a plate 1 on the side opposite the rollers 12 and 13. The motor 14 drives a drive roller 15 adapted to engage with a rack mounted on the flange of the beam or the support of the lifting apparatus, so as to move the lifting apparatus along the rack and along the support (not shown).
The recess 3b provided and on an intermediate plate 3 is prolonged at 16 to comprise a cradle 16 for reception of opposite axles of the reel 4. After mounting the axles of the reel 4 in the recesses 16 forming a cradle, the locking members 17 forming a lever ensure the blocking in position of the reel 4. Conversely, the locking members 17 permit dismounting the reel 4 to remove it from the frame 2 and carrying out maintenance operations or replacement of the strip 5.
The attachment member 6 is constituted by a mounting of a width substantially equal to or slightly greater than that of the strip 5. The attachment member 6 comprises three rollers 18. The strip 5 may pass around the three rollers 18. This modification would have the drawback of the attachment member 6 falling in case of breaking of the strip 5 at the level of the passage of the rollers 18.
At its lower portion, the attachment member 6 is provided with a support 19 permitting the mounting of a connection device for a predetermined load.
The strip 5 can be constituted of any suitable metallic or synthetic material, in sheets, mesh or weave. The strip 5 must have the two following properties: it must be adapted to be rolled up and to have high resistance to elongation, so as to ensure the simultaneous shortening or lengthening of the two runs of the strip during winding up or unwinding.
There is preferably used a strip 5 made of a strap of braided polyamide of the type used for lading straps. Such a material is low cost and adapted for the use and the new functions given to it in the present invention, because of its capacity to resist very high traction with almost no elongation. The use of a flat traction means ensures horizontal self-stability of the load, because the shape of the strip does not itself give rise to any tendency to rotation and prevents any twisting shock from being transmitted if a parasitic force is applied to the load. The combination of this flat strip with a winding system causing identical simultaneous elongation and shortening of the two runs of the strip, also gives vertical self-stability to the charge when it is not subjected to lateral slackening forces.
In the illustrated example, the reel 4 engages directly by means of its gearing 11 shown partially, with the toothed gear 8 driven by the motor 7. The invention also encompasses the case of drive of the reel 4 by means of a gear train comprising one or several intermediate gears, as schematically shown in FIG. 3. The reel 4 could also be motor driven, which would permit eliminating the electric motor 7 and would provide a simple and economical mounting.
In the modification in which the strip 5 passes directly over the rollers 18, the automatic recentering of the attachment member 6 is ensured automatically by displacement along the strip 5, for example when the load point is not located exactly vertically with the lifting unit.
However, in the case of carriage 2 being displaceable to ensure automatic recentering along the vertical of the load, the attachment member 6 will remain motionless relative to the two runs of the strip and could be mounted fixedly on the strip by suitable attachment means (plate, screw, stitching, or the like).
The attachment member 6 can also be constituted directly by a connecting element connecting the two ends of the two runs of the strip 5. In this case, when the attachment member is fixedly mounted on the strip by any suitable attachment means, safety is ensured in case of breaking of one of the runs of the strip 5, because the load will remain suspended from the lifting apparatus by the remaining unbroken run.
This embodiment of lifting apparatus is of a simple and economical construction, because of the use of a single reel 4 and of the elimination of any adjustment of the mounting of the lifting unit.
The strip 5 in the form of a closed loop has two runs which roll up on the single reel. The frame 2 of the lifting unit carries a spacing roller 20 adapted to transmit equal traction force to the two rising runs 21, 22 of the strip 5. A spacing roller 20, in combination with a single reel 4 co-acts to impart stability to the load by the spacing which it gives to the two rising runs 21 and 22.
The two runs 21 and 22 are interconnected by the upper substantially horizontal run 23 of the strip 5.
The attachment member 6 is fixed so as to avoid the load falling in case of breaking of the runs of the strip, whilst maintaining the advantage of automatic realignment of the attachment member 6, because this attachment member 6 can move in a limited manner along the strip 5.
This limited movement results from the securement of an auxiliary strip 24 in the vicinity of the low point of the strip 5; this auxiliary strip 24 passes below a crosspiece 25 of the attachment member 6. This auxiliary strip 24 secured at its two ends to the strip 5 thus constitutes with the strip 5 a safety loop enclosing the attachment member 6 and maintaining it suspended to the remaining run in the case of breakage of the other run.
The lifting apparatus comprises control and supply means (not shown), preferably control and supply means of an electrical or electronic nature. These means, analogous to those which are used in conventional chain or cable lifting apparatus, do not require a more detailed description.
With reference to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the invention comprises elements identical or functionally equivalent to those described in reference to FIG. 1 and denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1.
This embodiment has a supplemental spacing roller 26 located substantially at the same height as the spacing roller 20, so as to increase the stability of the strip 5 and to ensure symmetric geometry between the two rollers 20 and 26 and the attachment member 6.
The two rising runs 21 and 22 are thus symmetrical and form the two sides of an isosceles trapezium defined by the axes of the rollers 20 and 26 and the axes of the two lateral rollers 18.
Because of the presence of the supplemental roller 26, a supplemental run 27 which is substantially vertical is formed in the strip 5 between the roller 26 and the reel 4.
The mounting of this subassembly takes place in an analogous manner on a frame similar to the frame described with reference to FIG. 1, it being noted that a complementary reception cradle must be provided for the axles of the roller 26 with cut-outs symmetrical to the cut-outs 20a of FIG. 1 serving to mount the roller 20 of FIG. 1. This provision of supplemental cut-outs on frame 2, in symmetrical position and in substantially the same plane as the cut-outs 20a of FIG. 1, presents no particular difficulty for those skilled in the art, and does not require a more detailed description.
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A load lifting device of the hoist type, comprises a flat strip 5 arranged to form two hoist runs on opposite sides of a connection member 6 for a load. The two runs of the strip 5 are simultaneously wound up on, or unrolled from, a single reel. A spacing roller 20 forms in the strip 5 a substantially horizontal upper run. This improves the stability of the load by spacing apart the upright runs 21, 22 of the hoist.
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This invention relates to a paint spray booth subfloor construction and its water distribution piping, and more particularly to a water washed subfloor initially supplied with water from but a single main supply pipe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Prior art sloped subfloors for paint spray booths providing a flow of moving liquid thereover are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,030 and 4,299,602. Prior art subfloors providing a flooded pool in a pan are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,222,319, 4,279,196 and 4,285,270. While the foregoing patents show prior art booths with the washing sections below the subfloor, such subfloors may also be used in booths with washing sections at the side thereof, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,030 (sloped type subfloor) and 3,391,630 and 3,807,281 (flooded pan type subfloors).
With respect to the flooded pan type subfloor, achieving a uniform water distribution over the subfloor was not a problem, provided the water depth permitted in the pan was deep enough. In fact, if the depth was deep enough, a single water outlet could supply all the water to the pan. However, such construction has disadvantages in that a deep pan containing a great depth of water is exceedingly heavy. Since this great weight had to be supported, this resulted in the need for increased structural strength and increased costs. Further, the paint overspray eventually accumulated in the flat pan to a point it disturbed the water distribution and required cleaning, adding to operating expenses.
The sloped subfloor eliminated these disadvantages by greatly reducing the weight of the water on the subfloor and also, due to the water's movement, providing a self-cleaning effect. However, for the sloped floor to be successful, there must be uniform water distribution to the subfloor, and this can be difficult to achieve.
If uniform water distribution were the only factor that had to be considered, it might be more simple to achieve. However, it is not. Among the many matters that must be considered in the construction and operation of a paint spray booth are the initial fabrication and installation costs and the operating or maintenance costs. Generally, compromises have to be made in favor of some of the elements making up these two factors as it is difficult to lower initial installation costs, while at the same time decreasing operating costs. One item which effects maintenance costs is the type of subfloor installed, and the necessary water distribution system used with the subfloor. In order to reduce maintenance costs and keep operating efficiency high, it is essential that the water be uniformly distributed to the subfloor; this being particularly important for the sloped type subfloor. If water is not uniformly distributed, some areas are washed with water, while other areas remain barren with consequent inefficiency of the air washer and undesirable accumulation of paint overspray.
Generally, the desired uniform water distribution for the subfloor has been achieved by providing complicated and expensive distribution piping, having a main supply pipe extending along each side of the spray booth. Such a prior art booth is shown in FIG. 1. The booth has a grill floor 10 beneath the spray painting chamber (not shown) on which work men and/or other personnel may stand for spray painting or servicing of automatic painting equipment. As the floor is fenestrated, air laden with paint overspray descends through the grill floor under the influence of a known air exhaust system. A subfloor 12 is provided beneath the grill floor and is washed or flooded with water to remove the overspray. The subfloor 12 has on each side a water distribution weir 14 extending generally parallel to and along the length of each side of the booth. The inner edges 16 of the sloped subfloor terminate in a center slot or opening 18, which extends generally along the center of the booth for substantially its full length, through which the paint laden air is exhausted.
As shown, each side of the prior art subfloor is provided with its own main water supply pipe 20, which extends parallel to and throughout the entire length of the booth. A plurality of generally vertical risers 22 on each pipe 20 supply water at spaced intervals to the respective distribution weir 14. As is apparent, each pipe 20 and its risers provided water only to the respective weir and subfloor side, because the water from the one side could flow only from its weir into the center slot. Thus, it was necessary to provide a separate main water supply for each side of the booth. While this prior art subfloor and water distribution system has worked extremely well, they are relatively complicated and expensive to construct.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention eliminates the foregoing disadvantages, and achieves lower installation costs with a uniform water distribution and high operating efficiency, without increased maintenance costs.
The subfloor and water distribution system of the present invention comprises a water washed subfloor having a center opening or slot therein at the bottom of a pair of sloped sides, water distribution piping having but a single main supply pipe running the length of the subfloor for admitting water to the subfloor, and means in the form of one or more cross troughs for distributing water from the point of admission to all other portions of the subfloor. With this construction, uniform water flow over the entire subfloor and into said center opening is achieved.
According to the invention, the two side margins of the subfloor and the cross trough or troughs bridging between the two sides function as a flooded subfloor to which water is supplied from the single main, and weirs between the side margins and the sloping portions of the subfloor serve to distribute water from the side margins uniformly over the sloping portions and into the center slot. With the subfloor and water distribution system of the present invention, costs are greatly reduced and construction simplified.
The system further includes a special water volume control valve which is fitted to the end of each riser in the distribution piping system. The volume control valve has a pair of control elements, preferably cone-shaped inside the riser which interact to throttle or control the flow of water from the riser. The volume control valve has adjusting means for placing and holding the control elements in various relative positions to regulate the flow through the riser. Further, the upper portion of the valve, which supports it on the subfloor, is formed to assist and direct the flow of water from the riser in various directions to help provide the desired uniform water distribution.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a paint spray booth subfloor which has water admitted from only one main supply pipe, but yet has uniform water flow over the subfloor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a subfloor with water distribution piping to only one side of the subfloor, with all other portions being supplied with water from the one side of the subfloor.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sloped type subfloor having a center slot with a high cleaning efficiency and a cross trough portion providing a flow of water thereto.
A further object of the present invention is to provide volume control for the water distribution piping which permits maximum water flow and assists in uniformly distributing the water to the subfloor.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art subfloor for paint spray booths of the downdraft type showing the two main water supply pipes.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the paint spray booth subfloor and water distribution system of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged, perspective view of the water volume control valve shown in FIG. 2, with portions thereof broken away to better illustrate its construction.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the paint spray booth subfloor and water distribution piping system of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, a first embodiment of the subfloor and water distribution system of the present invention is shown as including a water washed subfloor 30 and water distribution piping 32 having but a single main supply pipe 34. While not shown, it should be understood that, like the prior art, the subfloor 30 is provided beneath the grill floor and spray painting chamber of the booth, and means are provided to draw the overspray laden air downwardly through the grill toward and through the subfloor.
In the first embodiment of the present invention, the main water supply pipe 34 extends along only one side of the subfloor 30. Water from the pipe 34 is supplied through generally vertical risers 36, which contain volume control valves 37 more fully illustrated in FIG. 5, to openings in the subfloor 30 at spaced intervals. This spacing is determined by the size of the booth and generally is in the range of about 15 to 40 feet.
The subfloor 30, itself, comprises a generally horizontal or flat portion 38 which has two side areas 40 and 42 and front and rear areas 44 and 46, respectively. The flat portion 38 of the subfloor is contained by side walls 43 and 45. A large opening 48 is provided in the center of the flat portion 38.
In this large opening 48 a rectangular weir structure 50 is provided, and comprises angularly inclined side weirs 52 and 54 (see FIG. 4), for permitting the flow of water thereover. These side weirs 52 and 54 are joined at their respective ends by generally vertical flat sheets, forming a front closure 56 and a rear closure 58. The closures 56 and 58 are of a greater vertical height than the side weirs 52 and 54 (say nine inches compared to eight inches) to prevent water from flowing over the closures. The lower edges of closures 56 and 58 are inclined downwardly toward their centers. A pair of downwardly extending or sloping panels 60 and 62 are connected to the bottom edges of the side weirs 52 and 54 and the closures 56 and 58. Orifice means, in this instance, a center slot or opening 64 is provided between the inner, lower edges of the sloped panels 60 and 62. The discharge orifice or opening 64 functions in a manner similar to that of the prior art opening 18 (FIG. 1), and the panels 60 and 62 function in a manner similar to the sloped panels 12 of the prior art subfloor (FIG. 1). Overspray laden air from the spray painting chamber is drawn downwardly through the slot 64 and is there mixed with the water flowing downwardly into the slot to aid in removing the overspray from the air.
If desired, a subfloor can be made up of several of the sections described above to provide a booth of any desired length, e.g., two such sections as shown in FIG. 2, the respective fronts and rears of the adjoining sections being arranged adjacent each other.
As shown in FIG. 5, the riser supplying water to the subfloor extends through the side area 42 of the flat portion 38, the top 68 of the riser 36 being sealed in a known manner to the floor. Unless appropriately controlled, water would spout from the riser 36. In order to control the flow, each riser 36 is provided with a volume control valve 37 which can be conveniently adjusted from above. Each valve 37 has a pair of elongated, vertical members, the first in the form of a stationary tubular member 70 of an outer diameter significantly smaller than the riser and a second cylindrical member or rod 72, of yet a smaller diameter, which extends through and is rotatable within the tubular member 70. The upper and lower ends of member 72 extend beyond the ends of the tube 70. Flow control is carried out by a pair of cone shaped elements 74 and 76 which fit well within the riser 36. Preferably, the elements 72 and 74 are cone shaped. The cone 74 is attached to the tube 70 which is stationary, the tube being secured as by welding to a mounting plate 77. The cone 76 is attached to and rotates with member 72. The cones 74 and 76 each have openings 78 and 80 of an area substantially that of the internal cross-sectional area of the riser. Thus to permit water flow therethrough, the openings 78 and 80 are aligned, and to reduce the flow they are misaligned. By using cones 74 and 76 which have openings of increased area (compared to openings that could be provided in flat discs fitting within the risers), when the openings are aligned the valve can flow water at or near the capacity of the riser (and at a much greater capacity than if say flat discs were used). Also, the risers 36 may be of a smaller diameter if cone shaped elements are used, instead of flat discs, for the same flow.
Movement of the member 72, and of cone 76 and its opening 78, relative to the member 70, and cone 74 and its opening 78, is controlled from above the subfloor by an adjustment mechanism 86. This mechanism comprises a retaining plate 88 having a series of position openings 90 provided therein, the plate 88 being secured to the top of tube member 70 as by welding. The upper end of the member 72 carries and is secured to a generally U-shaped bracket 92. The bracket 92 carries a pivotable handle 93 which rotates on a pivot pin 94 engaging in a pair of openings in the bracket 92. The handle 93 has a locating pin 96 which can be engaged in any of the position openings 90 in the retainer plate 88 merely by pivoting the handle 93 downwardly and which can be disengaged from a respective opening 90 merely by pivoting the handle upwardly.
When the handle is pivoted upwardly to disengage the pin 96 from the retainer plate 88, the handle can be swung from side to side to rotate the inner cone 76 relative to the stationary outer cone 74, thereby to vary the size of the openings 78-80 and control the volume of flow of water through the valve and the riser to the subfloor. Thus, the valve can be adjusted, and locked in a selected adjusted position by the pin 96, to set the valve in any desired position between full open and substantially fully closed to control the flow of water through each riser as desired.
The valve 37 not only controls the volume of flow, but also helps channel the water in the desired direction or directions to aid in achieving the desired uniform flow. As is shown, the adjustment mechanism 86 for valve 37 is secured to the mounting plate 77 which is removably mounted, as by bolts, to a channel member 100 secured to the flat portion 38 of the floor. The channel member 100 directs the flow of water from the riser in the desired direction or directions. In the illustrated example, the channel member 100 is open at its opposite ends 102 and 104 and at its outer side 103. Thus, water can flow from channel 100 toward the front and rear of side portion 42 of the floor and toward the sidewall 43, while water is inhibited from directly gushing over side weir 54. If desired, the channel could be arranged to be open in one or more different directions to encourage flow in any desired direction and/or to inhibit water flow in certain directions to help achieve uniform flow.
In the preferred embodiment, the entire valve mechanism is carried by the mounting plate 77 and the latter is removably mounted on the channel 100 to facilitate removal of the valve from the riser for maintenance purposes, should such ever be necessary.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the water from each valve 37 and its channel 100 flows along the side area 42 toward the front 44 and rear 46 of the subfloor. Some of the water also flows out the open outer side 103 of the channel 100 toward the side wall 43. Due to the fact that the weirs 52 and 54 and the closures 56 and 58 extend above the flat portion 38 of the floor, and that the water is distributed uniformly from the channel 100 and does not spout or spew out of the riser, the water is distributed uniformly over the two side portions 40 and 42 and the front and rear areas 44 and 46 of the floor until the water reaches the level of the tops of the two weirs and down the inclined slope plates 60 and 62 and into the center slot 64.
In contrast to prior art subfloors of the type shown in FIG. 1, wherein there was an essentially continuous longitudinal slot 18, the subfloor of the invention provides one or more relatively short slots spaced apart by cross troughs formed by the front and rear areas 44 and 46 of the flat portion 38 of the floor. These cross troughs establish communication between the two sides of the subfloor and in conjunction with the relative elevations of the end closures 56 and 58 and the weirs 52 and 54 permit the use of only a single water supply main 34. This in turn provides a concomitant reduction (by at least one-half) in the number of risers, valves, piping and pumps required for the system. Consequently, utilization of the invention results in significantly lower initial costs of construction, shipping and installation, and also lower operating costs. Further, as less water is utilized in the system, the piping sizes, sludge system and treatment chemicals needed, are reduced.
In addition, by virtue of utilization of a plurality of relatively short slots, close manufacturing tolerances for the weirs 52 and 54 and the air scrubber slot 64 can more readily be maintained, thereby to insure a highly uniform and efficient flow of water over the slope plates 60 and 62 and into the scrubber slot 64.
The dimensions of the flat areas 40, 42, 44 and 46 of the subfloor are selected to assure an adequate supply of water to both weirs with sufficient velocity of flow within said areas to prevent accumulation of paint overspray therein and to insure the desired self-cleaning action. However, the dimensions are also selected so that the water reaching the top of the weirs is relatively quiescent and non-turbulent, and will overflow each weir as a continuous, uninterrupted, smooth sheet.
To prevent the existence of any stagnant body of water in the system, and also to insure complete draining of the system when not in use, the weirs 52 and 54 are provided with relatively small interrupted drain slots 109 (FIG. 2) at their lower edges through which water can drain out of the entire flat portion 38 of the subfloor.
If desired or necessary, full width baffles 110 can be provided between adjacent sections to keep the flow uniform within each section, particularly where the booth is quite long and sections thereof may be at somewhat different elevations. Likewise, a short baffle 112 could be installed on the side of the subfloor opposite the riser 36, and its position could be varied until a balanced flow is achieved. Though unlikely, should it be necessary, short baffles 114, like baffles 112, could also be installed on the riser side of the subfloor 42 to help balance out the flow.
A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The second embodiment is similar to the first, the principal difference being that the single main supply pipe is now more centered and its risers and valves intersect near the center of a cross trough, rather than at one side of the booth. While not shown, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiment is provided beneath the spray painting chamber and grill floor of a paint spray booth, and that means are provided to draw the overspray laden air downwardly through the subfloor.
In more detail, the second embodiment has a water-washed subfloor 130 and a water distribution piping system 132 having but a single main supply pipe 134. The main water supply pipe 134 extends generally parallel to the center of the subfloor 130, but set off to one side of the air scrubber slot or discharge orifice means 135. Water from the pipe 134 is supplied to generally vertical risers 136 and then through volume control valves 137, similar to valves 37, to the subfloor 130.
The subfloor 130 comprises a generally flat structural floor 138 which has two side areas 140 and 142, a front area 144, a center area 145 and a rear area 146, each side area 140 and 142 of the subfloor being contained within and defined by side walls 141 and 143, respectively. A pair of large, longitudinally spaced openings 148 are provided in the flat center of the floor 138.
In each large opening 148 a rectangular weir structure 150 is provided. Each weir structure 150 comprises a pair of inclined side weirs 152 and 154, for permitting the flow of water thereover. Each pair of these side weirs 152 and 154 are joined at their ends by vertical flat sheets, forming a front closure 156 and a rear closure 158. A pair of downwardly sloping panels 160 and 162 are connected to the bottom edges of each of the closures 156 and 158 and define therebetween the air scrubber or slot opening 135.
If desired, a subfloor made up of several units as described above can be joined to provide a subfloor of any desired length, with the respective rear of one section adjoining the front of the next section.
The riser 136 for supplying water to the subfloor extends through the center cross trough 145 of the flat floor 138. To control flow therethrough, the riser 136 is provided with a volume control valve 137. The valve 137 also includes a channel 139 extending widthwise of the floor and open at its ends to channel the water in directions toward the respective sides 140 and 142 to achieve the desired uniform flow.
If desired or necessary, full width baffles 210 can be provided between one or more sections to help keep the flow uniform. Likewise, a short baffle 212 could be installed at the side, and its position varied until the flow is balanced.
In use and operation, the subfloor 130 of the second embodiment functions the same as, and in essence is the same as, the subfloor 30 of the first embodiment. The only difference is that the water main is located adjacent the center of the subfloor and two air scrubber sections 150 are supplied with water from a single riser 136, thereby to provide still further economies in construction, installation and operating costs.
In both embodiments, the utilization of relatively short spaced slots interrupted by cross troughs permits the use of a single water main and provides a concomitant reduction in risers, valves and pumps. Also, the short slots provide for a highly effective and efficient air scrubbing action and for highly uniform flow of the air scrubbing liquid into the scrubber.
While the foregoing description refers to water as the scrubbing medium, it is to be understood that the medium may include liquids other than water that are suitable for use in paint spray booths, such as oil and/or water or other liquids treated with suitable additives. It should be further understood that control elements other than cone shaped, such as flat discs, could be used in the volume control valve.
While two preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be appreciated that variations, additions and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
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A paint spray booth water washed subfloor system, including distribution piping for supplying water to only one portion thereof. The distribution piping has only one main pipe to supply water to the one portion of the subfloor. The water supplied to the one portion of the subfloor is then transferred from that portion through a trough extending across and forming part of the subfloor to provide water to the other portions of the subfloor. Preferably, at least a part of the subfloor's other portions are sloped downwardly from both sides toward a center slot or opening for generating a fall of water to mix with paint overspray laden air descending through the center opening. The distribution piping is provided with special valves for throttling the flow of water onto the subfloor, but yet permitting maximum flow, and assisting the flow of water into the trough portion, and hence, to the other portions of the subfloor. Following the principles of the invention, a spray booth subfloor of any desired length can be constructed, simply by adding a number of similar sections or modules together to achieve the desired length.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cosmetic compositions, such compositions in order to inhibiting darkening of the skin and initiates the stimulation of collagen synthesis.
Azelaic acid may be used as therapeutic agent in the treatment of skin disorders and also have whiting effect. Azelaic acid is very polar due to the two carboxyl groups. Because of this polarity, skin penetration is very low. The inventive molecules that combine with one or two hydrophilic headgroups connected by a hydrophobic spacer can increase skin penetration.
Enzymatic synthesis is widely using in various industrial scopes such as cosmetics, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients. Lipase-catalyzed reactions are superior to conventional chemical methods owing to mild reaction conditions, high catalytic efficiency and the inherent selectivity of natural catalysts, which results in much purer products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
L-ascorbic acid is a well-know water-soluble antioxidant that has whitening effect and serves as a cofactor of prolinehydroxylase to promote synthesis of collage (Quaglino, D. Jr., et al., J. Biol. Chem., p 272-345, 1997). L-ascorbic acid is also used in various products requiring a long-term antioxidation effect. But its unfulness for such products is not so reliable because it is sensitive to heat light and air. As a result, many studies have been made on the development of ascorbic acid derivatives with enhanced stability while maintaining the antioxidation activity. Notably, a common way to improve the stability of L-ascorbic acid is converting a 2- or 3-hydroxyl group of L-ascorbic acid to another subsistent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,144; 5,143,648; 4,780,549; and 4,177,455, Japan Pat. Sho 52-18191, and Korean Pat. No. 91-8733).
The novel ascorbic acid derivative 3-O-ethyl-ascorbic acid is a structurally stabile ascorbic acid and effective whitening agent that can it the polymerization arising due to the biological dihydroxyindole in vivo caused by ultraviolet rays (U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,050). This novel ascorbic acid derivative is metabolized by the human body in the same manner as regular ascorbic acid and it's soluble in water as well as oil, making it optimal for use in cosmetics.
Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring nine carbon straight chain molecule with two terminal carboxyl groups. Azelaic acid is an anti-keratinizing agent, displaying antiproliferative effects on keratinocytes and modulating the early and terminal phases of epidermal differentiation (Passi, et al. G. Ital. Dermatol. Venerol. 1989, 124(10):455-463). Azelaic acid is a competitive inhibitor of the reduction of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, and as such is supposed to reduce the production of sebum in the sebaceous gland. Furthermore, recent investigations gave demonstrated that azelaic acid and seba-structure-activity relationship studies gave revealed that these effects are retained when the dicarboxylic acid has a backnone of about 2 to 10 carbons (U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,669).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the background of this application, the ascorbic acid derivatives are disclosed, wherein the ascorbic acid derivatives compound has a general formula as following:
wherein X is selected from the group consisting one of the following the G group, hydrogen, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety, cyclic alkyl moiety; n ranges from 2 to 12; and R 1 is selected from the group consisting one of the following: hydrogen, alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety.
The invention also provides other ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein the ascorbic acid derivatives compound has a general formula as following:
wherein X is selected from the group consisting one of the following: the G′ group, hydrogen, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety, cyclic alkyl moiety; n ranges from 2 to 12; and R 1 is selected from the group consisting one of the following: hydrogen, alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a formula of the ascorbic acid derivatives to the first embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a formula of the ascorbic acid derivatives to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of Tyrosinase Inhibiting Test.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of Thermal Stability Test observed at 45° C. oven for 21 days.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
What is probed into the invention is ascorbic acid derivatives. Detail descriptions of the structure and elements will be provided as followed in order to make the invention thoroughly understood. The application of the invention is not confined to specific details familiar to those who are skilled in the art. On the other hand, the common structures and elements that are known to everyone are not described in details to avoid unnecessary limits of the invention. Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail as followed. However, it should be recognized that the present invention can be practiced in a wide range of other embodiments besides those explicitly described, that is, this invention can also be applied extensively to other embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is expressly not limited except as specified in the accompanying claims.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the first embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein the ascorbic acid derivatives compound has a general formula as following:
wherein X is selected from the group consisting one of the following: the G group, hydrogen, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety, cyclic alkyl moiety; n ranges from 2 to 12; and R 1 is selected from the group consisting one of the following: hydrogen, alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety.
The first example of the first embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein formula of said ascorbic acid derivatives is
The second example of the first embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein formula of said ascorbic acid derivatives is
As shown in FIG. 2 , the second embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein the ascorbic acid derivatives compound has a general formula as following:
wherein X is selected from the group consisting one of the following: the G′ group, hydrogen, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety, cyclic alkyl moiety; n ranges from 2 to 12; and R 1 is selected from the group consisting one of the following: hydrogen, alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon, linear alkyl moiety, branched alkyl moiety.
The first example of the second embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein formula of said ascorbic acid derivatives is
The second example of the second embodiment of the invention discloses ascorbic acid derivatives, wherein formula of said ascorbic acid derivatives is
EXAMPLE
Best Mode For Carrying Out the Invention
Preparation Example 1
Synthesis of 5, 6-O-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid (Formula I)
Methanesulfonic acid (13 mL, 0.200 mol) was dropwised to slurry of L-ascorbic acid (10 g, 0.568 mol) in acetone (400 mL). The mixture was stirred at 25-30° C. After 5 hours, the crystalline product separated. The crystals were collected by filtration, washed with cool acetone and dried in vacuum desiccators at 40° C. Gave 100 g of Formula I (0.463 mol; yield 80%).
Preparation Example 2
Synthesis of -3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid
Formula I (10 g, 0.465 mol) was dissolved in 172 mL of dimethylformamide and then sodium bicarbonate (102 g, 1.605 mol) was added, followed by addition of ethyl tosylate (81 g, 0.404 mol), nitrogen was in purged. The reaction mixture was stirred at 60° C. for 10 hours. After cooled to the room temperature, sodium bicarbonate and salt were filtered and evaporated. After evaporation, 5% sodium bicarbonate (100 mL) was added into crude and extracted for twice with Toluene. The organic phase was washed with water and evaporated. Crystallization from n-heptane gave 55 g formula II (0.225 mol; yield=65%). Intermediate was dissolved in n-propanol (60 mL) and then added 2N HCl (16.9 mL), heat to 60° C., after 2 hours, the solvent was evaporated. re-crystallization from Toluene and n-propanol gave 35 g of formula (III). (0.172 mol; yield 56%)
Example 1
Synthesis of 3-O-ethyl-ascorbyl-6-nonanedioate
3-O-ethyl-ascorbic acid (1.19 g, 5.851 mmol) and azelaic acid (1 g, 5.319 mmol) were dissolved in 10 mL tert-amyl alcohol and heat to 55° C. Lipase (0.3 g) was added into reaction mixture. The reaction solution was stirred for 18 hours at 55° C. and then evaporated solvent. Extracted with ethyl acetate and washed with water, dried with magnesium sulfate and evaporated. The product was purified on silica gel column, to yield 0.65 g (1.74 mmol, yield 32.7%). The compound was characterized by NMR: 1.25-1.53, m, 13H; 2.0, s, 1H; 2.16-2.32, t, 4H; 4.02-4.47, m, 5H; 5.3, d, 1H; 8.66, s, 1H; 11.94, s, 1H
Example 2
Synthesis of Ascorbyl-6-nonanedioate
Ascorbic acid (1.03 g, 5.851 mmol) and azelaic acid (1 g, 5.319 mmole) were dissolved in 10 mL tera-amyl alcohol and 5 mL N-methyl-2-Pyrrolidone. Lipase (0.3 g) was added into reaction mixture. The reaction solution was stirred for 24 hours at 55° C. and then evaporated solvent. Extracted with ethyl acetate and washed with water, dried with magnesium sulfate and evaporated (purity 91.8%). The compound was characterized by Mass: mw. 346
Example 3
Synthesis of 2,2-O-nonanedioyl-di-3-O-ethyl-ascorbate
Formula II (4.55 g, 1.865 mmol) was dissolved in 80 mL Tertrahydrofuran. Azelaoyl chloride (2 g, 0.888 mmol) and triethylamine (1.1 g, 1.954 mmol) were dropped respectively with ice bath (5-10° C.). The reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at 5-10° C. and then tertrahydrofuran was evaporated. The residue was extracted for twice by toluene/H2O and evaporated to obtain 5 g (Intermediate I; 7.813 mmol; yield=84%). Intermediate I (5 g, 7.813 mmol) was dissolved in 25 mL methanol then poured into 2N HCl (0.5 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred at 40° C. for 12 hours and evaporated. The product was purified on a silica gel column to yield 2 g (3.571 mmol; yield=38%).
Example 4
Synthesis of 2,2-O-nonanedioyl-di-ascorbate
The 10 g (0.046 mol) of Formula (I) was dissolved in 120 g dichloromethane. 15.5 g (0.154 mol) of triethylamine was added. The temperature was set at 5-10° C. Azelaoyl chloride (5 g, 0.022 mol) was dropwise into reactor and than was stirred at 5-10° C. 1 hr. The mixture solution was extracted by 10 mL triethylamine/50 mL H2O. The organic layer was discarded. Add 6 mL TFA/H2O solution to water layer to adjust pH to 3-4 and than water layer was extracted by dichloromethane twice. Dichloromethane was evaporated at 40° C. to give white solid intermediate I. (Purity=90.6%, weight=10.76 g). Intermediate I (10 g, 0.018 mol) of was dissolved in 50 mL dichloromethane. Trifluoroacetic acid (1 mL, 0.019 mol) was slowly dropped into the mixture. The mixture was stirred at 25° C. overnight and then the crude mixture was evaporated by vacuum. The product was purified on a silica gel column to yield 4.5 g (8.929 mmol; yield=40.9%). The compound was characterized by Mass: mw.504
Experiment Design:
Preparation
L-Dopa (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) (2 mg/mL) and Tyrosine (0.083 mg/mL) were dissolved in pH6.5 buffer solution. Samples were dissolved in water and prepared at 1% concentration.
Method:
1 mL L-Dopa solution was added into 1 mL sample solution (or blank solution) and measured by thermo spectronic 475 nm (A so or A b0 ). 250 μl tyrosine solution was added into mixture. After reaction for 3 min, mixture was measured by thermo spectronic (A s3 or A b3 ).
Calculation
%
Inhibition
=
100
×
(
A
b
3
-
A
b
0
)
-
(
A
s
3
-
A
s
0
)
(
A
b
3
-
A
b
0
)
As shown in FIG. 3 , the result of Tyrosinase Inhibiting Test. Competitive with 3-O-ethyl-ascorbic acid and Azelaic acid, inventive samples have best effect in tyrsoinase inhibition. As shown in FIG. 4 , in thermal stability test, samples are observed at 45° C. oven for 21 days. Show Formula (IV) was stable than ascorbic acid.
Other modifications and variations are possibly developed in light of the above demonstrations. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the present invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from what is intended to be limited solely by the appended claims.
Ascorbic Acid derivative reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,445
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,437
U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,563
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,648
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,549
U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,445
U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,144 B1
U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,669 B1
WO 9917714
WO 2007003289
International Journal of Dermatology, December 1991, pages 893-895
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2006, supplemental, pages 272-281
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The present invention discloses the ascorbic acid derivatives. The inventive molecules that combine with one or two hydrophilic headgroups connected by a hydrophobic spacer can increase skin penetration.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for processing and printing images represented by digital data, and more particularly to systems in which the images are represented by and printed using data in a dot matrix or similar format.
2. History of the Prior Art
It is well known in the printer art to scan an image or otherwise generate image data in raster fashion using a single transducer which generates serial bit data as it undergoes successive sweeps along scan lines covering the image. Such data may be stored, subsequently processed as appropriate, and ultimately used to reproduce the image or portions thereof using printers such as of the ink jet or impacting type. In such printers, printing is usually accomplished by applying the data, serially by bit, to the single transducer which may comprise an ink jet nozzle or impacting rod or other print tip as successive scans of a printable medium are made.
As the state of the art has progressed it has been found that the speed of processing and printing image data can be increased by presenting the data in parallel for the simultaneous modulation of a plurality of print elements. Thus the ability to simultaneously print along a plurality of scan lines during a given sweep by the head assembly greatly increases the printing speed and may, for example, enable the printing of a complete line of characters rather than a small horizontal portion thereof with each sweep of the head assembly. However, difficulty is encountered in those situations where the image data is generated by one type of transducer such as that employing a single transducing element and is thereafter to be used in a printer having a head assembly comprised of plural print elements.
It is known in the art to manipulate images so as to provide rotation, mirror images, cut and paste effects and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,497 of Watson et al. discloses an arrangement in which a bold character front is generated from a standard character dot matrix by a shift register converter arrangement. To date, however, relatively little has been done to solve the problem of remapping image data for reproduction of the image by a head assembly of different design or configuration than the transducer assembly used to scan the image and generate the image data. A specific need exists in the area where data generated by a single transducing element undergoing successive scans of the image must be remapped for use with a print head assembly requiring simultaneous presentation of data within a plurality of the scan lines.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention image data generated by the successive scans of a single transducer is remapped for printing by a head assembly having a plurality of print elements by a system which stores the data comprising successive strips of the image scanned by the head assembly during printing. The data of each strip is divided into segments or columns along the length thereof with the organization of the data of each segment being rotated prior to application to modulate the print elements of the head assembly. Rotation is accomplished N bytes at a time by storing N bytes and thereafter transferring like bit positions of each of the N bytes as a new group of N bytes for use in modulating the print elements.
Where the head assembly is comprised of two different groups of the print elements displaced from one another in the direction of sweep, those portions of each segment of data covered by the leading group of print elements are rotated and applied to modulate the leading group, following which appropriate portions of another segment spaced from the first segment by a distance equaling the displacement between the groups of print elements are rotated and applied to modulate the trailing group of print elements.
In a specific example of an image data remapping system according to the invention, the image is stored in a page buffer one line at a time, following which like strips of the image are successively removed from the page buffer and stored in a horizontal strip buffer. Each strip is comprised of a number of scan lines equal to the number of nozzles in an ink jet head assembly. The nozzles are arranged in two different columns within the head assembly and are staggered such that the nozzles of each column address alternate scan lines. The lines of each strip stored in the horizontal strip buffer comprise successive bytes such that the strip is divided into a succession of byte columns, each of which is one byte in width and has a height encompassing all the scan lines of the strip.
Alternate bytes within a give byte column are transferred from the horizontal strip buffer into one of a pair of vertical strip buffers by a rotator which effectively rotates the bytes 90°. The alternate bytes are removed from the horizontal strip buffer in groups which are stored in registers within the rotator. New bytes are then formed by transferring the bits in like bit positions from each of the bytes stored in the registers. Upon storage in one of the vertical strip buffers of the new bytes formed from the alternate bytes within a given byte column, the bytes within the intervening scan lines of a column spaced from the given column by the distance between the two columns of nozzles in the head assembly are converted into new bytes by the rotator and are stored in the vertical strip buffer.
The new bytes in the vertical strip buffer are then serially fed to a deserializer which applies them in parallel to modulate the two different columns of nozzles in the ink jet head assembly. The two different vertical strip buffers alternate in function, one being loaded with new bytes from the rotator while the other is being read out to modulate the ink jet nozzles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink jet printer utilizing an image data remapping system in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the arrangement of plural nozzles within the ink jet head assembly of the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the image data remapping system of the printer of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 4-7 are diagrammatic illustrations of portions of the system of FIG. 3, useful in explaining the operation thereof;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the rotator in the system of FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a portion of the control circuitry of the system of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of the horizontal strip buffer of the system of FIG. 3, useful in explaining the addressing technique for the horizontal strip buffer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 depicts a printer system 10 which has a printable medium in the form of a paper 12 of conventional perforated edge design. The paper 12 is advanced past a printing station 14 by opposite tractor drives 16 and 18 of conventional design which engage the perforated edges of the paper. The tractor drives 16 and 18 advance the paper 12 in an upward direction over a platen 20 in increments of appropriate size.
A shuttle assembly 22 includes a length of tape 24 having an ink jet head assembly 26 affixed thereto for reciprocal motion across the width of the paper 12. As described in connection with FIG. 2 the head assembly 26 includes a plurality of ink jet nozzles capable of printing a strip of given height across the paper 12 with each sweep of the assembly 22. The individual nozzles are modulated by data bits so as to print in dot matrix fashion. The printer system 10 is capable of printing lines of characters and other images in response to data from a print data source 28 after manipulation by an image data remapping system 30 in accordance with the invention. The image data remapping system 30 is shown and described in detail hereafter in connection with FIGs. 3-10. Mounting and reciprocal motion of the tape 24 and the included ink jet head assembly 26 is provided by a pair of opposite pulleys 32 and 34, the latter of which is driven by a servo motor 36 in response to head controls within the image data remapping system 30.
As shown in FIG. 2 the ink jet head assembly 26 is comprised of two different groups of nozzles formed into two different columns. The nozzles in the one column 42 are conveniently designated the "A" nozzles, while the other column 44 is comprised of "B" nozzles. The A nozzles become the leading nozzle column and the B nozzles the trailing column when the head assembly 26 as viewed in FIG. 2 is printing downwardly onto the paper during a sweep from left to right. During a sweep to the left, the B nozzles become the leading column of nozzles and the A nozzles become the trailing column of nozzles. The columns 42 and 44 are separated by a distance of 0.1 inch.
Each column of nozzles 42, 44 is comprised of 60 nozzles which are staggered in their location so as to alternate between the two columns with increasing distance from an imaginary axis 50 extending in the directions of the sweeps of the head assembly 26. Consequently, adjacent nozzles in each column are spaced apart by 1/120 inch. Each nozzle within each column is spaced apart from the axis 50 by a distance which is 1/240 inch greater or less than the distance between adjacent nozzles in the other column and the axis 50.
The two different columns of nozzles 42, 44 cover a band or strip 1/2 inch high extending across the width of the paper 12. At the same time each nozzle defines a separate scan line such that the strip or band across the paper 12 is comprised of 120 scan lines spaced 1/240 inch apart.
In the present example the print data source 28 provides image data serially by bit, one scan line at a time. This is typical of many image scanners and related equipment. It is also true of central processing units and system components which may generate image data in this format for convenience, for compatability with other system components, or for various other reasons.
FIG. 3 shows in detail the system 30 according to the invention for remapping the image data provided by the print data source 28 into a suitable format for use by the print head assembly 26 shown in FIG. 2. The image data remapping system 30 includes a page buffer 54 for storing the image data, scan line by scan line, as it is received from the print data source 28. The page buffer 54 is coupled through a shift register 56 to a horizontal strip buffer 58. The shift register 56 and the horizontal strip buffer 58 operate under the control of horizontal strip buffer write controls 60 which are responsive to the conditions within the page buffer 54 as well as to transfer controls 62. The transfer controls 62 also control a rotator 64 coupled to the horizontal strip buffer 58 and to A and B vertical strip buffers 66 and 68, respectively. The vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 are also controlled by vertical strip buffer read controls coupled to the transfer controls 62.
Printer controls 72 control the image data remapping system 30 via the transfer controls 62 and the ink jet head assembly 26 via head controls 74. The head controls 74 also control a shift register 76 coupled to the outputs of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 and head deserializers 78 coupled between the shift register 76 and the head assembly 26.
When the various parts of the printer system 10 including the head assembly 26 and the image data remapping system 30 are ready to print, the printer controls 72 cause the transfer controls 62 to initiate operation of the horizontal strip buffer write controls 60. The horizontal strip buffer write controls 60 determine if a number of scan lines of data sufficient to comprise a horizontal strip are present in the page buffer 54. If the required number of scan lines is present in the page buffer 54, the lines are applied, one at a time, to the shift register 56 where the individual bytes of each line are loaded in parallel from the shift register 56 into the horizontal strip buffer 58. The process continues until the data comprising all of the scan lines of a horizontal strip, 120 lines in the present example, is loaded in the horizontal strip buffer 58.
With a horizontal strip loaded in the horizontal strip buffer 58, the transfer controls 62 respond by causing the data within the horizontal strip buffer 58 to be transferred to one or the other of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 via the rotator 64. The bytes along the scan lines of the strip stored within the horizontal strip buffer 58 define a succession of segments or byte columns along the length of the strip. The bytes comprising each column are transferred in groups of convenient size to the rotator 64 where they are temporarily stored. New groups of bytes are then formed by the particular manner in which the data temporarily stored in the rotator 64 is transferred to one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. More specifically, vertical bytes each comprised of bits from the like bit positions of the different horizontal bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 stored in the rotator 64 are formed by transferring the data in such a format to one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. In this manner the data comprising the strips stored in the horizontal strip buffer 58 is effectively remapped by rotation 90° and storage in one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 in preparation for modulating the various nozzles of the ink jet head assembly 26.
The vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 alternate in function under the control of the vertical strip buffer read controls 70 and the transfer controls 62. While one of the vertical strip buffers is having the data stored therein read out and applied to the ink jet head assembly 26, the other vertical strip buffer is being loaded with data from the rotator 64. The data within the vertical strip buffer 66 and 68 to be used to modulate the ink jet head assembly 26 is read out, one byte at a time, to the shift register 76 where each byte is applied serially to the head deserializers 78. The deserializers 78 under control of the head controls 74 assemble the various bytes applied to the shift registers 76 into parallel groups of bits which are alternately applied to modulate the A nozzles 42 and the B nozzles 44.
Each time more modulation data is needed at the head assembly 26, the head controls 74 communicate this fact to the transfer controls 62 via the printer controls 72. The transfer controls 62 respond by continuing the transfer of horizontal strips from the page buffer 54 to the horizontal strip buffer 58 via the shift register 56 whenever there are enough scan lines of data stored in the page buffer 54 to define a new horizontal strip. At the same time the transfer controls 62 continue to respond to each loaded condition within the horizontal strip buffer 58 by rotating and storing the data thereof within one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. The transfer controls 62 select one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 for receipt of the new data based on the fact that the other vertical strip buffer is being used to read out the data stored therein through the shift register 76 and the head deserializers 78 to the head assembly 26 under the control of the vertical strip buffer read controls 70.
The page buffer 54, the horizontal strip buffer 58 and one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 are diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 4. As previously noted the page buffer 54 stores a page or other image to be printed, one scan line of data at a time. Each scan line comprises a sequence of 8-bit bytes extending along the length thereof. In the present example each page within the page buffer 54 has a maximum width of 450 bytes. A horizontal strip 90 shown in FIG. 4 is therefor 450 bytes long. The 120 scan lines thereof provide the strip 90 with a height of 0.5 inch corresponding to the height of the arrangement of 120 ink jet nozzles in the head assembly 26. The horizontal strips are transferred in succession to the horizontal strip buffer 58 through the shift register 56. The sequence of transfer begins at the top of the page buffer 54 and progresses downwardly. Accordingly, after the strip 90 is transferred to the horizontal strip buffer 58 and is thereafter remapped, the horizontal strip buffer write controls 60 cause the next strip 92 shown in dotted outline in FIG. 4 to be transferred to the horizontal strip buffer 58.
The horizontal strip buffer 58 provides a data storage area which is 512 bytes wide and approximately 128 scan lines high. The image area 94 thereof corresponds to each strip transferred from the page buffer 54 and is 450 bytes wide and 120 scan lines high. The remaining areas of the horizontal strip buffer 58 which aid in defining the boundaries of the image area 94 are loaded with zeros as each strip is transferred into the buffer 58. Thus the area 62 bytes wide at the right hand edge of the buffer 58 is loaded with zeros as each strip is transferred from the page buffer 54. Also the bottom portion of the buffer 58 which is approximately 8 scan lines high is loaded with zeros.
As previously noted each scan line from a strip in the page buffer 54 is loaded, byte-by-byte, into the horizontal strip buffer 58 via the shift register 56. Each byte is serially advanced out of the page buffer 54 to the shift register 56 which then loads the eight bits of the byte in parallel into the horizontal strip buffer 58. FIG. 5 depicts the loading sequence of the horizontal strip buffer 58. As shown in FIG. 5 the first scan line of the horizontal strip is loaded beginning with the first byte in the upper lefthand corner of the image area 94. Thereafter the second byte is loaded, then the third byte, and so on until the 450 bytes of the first scan line have been transferred. The first scan line is then completed by writing imaginary bytes 451 through 512 as zeros across the righthand edge of the horizontal strip buffer 58. The second scan line of the horizontal strip is then transferred and loaded by loading the 513th byte, then the 514th byte, and so on, immediately under the first scan line beginning at the lefthand edge of the image area 94. When loading of the second scan line is complete, the third scan line is loaded beginning with the 1025th byte, then the 1026th byte, and so on. The process continues until the complete horizontal strip is loaded in the horizontal strip buffer 58 together with zeros at the righthand edge and at the bottom.
Referring again to FIG. 4, each horizontal strip which is loaded in the horizontal strip buffer 58 is remapped by the rotator 64 and one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. Each byte column within the horizontal strip buffer 58 is comprised of 120 bytes. As described in greater detail hereafter the bytes in alternate scan lines within each column are transferred by the rotator 64 and stored in a first portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66, 68 being used to store the data. The portion 98 comprises 8 columns of 16 bytes each, 8 of the bytes lying within the portion 98 and the other 8 bytes lying within a portion 100 of the buffer. Consequently the portion 98 has a 64 byte capacity. However, only 60 bytes are transferred from a given byte column in the horizontal strip buffer 58. An area 1/2 byte wide at the righthand edge of the portion 98 is not used. The portion 100 of each vertical strip buffer is identically arranged so as to store 60 bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 with a 4 byte area not being used.
Following transfer of the 60 bytes from odd numbered scan lines within a given byte column in the horizontal strip buffer 58 to the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66 or 68, the 60 bytes from even numbered scan lines in a different byte column are transferred into the portion 100. The column from which the bytes stored in the portion 100 are transferred is displaced from the given column by a distance equal to the distance between the columns of A and B nozzles 42 and 44. The bytes in the portion 98 are then applied to modulate the A nozzles and the bytes in the portion 100 are applied to modulate the B nozzles. The first column of eight bytes in the portion 98 is applied to the A nozzles, following which the first column of eight bytes in the portion 100 is applied to modulate the B nozzles. Next the second column of eight bytes in the portion 98 is applied to modulate the A nozzles, following which the second column of eight bytes in the portion 100 is applied to modulate the B nozzles. The process continues until all of the bytes within the portions 98 and 100 have been transferred through the shift register 76 and the head deserializers 78 to modulate the ink jet nozzles. Simultaneously with transfer of the bytes stored in the portions 98 and 100 to modulate the ink jet nozzles, the system advances to the next pair of byte columns in the horizontal strip buffer 58 so as to rotate odd-numbered bytes from one column for storage in the portion 98 of the other vertical strip buffer and even-numbered bytes from the other column for storage in the portion 100 of the other vertical strip buffer.
The manner in which the columns of bytes of the horizontal strips stored in the horizontal strip buffer 58 are rotated and stored in one of the vertical strip buffers 66, 68 is shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7 to which reference is now made. Assuming that a horizontal strip of data has just been transferred to the strip buffer 58 and is ready for rotation and storage in the vertical strip buffer 66, the first eight bytes in odd-numbered scan lines of the first byte column (designated byte col. 1) are transferred in parallel into the rotator 64. These horizontal bytes or rows are then converted into eight vertical bytes or columns such that each vertical byte comprises like bit positions of the different horizontal bytes. More specifically, the zero bits of each of the eight bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 are transferred to the vertical strip buffer 66 as a first new vertical byte. Next, the bits in the bit 1 position of the eight stored bytes are transferred to the vertical strip buffer 66 as the second new vertical byte. The process continues until the last (bit 7) bits of each stored byte are transferred as the 8th new vertical byte. The eight new vertical bytes are stored as the first byte in each of the eight columns in the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66 as shown in FIG. 6.
Following rotating and storage of the first eight bits in odd-numbered scan lines in byte col. 1 of the horizontal strip buffer 58, the next eight bytes in odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 1 comprising bytes 9-16 are rotated and stored in the vertical strip buffer 66 as new vertical bytes 9-16. The procedure continues until bytes 57-60 in the last four odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 1 are addressed. These four bytes are entered in the rotator 64 and are used to form the first four bits of each of the eight new vertical bytes 57-64. The remaining four bit positions of each of bytes 57-64 are left blank. The 64 new vertical bytes stored in the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66 are applied to the A nozzles 42 of the head assembly 26 to print the odd scan lines of byte col. 1. The application of the columns of bytes in the portion 98 to modulate the A nozzles is alternated with application of the columns of bytes stored in the portion 100 to modulate the B nozzles 44. The column of B nozzles is displaced from the column of A nozzles by 0.1 inch within the head assembly 26. Accordingly if the head assembly 26 is sweeping in a direction from left to right, the B column of nozzles is three bytes behind the A column of nozzles for the strip stored in the horizontal strip buffer 58. This being the case the bytes from the even-numbered scan lines used to modulate the B nozzles must be taken from a byte column three columns to the left of the byte column being used to supply bytes for the A nozzles. Immediately upon rotating the 60 bytes from the odd scan lines of byte col. 1 of the horizontal strip buffer 58 for storage within the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66, the system seeks to address bytes in the even-numbered scan lines of a byte column three column positions to the left of byte col. 1. Since byte col. 1 is the first column at the lefthand edge of the horizontal strip, no bytes are transferred into the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66 and the B nozzles are not modulated to effect printing.
The next step is to address the odd bytes in byte col. 2 for rotation and storage. Bytes 61-68 in the first eight odd numbered scan lines as viewed in FIG. 6 are applied to the rotator 64 for rotation to form eight new vertical bytes which are then stored in the first byte position of each of the 8 byte columns in the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66. The process continues with bytes 69-120 being rotated and stored in the portion 98. At this point the system attempts to address the even bytes three columns to the left of byte col. 2. Since this is off of the lefthand edge of the image area 94, nothing is loaded in the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66 and the B nozzles are not modulated to effect printing.
Next, byte col. 3 is addressed and bytes 121-180 from the odd numbered scan lines are rotated and reformatted in the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66. Again the system attempts to address even line bytes 3 byte columns to the left and does not enter any data in the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66 upon determination that this is beyond the lefthand edge of the horizontal strip buffer 58. The new vertical bytes stored in the portion 98 are applied to modulate the A nozzles to print the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 3.
The system next addresses the odd-numbered scan lines in byte col. 4 and reads out bytes 181-240 for rotation and storage in the portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66. Upon loading of the new vertical bytes into the portion 98, the system then addresses the even-numbered bytes in byte col. 1 which is three columns to the left of byte col. 4. This results in bytes 241-300 being applied through the rotator for storage in the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66. When the vertical strip buffer 66 is loaded and ready to modulate the ink jet nozzles, the first column of bytes comprising bytes 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, 49 and 57 in portion 98 of the vertical strip buffer 66 is applied by the shift register 67 to the head deserializers 78 which apply all sixty bits of the byte column in parallel to the A nozzles 42 for printing of the bit 0 portion of the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 4. Following this the first byte column comprising bytes 65, 73, 81, 89, 97, 105, 113 and 121 in the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66 is applied by the shift register 76 and the head deserializers 78 to modulate the B nozzles 44 to effect printing of the bit 0 portion of the even-numbered scan lines within byte col. 1. Next the second byte column within the portion 98 comprising bytes 2, 10, 18, 26, 34, 42, 50 and 58 is applied to modulate the A nozzles 42 to print the bit 1 portion of the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 4. Following that the second byte column in the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffer 66 is applied to modulate the B nozzles 44 to print the bit 1 portion of the even-numbered scan lines in byte col. 1. The remainder of the byte columns within the portions 98 and 100 are read out in alternate fashion and used to modulate the A and B nozzles to complete printing of the bytes in the odd-numbered lines of byte col. 4 and the even-numbered lines in byte col. 1.
Thereafter, the system remaps the bytes from the odd-numbered scan lines in byte col. 5 (not shown in FIG. 6) and bytes 361-420 from the even-numbered scan lines in byte col. 2. Following printing of the areas of the horizontal strip, the system addresses the odd bytes in byte col. 6 (not shown in FIG. 6) and then bytes 481-540 in the even scan lines of byte col. 3. Following printing of the bytes in the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 7 (not shown in FIG. 6), bytes 601-640 in the even-numbered scan lines of byte col. 4 are rotated and applied to cause printing. The system continues in this fashion until the complete horizontal strip is printed.
The vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 alternate in function. While the odd bytes from a byte column and the even bytes from a byte column three position to the left thereof are being rotated and stored in one of the vertical strip buffers, the data from two different byte columns previously rotated and stored within the other vertical strip buffer is being applied to modulate the A and B nozzles.
The present discussion has assumed that the ink jet head assembly 26 is sweeping in the direction from left to right. When the head assembly is sweeping in the opposite direction the process is simply reversed. As the head assembly is scanned across the area of the print paper corresponding to 62 bytes of zeros at the righthand edge of the horizontal strip buffer 58, nothing is printed on the paper. As the B nozzles 44 prepare to pass over the area corresponding to the 450th byte col. of the horizontal strip buffer 58, the bytes from the even-numbered scan lines of the 450th byt col. are rotated and stored for application to the B nozzles. The A nozzles 42 are still over an area corresponding to the zero strip at the right-hand edge of the horizontal stirp buffer 58, and are not modulated to cause printing until the B nozzles begin printing the odd-numbered scan lines of the 447th byte col. The system continues in this fashion until the horizontal strip is printed, following which the next horizontal strip transferred from the page buffer 54 into the horizontal strip buffer 58 is printed by a sweep of the ink jet head assembly 26 from left to right.
FIG. 7 shows the unloading sequence of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 as just described in connection with a sweep of the head assembly 26 from left to right. With the vertical strip buffer 66 fully loaded and the system about to begin printing of the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 1, the first column of bytes in the portion 98 comprising bytes 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, 49 and 57 is applied to the A nozzles to cause printing of the bit 0 portion of the odd-numbered scan lines of byte col. 1. Immediately thereafter the first column of bytes within the portion 100 of the vertical strip buffers 66 comprising bytes 65, 73, 81, 89, 97, 105, 113 and 121 is applied to the B nozzles to cause printing of the bit 0 position of a byte col. three columns to the left of byte col. 1 (designated byte column 000). In reality bytes 65, 73, 81, 89, 97, 105, 113 and 121 comprise zeros since they are taken from an area off the lefthand edge of the horizontal strip buffer 58. Nothing is printed by the B nozzles until the A nozzles begin printing byte col. 4.
The rotator 64 is shown in detail in FIG. 8. The rotator includes eight different registers with only two being shown in FIG. 8 for reasons of brevity. A first register 110 is coupled to receive the topmost one of the eight bytes being transferred from the horizontal strip buffer 58. A register 112 is coupled to receive the lowermost byte of each group of eight bytes transferred. As each of the first eight bytes in odd-numbered scan lines of the byte column are addressed, the eight different bits of byte 1 are entered in parallel in the register 110. The bits of byte 8 are entered in parallel in the register 112. The bits of bytes 2-7 are entered in parallel in six different registers not shown in FIG. 8 but which are coupled between the registers 110 and 112 in the arrangement of FIG. 8. The various bytes are entered pursuant to load commands to the various registers.
The output of each bit position of each register is coupled to one of two different inputs of a different one of a plurality of AND circuits 114. The other input of each AND circuit 114 is coupled to one of eight different enable lines 116. Each of the eight different enable lines 116 corresponds to a different one of the eight different bit positions (bit 0-bit 7). Accordingly the eight different AND circuits 114 having one input thereof coupled to the different bit positions of one of the registers has the second input thereof coupled to a different one of the eight enable lines 116. Each of the AND circuits 114 has an output coupled to an input of one of a plurality of OR circuits 118. Each of the OR circuits 118 is coupled to the outputs of the eight different AND circuits 114 associated with a particular one of the registers. Each of the various OR circuits 118 provides an output for a different one of the registers.
During operation of the rotator 64 the registers are commanded to load bytes, following which the eight different enable lines 116 are sequentially energized to provide the eight new vertical bytes at the outputs of the OR circuits 118. Thus upon energization of the line 116 corresponding to the bit 0 position, the zero bits in each of the eight registers are simultaneously read out through the associated AND circuits 114 and the OR circuits 118 for transfer to one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. Thereafter the second line 116 corresponding to the bit 1 positions is energized to simultaneously read out the 1 bit of the eight different registers to provide the second new vertical byte to the vertical strip buffer. The process is continued until all eight of the different bit positions of the eight registers have been read out and the eight new bytes stored in the vertical strip buffer. At that point load commands to the registers transfer the next eight bytes of the byte column being addressed in the horizontal strip buffer 58 into the eight registers, whereupon the sequential energization of the eight different enable lines 116 is repeated.
Addressing of the horizontal strip buffer 58 to sequentially select 64 bytes for the A nozzles 42 and 64 bytes for the B nozzles 44 utilizes a base plus displacement scheme. The base remains constant during transfer of 64 bytes for the A nozzles, and is then decremented by three for left to right scan or incremented by three for right to left scan. This causes addressing of the byte column three positions removed to the left or right respectively of the column from which the A nozzle bytes are taken so that the B nozzles bytes can be transferred. This process for altering the base is repeated until the entire horizontal strip has been printed. The displacement is set to zero each time the base is changed and is incremented by 1024 for each byte.
Referring to FIG. 9 which shows the transfer controls 62 in detail the base address is supplied by A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 respectively. The A major cycle counter 140 is initialized to select 64 bytes for the A nozzles. Each time 128 bytes of data are transferred, the A major cycle counter 140 is incremented by one for left to right scan or decremented by one for right to left scan. Operation of the B major cycle counter 142 is the same as the A major cycle counter 140 except that the B major cycle counter is initialized to a count which is three less than the count of the A major cycle counter for scan in either direction.
Using a hexidecimal addressing scheme, initialization of the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 is as follows:
Table 1______________________________________ A major cycle B major cycleScan Direction counter 140 counter 142______________________________________Left to right 000 1FDRight to left 1C4 1C1______________________________________
As just described the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 provide the base addresses identifying the columms within the horizontal strip buffer 58 from which bytes for modulating the A and B nozzles are to be taken. The displacement part of the addressing which defines the individual scan lines within the byte columns is provided by a minor cycle counter 144 and an intermediate cycle counter 146. Unlike the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 which are loadable up-down binary counters, the minor and intermediate cycle counters 144 and 146 comprise simple binary counters which count up from and can be reset to zero. The counters 144 and 146 combine with the A and B major cycles 140 and 142 to provide the dual functions of memory addressing and sequence control.
The outputs of the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 are coupled through a pair of gates 148 and 150, respectively to a horizontal strip buffer storage address register 152 which provides the horizontal strip buffer address. The gates 148 and 150 are operated in alternate fashion by a control circuit 154. At the beginning of each loading operation of one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68, a "Select A Counter" signal from the control circuit 154 activates the gate 148 to provide the counter from the A major cycle counter 140 to the horizontal strip buffer storage address register 152 to select the appropriate byte column within the horizontal strip buffer 58 to be used to modulate the A nozzles 42. When the 60 bytes from the odd-numbered scan lines have been rotated and stored the control circuit 154 terminates the "Select A Counter" signal and provides a "Select B Counter" signal to the gate 150 to couple the count from the B major cycle counter 142 to the horizontal strip buffer storage address register 152 to address the appropriate byte column within the horizontal strip buffer 58 so that the 60 bytes from the even numbered scan lines thereof can be rotated and stored for subsequent modulation of the B nozzles 44. The address provided by the storage address register 152 is comprised of nine low order bits and seven high order bits. The low order bits which define the base of the address are provided by the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142. The high order bits identifying the scan line to be addressed are provided by the minor cycle counter 144 and the intermediate cycle counter 146 which are also coupled to the horizontal strip buffer storage address register 152 as well as to a vertical strip buffer storage address register 156, the latter providing the vertical strip buffer addresses for loading the new vertical bytes from the rotator 64 in one or the other of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68.
The minor cycle counter 144 is operated in response to "increment" pulses from the control circuit 154 with each increment corresponding to the loading of a different byte from the horizontal strip buffer 58 into the rotator 64 or the transfer of each new byte from the rotator 64 into one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. Each increment pulse is applied to advance the minor cycle counter 144 to a count of eight with the three different bits 0, 1 and 2 thereof being applied to the control circuit 154. The carry output of the minor cycle counter 144 is supplied to advance the intermediate cycle counter 146. The 4th bit of the intermediate cycle counter is applied to the control circuit 145 to indicate when the minor cycle counter 144 has reached a count of eight. The carry output of the intermediate cycle counter 146 is applied to change by one the count of the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 each time 120 bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 have been rotated and applied to modulate the nozzles.
The initialization of the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142, the minor cycle counter 144 and the intermediate cycle counter 146 is shown in the following table:
Table 2______________________________________Start Transfer - Left to Right Scan: A major cycle counter 140 = 000 Count Up B major cycle counter 142 = 1FD Count Up Intermediate cycle counter 146 = 000 Count Up Minor cycle counter 144 = 000 Count UpStart Transfer - Right to Left Scan: A major cycle counter 140 = 1C4 Count Down B major cycle counter 142 = 1C1 Count Down Intermediate cycle counter 146 = 000 Count Up Minor cycle counter 144 = 000 Count Up______________________________________
The counting sequence of the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142, the minor cycle counter 144 and the intermediate cycle counter 146 is shown by the following table:
Table 3__________________________________________________________________________Intermed. MinorCycle CycleCounter 146 Counter 144Scan Bit 4 Bit 0 Bit 1 Bit 2 Read Cycle Write Cycle__________________________________________________________________________ 0 0 0 0 Read Hor. Strip Buf. Load R0 0 0 0 1 " " " " " R1 0 0 1 0 " " " " " R2 0 0 1 1 " " " " " R3 0 1 0 0 " " " " " R4 0 1 0 1 " " " " " R5 0 1 1 0 " " " " " R6 0 1 1 1 " " " " " R7R-L 1 0 0 0 Select Bit 7 Write VSB" 1 0 0 1 " " 6 " "" 1 0 1 0 " " 5 " "" 1 0 1 1 " " 4 " "" 1 1 0 0 " " 3 " "" 1 1 0 1 " " 2 " "" 1 1 1 0 " " 1 " "" 1 1 1 1 " " 0 " "L-R 1 0 0 0 " " 0 " "" 1 0 0 1 " " 1 " "" 1 0 1 0 " " 2 " "" 1 0 1 1 " " 3 " "" 1 1 0 0 " " 4 " "" 1 1 0 1 " " 5 " "" 1 1 1 0 " " 6 " "" 1 1 1 1 " " 7 " "__________________________________________________________________________
Table 3 shows the 16 counts required to transfer each group of eight bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 to the rotator 64 and the transfer of eight new bytes from the rotator 64 into one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. The first eight rows in Table 3 illustrate the first eight counts during which eight bytes are addressed and transferred, one at a time, from the horizontal strip buffer 58 to the rotator 64. The minor cycle counter 144 changes each of bits 0, 1 and 2 thereof in response to each increment pulse from the control circuit 154. Bit 4 of the intermediate cycle counter 146 remains at "0" to indicate to the control circuit 154 that bytes are being addressed in the horizontal strip buffer 58 and transferred to the rotator 64. The "Read Cycle" portion of Table 3 denotes the addressing which is taking place during each count. During the eight counts the horizontal strip buffer 58 is being read by sequentially addressing eight different bytes. At the same time load commands are sequentially provided to each of the eight different registers comprising the rotator 64. The first register 110 shown in FIG. 8 is designated "RO" in Table 3, the last register 112 is designated "R7" and the intervening six registers are designated "R1-R6". Enabling of each register occurs simultaneously with the reading out from the horizontal strip buffer 58 of a byte to be entered in that register.
At the end of the first eight counts shown in Table 3 eight different bytes have been read out of the horizontal strip buffer 58 and stored in the eight different registers of the rotator 64. The next eight rows in Table 8 correspond to the next eight counts for a scan from right to left and the last eight rows in Table 3 represent the next eight counts for a scan from left to right. It will be seen that upon the ninth count, bit 4 of the intermediate cycle counter 146 changes from "0" to "1" to indicate to the control circuit that eight bytes have been stored in the rotator 64 and are ready for rotation and storage in one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68. The minor cycle counter 144 sequences through the next eight counts in response to increment pulses from the control circuit 154 in the same manner as during the initial eight counts. The "Read Cycle" portion of Table 3 indicates that bits 7-0 in the rotator 64 are sequentially selected for a scan from right to left and, conversely, bits 0-7 are sequentially selected for a scan from left to right. The "select bit" signals are applied sequentially to the eight different enable lines 116 as described in connection with FIG. 8. Simultaneously with the generation of each "Select Bit" signal the desired storage location within one of the vertical strip buffers for the new byte being generated is addressed as represented by the "Write VSB" designation in Table 3. The minor cycle counter 144 and the intermediate cycle counter 146 accomplish this addressing via the vertical strip buffer storage address 156. The minor cycle counter 144 provides three high order bits within the vertical strip buffer storage address register 156 which sequentially address each of the eight different byte positions across the vertical strip buffer as the eight counts are executed. The intermediate cycle counter 146 provides four low order bits within the vertical strip buffer storage address register 156 which address one of the eight byte columns within the vertical strip buffer. Each time a new count of sixteen is begun the intermediate cycle counter 146 causes the storage address register 156 to address the next byte column in the vertical strip buffer.
Referring again to FIG. 9 the control circuit 154 provides the eight different "select bit" signals and the eight different register loading commands to the rotator 64 as previously described. A "Read" signal is provided to sequence the horizontal strip buffer 58 when bytes are to be transferred therefrom. "Write" signals are provided to sequence the A or B vertical strip buffers 66, 68 when new bytes from the rotator 64 are to be transferred into one of the vertical strip buffers. Each time one of the vertical strip buffers 66, 68 is ready to receive a new group of data from the horizontal strip buffer 58 via the rotator 64, a "Ready" signal is provided to the vertical strip buffer read control 70 indicating that one of the vertical strip buffers has been completely loaded and is ready to be read out to modulate the ink jet nozzles. Conversely the vertical strip buffer read controls 70 provide a "Release" signal to the control circuit 154 when one or both of the vertical strip buffers are available to begin receiving bytes from the horizontal strip buffer 58 and the rotator 64. The printer controls 72 provide signals to the control circuit 154 indicating whether the ink jet head assembly 26 is sweeping from left to right or from right to left so that the control circuit 154 can make appropriate changes to compensate for changes in direction. The control circuit 154 in turn provides a signal to the printer control 72 each time transfer of a group of data through the system has been completed. The control circuit 154 comprises standard logic circuitry for implementing the following control functions expressed in the Boolean convention:
Increment: After every read/write cycle.
Select A major counter 140: (Intermediate counter bit 0)
Select B major counter 142: Select A major counter
Write A vertical strip buffer 66: (A major counter bit 8)
(A major cycle counter bit 8) (Write vertical strip buffer)
Write B vertical strip buffer 68:
(A major cycle counter bit 8) (Write vertical strip buffer)
A vertical strip buffer ready:
(Int. cycle counter carry) (A major cycle counter bit 8)
B vertical strip buffer ready:
(Int. cycle counter carry) (A major cycle counter bit 8)
Transfer complete: (L/R scan) (A major cycle counter = 1C5)+
(L/R scan) (A major cycle counter = 1FF)
As previously noted the addresses are expressed in a hexidecimal format. Examples of this are shown in FIG. 10 which illustrates the hexidecimal addresses of the byte positions at the various boundaries of the horizontal strip buffer 58. FIG. 10 is useful in understanding Tables 4, 5 and 6 set forth hereafter to illustrate the address sequencing by the arrangement of FIG. 9.
Table 4__________________________________________________________________________ Minor CycleL/R Scan 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7__________________________________________________________________________0 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 0000 0400 0800 0C00 1000 1400 1800 1C00 Write (VSB Add) 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 701 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 2000 2400 2800 2C00 3000 3400 41 3C00 Write (VSB Add) 01 11 21 31 1 51 61 712 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 4000 4400 4800 4C00 5000 5400 5800 5C00 Write (VSB add) 02 12 22 32 42 52 62 723 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 6000 6400 6800 6C00 7000 7400 7800 7C00 Write (VSB Add) 03 13 23 33 43 53 63 734 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 8000 8400 8800 8C00 9000 9400 9800 9C00 Write (VSB Add) 04 14 24 34 44 54 64 745 Load Rotator (HSB Add) A000 A400 A800 AC00 B000 B400 B800 BC00 Write (VSB Add) 05 15 25 35 45 55 65 756 Load Rotator (HSB Add) C000 C400 C800 CCOO D000 D400 D800 DC00 Write (VSB Add) 06 16 26 36 46 56 66 767 Load Rotator (HSB Add) E000 E400 E800 EC00 F000 F400 F800 FC00 Write (VSB Add) 07 17 27 37 47 57 67 778 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 01FD 05FD 09FD 0DFD 11FD 15FD 19FD 1DFD Write (VSB Add) 08 18 28 38 48 58 68 789 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 21FD 25FD 29FD 2DFD 31FD 35FD 39FD 3DFD Write (VSB Add) 09 19 29 39 49 59 69 79A Load Rotator (HSB Add) 41FD 45FD 49FD 4DFD 51FD 55FD 59FD 5DFD Write (VSB Add) 0A 1A 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7AB Load Rotator (HSB Add) 61FD 65FD 69FD 6DFD 71FD 75FD 79FD 7DFD Write (VSB Add) 0B 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7BC Load Rotator (HSB Add) 81FD 85FD 89FD 8DFD 91FD 95FD 99FD 9DFD Write (VSB Add) 0C 1C 2C 3C 4C 5C 6C 7CD Load Rotator (HSB Add) A1FD A5FD A9FD ADFD B1FD B5FD B9FD BDFD Write (VSB Add) 0D 1D 2D 3D 4D 5D 6D 7DE Load Rotator (HSB Add) C1FD C5FD C9FD CDFD D1FD D5FD D9FD DDFD Write (VSB Add) 0E 1E 2E 3E 4E 5E 6E 7EF Load Rotator (HSB Add) E1FD E5FD E9FD EDFD F1FD F5FD F9FD FDFD Write (VSB Add) 0F 1F 2F 3F 4F 5F 6F 7F__________________________________________________________________________
Table 4 illustrates the address sequencing at the beginning of the scan of a horizontal strip from left to right. The table also represents the address sequencing for the 453rd cycle of a scan from right to left. The numbers 0-7 at the left of Table 4 encompass the addressing required to transfer sixty bytes from odd numbered scan lines within a byte column in the horizontal strip buffer 58 to one of the vertical strip buffers 66 and 68 by the rotator 64 for modulation of the A nozzles 42. The numbers 8 and 9 and the letters A-F at the left of Table 4 encompass the addressing required to transfer 60 bytes from even numbered scan lines within a different byte column in the horizontal strip buffer 58 to the vertical strip buffer by the rotator 64 for modulation of the B nozzles 44. The numbers 0-9 and letters A-F correspond to the count within the intermediate cycle counter 146. Each number or letter encompasses the sixteen different counts set forth in Table 3. The addressing of the horizontal strip buffer (HSB add.) during the first eight counts are set forth in Table 4 in columns labeled 0-7. The addresses within one of the vertical strip buffers (VSB Add.) during the next eight counts are respectively set forth within the columns 0-7 of FIG. 4.
Thus at the beginning of the sequence shown in Table 4 the byte within the first scan line of the first byte column at the address 0000 within the horizontal strip buffer 58 is transferred into the rotator 64. During the next count the byte within the third scan line of the first byte column at the address 0400 is transferred into the second register of the rotator 64. The process continues until during the eighth count the byte within the fifteenth scan line of the first byte column at the address 1C00 is transferred into the eighth register of the rotator 64. On the ninth count the bit 4 of the intermediate cycle counter 146 changes from "0" to "1" as shown in Table 3 to indicate that the rotator 64 is loaded and the data therein is to be transferred into one of the vertical strip buffers. The address 00 is used to locate the first byte position at the upper left hand corner of the vertical strip buffer where the bit 0 byte from the rotator 64 is to be stored. During the next count the address 10 is used to locate the second byte space within the first byte column in the vertical strip buffer for storage of the bit 1 byte from the rotator 64. The process continues until on the sixteenth count the address 70 is used to locate the eighth byte position in the first byte column of the vertical strip buffer for storage of the bit 7 byte from the rotator 64. The system continues through seven more groups of 16 counts, at which point the 60 bytes from the odd-numbered scan lines within the first byte column of the horizontal strip buffer 58 have been transferred into the vertical strip buffer by the rotator. At the beginning of the step designated "8" at the left of Table 4, addressing is changed from the A major cycle counter 140 to the B major cycle counter 142. The byte at the first even scan line of a new column at the address 01FD is transferred into the rotator 64. The system continues in this fashion until the 60 bytes from even-numbered scan lines have been transferred via the rotator 64 into the vertical strip buffer for modulation of the B nozzles 44. At this point the A and B major cycle counters 140 and 142 are incremented by one so as to commence the next addressing sequence which is set forth in Table 5 below.
Table 5__________________________________________________________________________ Minor CycleL/R Scan 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7__________________________________________________________________________0 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 0001 0401 0801 0C01 1001 1401 1801 1C01 Write (VSB Add) 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 701 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 2001 2401 2801 2C01 3001 3401 3801 3C01 Write (VSB Add) 01 11 21 31 41 51 61 712 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 4001 4401 4801 4C01 5001 5401 5801 5C01 Write (VSB Add) 02 12 22 32 42 52 62 723 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 6001 6401 6801 6C01 7001 7401 7801 7C01 Write (VSB Add) 03 13 23 33 43 53 63 734 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 8001 8401 8801 8C01 9001 9401 9801 9C01 Write (VSB Add) 04 14 24 34 44 54 4 745 Load Rotator (HSB Add) A001 A401 A801 AC01 B001 B401 B801 BC01 Write (VSB Add) 05 15 25 35 45 55 65 756 Load Rotator (HSB Add) C001 C401 C801 CC01 D001 D401 D801 DC01 Write (VSB Add) 06 16 26 36 46 56 66 767 Load Rotator (HSB Add) E001 E401 E801 EC01 F001 F401 F801 FC01 Write (VSB Add) 07 17 27 37 47 57 67 778 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 01FE 05FE 09FE 0DFE 11FE 15FE 19FE 1DFE Write (VSB Add) 08 18 28 38 48 58 68 789 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 21FE 25FE 29FE 2DFE 31FE 35FE 39FE 3DFE Write (VSB Add) 09 19 29 39 49 59 69 79A Load Rotator (HSB Add) 41FE 45FE 49FE 4DFE 51FE 55FE 59FE 5DFE Write (VSB Add) 0A 1A 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7AB Load Rotator (HSB Add) 61FE 65FE 69FE 6DFE 71FE 75FE 79FE 7DFE Write (VSB Add) 0B 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7BC Load Rotator (HSB Add) 81FE 85FE 89FE 8DFE 91FE 95FE 99FE 7DFE Write (VSB Add) 0C 1C 2C 3C 4C 5C 6C 7CD Load Rotator (HSB Add) A1FE A5FE A9FE ADFE B1FE B5FE B9FE BDFE Write (VSB Add) 0D 1D 2D 3D 4D 5D 6D 7DE Load Rotator (HSB Add) C1FE C5FE C9FE CDFE D1FE D5FE D9FE DDFE Write (VSB ADd) 0E 1E 2E 3E 4E 5E 6E 7EF Load Rotator (HSB Add) E1FE E5FE E9FE EDFE F1FE F5FE F9FE FDFE Write (VSB Add) 0F 1F 2F 3F 4F 5F 6F 7F__________________________________________________________________________
By comprising some of the addresses of Table 5 with those shown in FIG. 10, it will be understood how the system performs proper addressing as it steps from byte column to byte column along the horizontal strip in the buffer 58. Table 5 sets forth the address sequencing for the 452nd cycle of a scan from right to left or the second cycle of a scan from left to right.
Table 6 shows the address sequencing for the 450th cycle of a left to right scan. This is the last byte column of the horizontal strip to be printed by the A nozzles before the band of zeros at the righthand end at the horizontal strip buffer 58 is entered. It also represents the 4th cycle during a scan from right to left.
Table 6__________________________________________________________________________ Minor CycleL/R Scan 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7__________________________________________________________________________0 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 01C1 05C1 09C1 0DC1 11C1 1501 1901 1DC1 Write (VSB Add) 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 701 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 21C1 25C1 29C1 2DC1 31C1 35C1 39C1 3DC1 Write (VSB Add) 01 11 21 31 41 51 61 712 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 41C1 45C1 49C1 4DC1 51C1 55C1 59C1 5DC1 Write (VSB Add) 02 12 22 32 42 52 62 723 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 61C1 65C1 69C1 6DC1 71C1 75C1 79C1 7DC1 Write (VSB Add) 03 13 23 33 43 53 63 734 Load Roator (HSB Add) 81C1 85C1 89C1 8DC1 91C1 95C1 99C1 9DC1 Write (VSB Add) 04 14 24 34 44 54 64 745 Load Rotator (HSB Add) A1C1 A5C1 A9C1 ADC1 B1C1 B5C1 B9C1 BDC1 Write (VSB Add) 05 15 25 35 45 55 65 756 Load Rotator (HSB Add) C1C1 C5C1 C9C1 CDC1 D1C1 D5C1 D9C1 DDC1 Write (VSB Add) 06 16 26 36 46 56 66 767 Load Rotator (HSB Add) E1C1 C5C1 E9C1 EDC1 F1C1 F5C1 F9C1 FDC1 Write (VSB Add) 07 17 27 37 47 57 67 778 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 03BE 07BE 0BEE 0FBE 13BE 17BE 1BBE 1FBE Write (VSB Add) 08 18 28 38 48 58 68 789 Load Rotator (HSB Add) 23BE 27BE 2BBE 2FBE 33BE 37BE 3BBE 3FBE Write (VSB Add) 09 19 29 39 49 59 69 79A Load Rotator (HSB Add) 43BE 47BE 4BBE 4FBE 53BE 57BE 5BBE 5FBE Write (VSB Add) 0A 1A 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7AB Load Rotator (HSB Add) 63BE 67BE 6BBE 7FBE 73BE 77BE 7BBE 7FBE Write (VSB Add) 0B 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7BC Load Rotator (HSB Add) 83BE 87BE 8BBE 8FBE 93BE 97BE 9BBE 9FBE Write (VSB Add) 0C 1C 2C 3C 4C 5C 6C 7CD Load Rotator (HSB Add) A3BE A7BE ABBE AFBE B3BE B7BE BBBE BFBE Write (VSB Add) 0D 1D 2D 3D 4D 5D 6D 7DE Load Rotator (HSB Add) C3BE C7BE CBBE CFBE D3BE D7BE DBBE DFBE Write (VSB Add) 0E 1E 2E 3E 4E 5E 6E 7EF Load Rotator (HSB Add) E3BE E7BE EBBE EFBE F3BE F7BE FBBE FFBE Write (VSB Add) 0F 1F 2F 3F 4F F 6F 7F__________________________________________________________________________
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 various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A system remaps image data generated by successive sweeps of the image by a single transducer element into a format for use by a print head assembly which requires the simultaneous application of plural modulating signals to a plurality of print elements thereon to effect printing of the image. Horizontal strips of the image data corresponding to the height of the arrangement of print elements within the head assembly are successively transferred from a page buffer which stores the image to a horizontal strip buffer, from which successive columns of each strip along the length thereof are transferred through a rotator for rearrangement into new groups of data oriented at right angles relative to the prior arrangement thereof for storage in a vertical strip buffer. From the vertical strip buffer the new groups of data are applied through deserializers to modulate the plural print elements in the form of ink jet nozzles as the head assembly undergoes successive sweeps across a printable medium.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to automatic speech recognition systems and more specifically to a perceptual speech processing and stationary vowel-based phonetic feature regime for achieving accurate and robust automatic speech recognition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Modern automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems have been in development for over 30 years and have made considerable progress. However, there remain two significant problems: a robustness problem typically related to adverse conditions in the speaking environment, such as background noise, speech distortion, and each individual's articulation effects, and an accuracy problem related to misrecognition of input speech. Addressing these problems often entail prohibitively high costs of hardware and space and thus are often not practicable.
[0003] As for the robustness problem, there have been numerous attempts to extract noise, improve signal-to-noise, and increase signal gain utilizing electronic and mechanical means, but such systems have suffered from computational complexity (e.g., the noise-added composite model spectrum) and detector placement inflexibility (e.g., noise-canceling microphones). In contrast to purely machine-oriented noise perception, speech perception by humans is relatively robust, achieving high recognition accuracy in adverse environments. For example, for an input SNR below 20 dB, the recognition accuracy of conventional ASR systems is significantly degraded whereas human beings easily recognize speech for signal quality as low as 0 dB SNR. Signal distortion, while annoying, seldom causes severe speech misrecognition by humans (unless the amplitude of the signal itself is too low), and individual speaker's articulation characteristics (at least for native speakers) do not generally cause significant perception problems. Thus, there have been attempts to develop speech recognition systems to mimic human speech perception being of essentially of two types. The first models the functionality of a human's auditory system (for example, the basila membrane and development of electronic cochlea), but the system is complicated by numerous feedback paths from the neural system and unknown interactions among auditory nuclei, making such attempts theoretically sound but practically limited. The second attempt utilizes artificial neural networks (ANN) to extract speech features, process dynamic nonlinear speech signals, or combine with statistical recognizers. But ANN systems have the disadvantage of heavy computation requirements making large vocabulary systems impractical.
[0004] All ASRs require the use of a spectral analysis model to parameterize the sound signal so that comparisons with reference spectral signals can be made for speech recognition. Linear predictive coding (LPC) performs spectral analysis on speech frames with a so-called all-pole modeling constraint. That is a spectral representation typically given by X n (e i ) is constrained to be of the form /A(e i ), where A(e i ) is a p th order polynomial with z-transform given by
A(z)=1+a 1 z −1 +a 2 z −2 + . . . +a p z −p
[0005] The output of the LPC spectral analysis block is a vector of coefficients (LPC parameters) that parametrically specify the spectrum of an all-pole model that best matches the signal spectrum over the period of time of the speech sample frame. Conventional speech recognition systems typically utilize LPC with an all-pole modeling constraint. However, the pole position in an all-pole spectrum typically is affected through the appearance of noise in the valley sections which, if significant, can significantly degrade the signal.
[0006] The Mandarin Chinese language embodies tens of thousands of individual characters each pronounced as a monosyllable, thereby providing a unique basis for ASR systems. However, Mandarin (and indeed the other dialects of Chinese) is a tonal language with each word syllable being uttered as one of four lexical tones or one natural tone. There are 408 base syllables and with tonal variation considered, a total of 1345 different tonal syllables. Thus, the number of unique characters is about ten times the number of pronunciations, engendering numerous homonyms which can only be resolved based on speech context. Each of the base syllables comprises a consonant (“INITIAL”) phoneme (21 in all) and a vowel (“FINAL”) phoneme (37 in all). Conventional ASR systems first detect the consonant phoneme, vowel phoneme and tone using different processing techniques. Then, to enhance recognition accuracy, a set of syllable candidates of higher probability is selected, and the candidates are checked against context for final selection. It is known in the art that most speech recognition systems rely primarily on vowel recognition as vowels have been found to be more distinct than consonants. Thus accurate vowel recognition is paramount to accurate speech recognition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is a complete system and method for accurate and robust speech recognition based on the application of three perceptual processing techniques to the speech Fourier spectrum to achieve a robust perceptual spectrum and the accurate recognition of that perceptual spectrum by projecting the perceptual spectrum onto a set of reference vowel spectrum vectors for input to a speech recognizer. The invention comprises a perceptual speech processor for preceptually processing the input speech spectrum vector to generate a perceptual spectrum, a storage device for storing a plurality of reference spectrum vectors and a phonetic feature mapper, coupled to said perceptual speech processor and to said storage device, for mapping said perceptual spectrum onto said plurality of reference spectrum vectors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] [0008]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing each step and component of the speech recognition system according to the present invention.
[0009] [0009]FIG. 2 is a time domain graph illustrating a mask tone and a masker generated by the masking tone.
[0010] [0010]FIG. 3 is a frequency domain graph of minimum audible field (MAF) and equal loudness curves.
[0011] [0011]FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency scale and mel-scale.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the sequence and processing of perceptual characteristics to produce a perceptual spectrum according to the present invention.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 6( a ) is the Fourier spectrum of the Mandarin vowel “i”, ( b ) shows the result of the masking effect, ( c ) shows the result of MAF processing, and ( d ) shows the result of mel-scale resampling according to the present invention.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 7 is a graph of an experiment measuring recognition rate against signal-to-noise (SNR) according to the present invention.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a masking Winner-Take-All circuit 800 according to the present invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating piecewise linear resistors PWL n utilized to produce a current vs. differential voltage according to the present invention.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 10 is a graph of the current output of a masker according to the present invention.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating envelope extraction by plotting node voltages corresponding to different PWLs according to the present invention
[0019] [0019]FIG. 12 is a conceptual schematic diagram of a single masking WTA cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 13 is a spectrogram of a stationary vowel “i” and a non-stationary vowel “ai” illustrating the differences according to the present invention.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 14 is a spectrogram of, and the mel-scale frequency representation of, the nonstationary vowel “ai” according to the present invention.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 15( a ) shows projection similarity as proportional to the projection of an input vector x along the direction of a reference vector c(k) with predetermined weighting; and 15 ( b ) shows a case of spectrally similar reference vowels, “i” and “iu”.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 16( a ) is a vector diagram depicting projection similarity and
[0024] FIGS. 16 ( b ) and 16 ( c ) depict relative projection similarity according to the present invention.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 17 is a plot of the phonetic feature profile of the Mandarin vowel “ai” according to the present invention.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 18( a ) shows the projection similarity to a (8) (the vertical axis) and to a (6) (the horizontal axis) of the vowel “i” (dark dots) and the vowel “iu” (light dots).
[0027] [0027]FIG. 18( b ) shows a comparison of the discernibility of projection similarity (without relative projection similarity) and the present invention's phonetic feature scheme for the reference spectra of the same vowels
[0028] [0028]FIG. 19 is a graph of the “iu” phonetic feature versus the “i” phonetic feature with as a parameter according to the present invention.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 20 is a graph of Recognition Rate versus SNR for an experiment adding white noise to input speech signals not in any training set according to the present invention.
[0030] [0030]FIG. 21 is a graph of the Recognition Rate versus SNR results of an experiment of three noisy speech tests using nine Mandarin vowels and projection similarity as inputs according to the present invention.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 22 is a graph of Outside Recognition Rate (%) (using different speakers) versus Inside Recognition Rate (%) (using a single speaker) according to the present invention.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 23 is a graph of Noisy Speech Recognition Rate (%) (environmental noise) versus Inside Recognition Rate (%) (where there are more ideal listening conditions) according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] This invention's fundamental concept derives from the psychology and physiology of human speech and perception. Specifically, the human perception of noises and sounds and how they are differentiated is at least partially a function of the psychological perception by a human of human speech. The present invention utilizes a perceptual spectrum for the psychological aspect and a phonetic feature regime for the physiological aspect of speech recognition. These components are combined into an automatic speech recognition system achieving both robustness and accuracy. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention showing each step and component of the speech recognition system. Sampled speech 101 is input into a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzer 111 which outputs a Fourier spectrum of the sampled speech which is then inputted to perceptual speech processor 112 which outputs a perceptual spectrum 103 which is then inputted into phonetic feature mapper 113 which outputs a phonetic feature which is then inputted into continuous HMM recognizer 114 . Perceptual speech processor comprises masking effector 121 , maximum audible field (MAF) curver 122 , and mel-scale resampler 123 . Phonetic feature mapper 113 comprises projection similarity generator 131 and relative projection similarity generator 132 which in turn inputs into selector 133 which chooses between the outputs of each responsive to the spectral character of the input spectrum vector (whether it has high projection similarity with more than one reference spectrum vector, as described more fully below). Automatic speech recognition systems sample points of a speech spectrum for a discrete Fourier transform calculation of the amplitudes of the component waves of the speech signal. The parameterization of speech waveforms generated by a microphone is based upon the fact that any wave can be represented by a combination of simple sine and cosine waves; the combination of waves being given most elegantly by the Inverse Fourier Transform:
g ( t )=∫ −∞ ∞ G ( t ) e i2πft df
[0034] where the Fourier Coefficients are given by the Fourier Transform:
G ( f )=∫ −∞ ∞ g ( t ) e −i2πft dt
[0035] which gives the relative strengths of the components (amplitudes) of the wave at a frequency f, the spectrum of the wave in frequency space. Since a vector also has components which can be represented by sine and cosine functions, a speech signal can also be described by a spectrum vector. For actual calculations, the discrete Fourier transform is used:
G ( n τ N ) = ∑ k = 0 N - 1 [ τ · g ( k τ ) - i2πk n N ]
[0036] where k is the placing order of each sample value taken, is the interval between values read, and N is the total number of values read (the sample size). Sampled speech 101 is generated by “sampling” the speech waveform by taking a sufficient number of points on the wave spectrum to make a sufficiently precise calculation of amplitudes using the FFT. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzer 111 generates the Fourier spectrum 102 of waves by using the discrete Fourier transform and efficiently taking a series of shortcuts based on observations of recurring quantities derived from the circularity of trigonometric functions, which allows one calculation's results to be used for another, thereby reducing the total number of calculations required.
[0037] The masking effect utilized in masking effector 121 is the observed phenomenon that certain sounds become inaudible when there are other louder sounds which are both temporally and spectrally proximate. The masking effect can be measured by experiments of humans' subjective response. FIG. 2 is a frequency domain graph showing the magnitude of a mask tone (solid line 201 ) generated by a 1 kHz, 80 dB pure tone (small circle 200 ). Any signal below solid line 101 will be inaudible and if its frequency is proximate the mask tone, it moreover will be seriously inhibited, with the inhibition being greater towards the high frequencies. FIG. 3 is a frequency domain graph of minimum audible field (MAF) below which sound signals are too weak to be perceived by humans (the dashed curve 300 ) and equal loudness curves 301 , 302 , 303 , 304 , and 305 . To translate objective sound signal magnitude to human subjective loudness, the magnitude of a particular frequency component of the signal must be renormalized to the MAF curve as follows:
L (in dB )= M (in dB )− MAF
[0038] where L and M re the loudness and magnitude of a frequency component of the sound signal respectively, and MAF is the value of MAF at that frequency. In another embodiment of the present invention, the magnitude of a given frequency component is renormalized to all of the equal loudness curves 301 , etc. To describe human subjective pitch sensation, the frequency scale is adjusted to a perceptual frequency scale termed the mel-scale. In mel-scale, the low frequency spectral band is more pronounced than the high frequency spectral band. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between Hertz-(or frequency) scale and mel-scale given by:
mel= 2595×log(1 +f/ 700)
[0039] where f is the signal frequency.
[0040] The sequence and processing of the perceptual characteristics described above to produce a perceptual spectrum in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5. Step 501 is the FFT generation inputted into step 502 which removes all the frequency components of the sound signal that are shadowed by louder neighboring sounds according to the final masker in the previous and current frames of the sound signal. Step 503 is the renormalization of the magnitude of each frequency component of the sound signal according to the MAF curve and step 504 is the translation of the frequency components to mel-scale by resampling. This sequence of steps is arranged for computational efficiency and is not necessarily the same sequence as for an auditory pathway. It is understood by those in the art that any order of the steps 501 , 502 , 503 , and 504 are within the contemplation of this invention. The results of steps 501 , 502 , 503 , and 504 are shown in FIG. 6 wherein ( a ) is the Fourier spectrum of the Mandarin vowel “i”, ( b ) is the result of step 502 masking effect, ( c ) is the result of step 503 MAF processing, and ( d ) is the result of mel-scale resampling. FIG. 6( b ) shows that the masking effect eliminates most frequency components between 400 Hz and 2 kHz, greatly reducing the amount of information to be processed and removing significant background noise. FIG. 6( c ) shows that low and high frequency components are considerably attenuated and FIG. 6( d ) shows a perceptual spectrum of the exemplary vowel “i” according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In another embodiment, the low frequency components, where most vowel information is carried, are sampled more finely than for other frequencies. The final perceptual spectrum preserves only a spectral envelope as that alone conveys significant information concerning the shape of the vocal tract. Pitch information is also advantageously removed as it is not essential to vowel recognition. Step 502 , the mask effect, is different from the conventional all-pole spectrum model. The all-pole model produces concave smoothed valleys in the spectrum, whereas the present invention generates sharp edges. When the spectrum is contaminated by noise, the pole position in an all-pole spectrum typically is affected through the appearance of noise in the valley sections. In the present invention, most valley noises are removed by the masker, thus achieving cleaner signals.
[0041] [0041]FIG. 7 is a graph of an experiment measuring recognition rate against signal-to-noise (SNR). The perceptual spectrum curve (PS) compared to an FFT Spectrum Envelope curve (SE) results in significantly lower SNR and higher recognition rates. The masking effect (MASK) and MAF renormalization and MASK by itself also significantly enhance recognition rates and reduce noise as compared to SE.
[0042] Noise masking is the phenomenon whereby weaker tones become inaudible when there is a temporally and spectrally adjacent louder tone present. It is known that auditory neurons are arranged in order of their respective resonant frequencies (the tonotopic organization), so inhibiting the perception of neighboring frequency components corresponds to the inhibition of lateral auditory neurons. The activity of a neuron depends on the neuron's input, as well as inhibition and excitation from neighbors. Neurons with stronger outputs will inhibit lateral neighbors via synaptic connections. Assuming a neuron i has the strongest input stimuli, neuron i will then inhibit its neighbors most as well as excite itself most. Because other neurons in the area are non-competitive (“muted”) with neuron i, only neuron i generates output. This surviving neuron i is the “winner” in the so-called Winner-Take-All (WTA) neural network which extends, reasonably, only to localized regions as the interactions become weaker for farther-away neurons. A “global” model of the WTA network is an electronic circuit having n neurons each represented by two nMOS transistors, all of which are coupled at a node. When an input stimuli is simulated using an electric current to the transistors in parallel, the voltage level of the node depends on the transistor (neuron) having the highest current input. In equilibrium, a bias current flows through the winner neuron effectively inhibiting the output currents of all the other neurons. By separating the transistors with resistors in series, and biasing each transistor, the circuit can be “localized”.
[0043] [0043]FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a masking Winner-Take-All circuit 800 according to the present invention. Current sources I k input current into nMOS transistor pairs T 1k , T 2k , producing transistor voltages V k , and node voltages V Ck . Piecewise linear resistors PWL n are coupled in series between the nodes 801 , 802 , 803 , . . . which are coupled to diode-connected nMOS transistors T 3k . Piecewise linear resistors PWL n produce a current vs. differential voltage shown in FIG. 9, and generates the observed asymmetric inhibitory characteristics of the masking effect (see FIG. 1). Experiments conducted utilized a 256 cell (neuron/transistor pair) SPICE simulation. FIG. 10 is a graph of the current output of a masker according to the present invention generated by a simple tone input to neuron number 30 of 700 nA and 100 nA to the other cells, wherein the observed mask effect asymmetry is achieved. Vowel spectrum inputs into the present invention produce winning spectral components (highest output currents) which not only inhibit neighboring spectral components, but also absorb neighbors' bias currents, thus increasing the “winners” own output currents and increasing formant extraction effectiveness. “Formants” are the defining characteristics (peaks in the sound spectrum) and thus the more pronounced, the better the speech recognition. Further, the components are clearly quantized, each being a harmonic of the fundamental frequency. Information for distinguishing different phonemes is carried in the envelope of a speech spectrum. The masking WTA system of the present invention further extracts spectrum envelopes from the inputted speech. Node voltage V Ck in FIG. 8 exhibits a smoothed spectrum envelope of the input current I k . If the neuron in question corresponds to a spectral valley, then the current output of that neuron will be inhibited by its neighboring peaks, but the node voltage will also increase (as mentioned above) so a smooth node voltage corresponding to the envelope of the input spectrum is achieved. FIG. 11 shows the envelope extraction. The solid curves are node voltages corresponding to different PWLs and the dashed curve is where there are no resistances.
[0044] [0044]FIG. 12 is a conceptual schematic diagram of a single masking WTA cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. Three nMOS transistors M 1 , M 2 , and M 3 , a PWL R resistor, a voltage buffer, MOS capacitor M 5 and two current mirrors MI 1 and MI 2 . In the programming phase, an input voltage is stored at MOS capacitor M 5 ; M 4 converts the voltage to current for input through current mirror MI 1 . In operation, voltage output is buffered by a unity-gain buffer and then coupled to an output bus. Output current is copied by current mirror MI 2 and transmitted to a current output bus. Output current is then converted to voltage by a linear grounded resistor PWL R. PWL R has resistance sensitive to current direction changes (FIG. 9), the perceptual masking curve (FIG. 2), and the ratio of the leftward resistance to rightward resistance is as large as 100. The two nMOS transistors M 1 and M 2 act as passive resistors for the two current flow directions with a comparator COMP switching between M 1 and M 2 depending on the sign of the voltage drop (the resistances being adjusted by the gate voltages). This embodiment of the present invention was implemented with supporting circuitry (for stability, signal gain, and leakage-avoidance) in a UMCTM 0.5 micron double-poly double-metal CMOS process. The voltage outputs generate the spectrum envelope and the current outputs generate the spectrum formants. Utilizing the masking WTA circuit of the present invention, the formants of the vowel, “ai” are clearly visible in spectrograms even with the addition of noise in the input signal.
[0045] In the preferred embodiment of the masking WTA network of the present invention, an analog parallel processing system is advantageously utilized to integrate with the other components of an ASR system. For example, a band-pass filter bank is coupled to the upstream to provide input to the masking WTA network. Phonetic feature mapper 113 (FIG. 1) comprises projection similarity generator 131 and relative projection similarity generator 132 which feed phonetic feature generator 133 which generates phonetic features for speech recognition extraction according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Phonetic feature extraction is based upon the physiology of human speech (as opposed to the perceptual spectrum described above which is based upon psychological aspects of human speech). When humans speak, air is pushed out from the lungs to excite the vocal cord. The vocal tract then shapes the pressure wave according to what sounds are desired to be made. For some vowels, the vocal tract shape remains unchanged throughout the articulation, so the spectral shape is stationary in time. For other vowels, articulation begins with a vocal tract shape, which gradually changes, and then settles down to another shape. For the stationary vowels, spectral shape determines phoneme discrimination and those shapes are used as reference spectra in phonetic feature mapping. Non-stationary vowels, however, typically have two or three reference vowel segments and transitions between these vowels. FIG. 13 is a spectrogram of a stationary vowel “i” and a non-stationary vowel “ai” illustrating the differences. FIG. 14 is a spectrogram of, and the mel-scale frequency representation of, the nonstationary vowel “ai” showing the initial phase having a spectrum similar to vowel “a”, a shift to a spectrum similar to the vowel “e”, and finally settling down to a spectrum similar to the vowel “i”. The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes nine stationary vowels to serve as reference vowels to form the basis of all 37 Mandarin vowels. Table 1 shows the 37 Mandarin vowel phonemes and the nine reference phonemes. The spectra of the nine reference vowels are represented by c where i=1, 2, . . . , 9 and each is a 64-dimensional vector (or wave component in an inverse Fourier transform) computed by averaging all frames of a particular reference vowel in a training set.
[0046] To reduce the dimensionality of the data fed to the CHMM recognizer 114 , in one embodiment of the present invention, phonetic feature mapper 113 generates nine features from a 64-dimensional spectrum vector. Phonetic feature mapper 113 first computes the similarities of an input spectrum to the nine reference spectrum vectors, then computes another set of 72 relative similarities between the input spectrum and 72 pairs of reference spectrum vectors. The final set of nine phonetic features is achieved by combining these similarities. Unlike conventional classification schemes that categorize the input spectrum into one of the reference spectra, the present invention quantitatively gauges the shape of the input spectrum (also the shape of the vocal tract) against the nine reference spectra. The present invention's phonetic feature mapping is a method of feature extraction (or dimensionality reduction) through similarity measures. The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes projection-based similarity measures of two types: projection similarity and relative projection similarity.
[0047] [0047]FIG. 15( a ) shows projection similarity as proportional to the projection of an input vector x along the direction of a reference vector c(k) with predetermined weighting, given by:
a ( k ) = ∑ w i ( k ) · x i · c i ( k ) c ( k )
[0048] where k=1, . . . , 9 and
c ( k ) = ( ∑ i = 1 64 ( c i ( k ) ) 2
[0049] and the weighting factor is given by
w i ( k ) = c i ( k ) / σ i ( k ) ∑ i = 1 64 c i ( k ) / σ i ( k )
[0050] where i=1, 2, . . . , 64 and k=1, 2, . . . , 9 and i (k) is the standard deviation of dimension i in the ensemble corresponding to the k th reference vowel. The i (k) in the weighting factor w i (k) serves as a constant that makes all dimensions in all nine reference vectors of the same variance. The c i (k) term in the weighting factor emphasizes the spectral components having larger magnitudes. The set of weights that correspond to each reference vector is normalized.
[0051] For many cases, the projection similarities described above are sufficient for accurate speech recognition. But FIG. 15( b ) shows a case of spectrally similar reference vowels, “i” and “iu”, where the projection similarities of the input vector on those similar reference vowels will all be large and a speech input will be spectrally close to the similar phonemes, thereby requiring more differentiation to achieve accurate speech recognition. “Relative projection similarity” extracts only the critical spectral components, thereby achieving better differentiation. For ease of illustration, FIG. 16 is a vector diagram depicting relative projection similarity for two-dimensional vectors. Of course, all multi-dimensional vectors are within the contemplation of the present invention. An input vector x is close to two similar reference vectors c (k) and c (l) , being somewhat closer to c (k) but the difference in projections is not large, as shown in FIG. 16( a ). The difference between c (k) and c (l) given by c (k) −c (l) is critical for the categorization of the input speech vector x. FIGS. 16 ( b ) and 16 ( c ) show that the projection of x−c (l) on c (k) −c (l) is larger than the projection of x−c (k) on c (l) −c (k) and their difference is more pronounced than the difference between the projections of x alone on c (k) and on c (l) . Using this observation, the statistically-weighted projection of the input vector x on c (k) with respect to c (l) is:
q ( k , 1 ) = ∑ i = 1 64 v i ( k , l ) · ( x i - c i ( l ) ) · ( c i ( k ) - ( c i ( l ) ) c ( k ) - c ( l )
[0052] where k, =1, . . . , 9, l k, and
∥ c (k) −c (l) ∥={square root}{square root over (Ε i=1 64 ( c i (k) −c i (l) ) 2 )}.
[0053] The normalized weighting factor is given by
v i ( k , l ) = c i ( k ) - c i ( l ) / ( σ i ( k ) ) 2 + ( σ i ( l ) ) 2 ∑ i = 1 64 c i ( k ) - c i ( l ) / ( σ i ( k ) ) 2 + ( σ i ( l ) ) 2
[0054] where i=1, . . . , 64; k, l=1, . . . , 9, l k. The weighting factors serve to emphasize those components of the two reference vectors which have large differences as well as to make variances in all dimensions the same. In the cases where q (k,l) is negative, in order to control the dynamic range and maintain the cues for discriminating the input vector, negative q (k,l) is set to a small positive value and positive q (k,l) does not change (unipolar ramping function). The relative projection similarity of x on c (k) with respect to c (l) is defined as
r ( k , l ) = q ( k , l ) q ( k , l ) + q ( l , k )
[0055] where k,l=1, . . . , 9, l k. Thus there is a total of 8×9=72 relative projection similarities which, together with the nine projection similarities, defines the phonetic features of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, the integration of the projection similarities and relative projection similarities to recognize speech utilizes a hierarchical classification wherein the projection similarities determine a first coarse classification by selecting candidates having large values for the projection of x on c (k) ; that is, large values for a (k) . The candidates are further screened using pairwise relative projection similarities. However, if the first coarse classification is not tuned properly, good candidates may not be selected.
[0057] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, projection similarity and relative projection similarity are integrated by phonetic feature mapping utilizing the scheme: (a) relative projection similarity should be utilized for any two reference vectors having large projection similarities, and (b) otherwise, projection similarity can be used alone. This will not only produce more accurate speech recognition, but also be computationally efficient. The phonetic feature is defined as
p ( k ) = 1 λ a ( k ) + 1 λ ∑ l = 1 , l ≠ k 9 ( r ( k , l ) p ( l ) - r ( l , k ) p ( k ) )
[0058] where k=1, 2, . . . , 9 and is a scaling factor to control the degree of cross coupling, or lateral inhibition. The solution to the above equation for two reference vectors (for simplicity of illustration) is given by
p ( k ) p ( l ) = λ a ( k ) + ( a ( k ) + a ( l ) ) r ( k , l ) λ a ( l ) + ( a ( k ) + a ( l ) ) r ( l , k ) .
[0059] For the case that both a (k) and a (l) are large and have comparable magnitudes, assuming that x is closer to c (k) in the Euclidean norm sense, the distance between x and c (k) is smaller, so r (k,l) is larger than r (l,k) . If is relatively small, then p (k) /p (l) is approximately r (k,l) /r (l,k) , which is determined by r (k,l) and r (l,k) , the relative projection similarities. For the case where only one of a (k) and a (l) is large, assuming that a (k) is large, then r (k,l) and r (l,k) are close to one and zero respectively and
p ( k ) / p ( l ) ≈ ( λ + 1 ) a ( k ) + a ( l ) λ a ( l ) ,
[0060] which is determined by a (k) and a (l) . For the third and last possible case, where both a (k) and a (l) are small,
p (k) ∝λa (k) +(a (k) +a (l) )r (k,l)
[0061] and
p (l) ∝λa (l) +(a (k) +a (l) r l,k).
[0062] Since both a (k) and a (l) are small, and r (k,l) and r (l,k) are less than one, thus p (k) and p (l) are also small and negligible. Defining
r ( k , k ) = λ + ∑ l = 1 , l ≠ k 9 r ( l , k )
[0063] where k=1, 2, . . . , 9, then the equation for p (k) above can be written in matrix form as
[ - r ( 1 , 1 ) r ( 1 , 2 ) r ( 1 , 3 ) … r ( 1 , 9 ) r ( 2 , 1 ) - r ( 2 , 2 ) r ( 2 , 3 ) … r ( 2 , 9 ) r ( 3 , 1 ) r ( 3 , 2 ) - r ( 3 , 3 ) … r ( 3 , 9 ) ⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⋰ ⋮ r ( 9 , 1 ) r ( 9 , 2 ) r ( 9 , 3 ) … - r ( 9 , 9 ) ] [ p ( 1 ) p ( 2 ) p ( 3 ) ⋮ p ( 9 ) ] = [ - a ( 1 ) - a ( 2 ) - a ( 3 ) ⋮ - a ( 9 ) ]
[0064] Phonetic features p (k) for k=1, 2, . . . , 9 is solved by multiplying the inverse of the matrix above on both sides.
[0065] [0065]FIG. 17 is a plot of the phonetic feature profile of the Mandarin vowel “ai”; the largest phonetic feature in the beginning is “a”, then a transition to the vowel “e”, and finally “i” becomes the largest phonetic feature. After 450 ms, the phonetic feature “u” becomes visible, albeit relatively short and not conspicuous. The present invention through break-up into basic nine vowels achieves a significant discernibility. By utilizing relative projection similarities to enhance discernibility among similar reference vowels, even greater accuracy speech recognition is achieved. FIG. 18( a ) shows the projection similarity to a (8) (“iu”, the vertical axis) and to a (6) the horizontal axis) of the vowel “i” (dark dots) and the vowel “iu” (light dots). For projection similarity alone, the discernibility is not great as the different vowels are very close together as shown in FIG. 18( a ). However, when the phonetic feature scheme of the present invention is utilized for “i” (p (6) , dark shading) and “iu” (p (8) , light shading), the discernibility is greatly enhanced as seen from the distinct separation of the vowels shown in FIG. 18( b ).
[0066] Humans perceive speech through several hierarchical partial recognitions. The present invention encompasses partial recognition because, as described immediately above, a vowel is broken up into segments of the nine reference vowels. Further, when listening, humans ignore much irrelevant information. The nine reference vowels of the present invention serve to discard much irrelevant information. Thus, the present invention embodies characteristics of human speech perception to achieve greater speech recognition.
[0067] The discernibility of a phonetic feature p (k) in the present invention is controlled by the value given to the scaling factor. As seen in the equation for p (k) above, if is large, the sum of the relative projection similarities r (k,l) is overwhelmed by. FIG. 19 is a graph of the “iu” phonetic feature (p (8) ) versus the “i” phonetic feature (p (6) ) with as a parameter having larger value with increasing grey scale. Smaller values of scatter the distribution away from the diagonal (which represents non-discernibility), making the two vowels more discernible thereby improving recognition accuracy. However, a too small value for will result in a dispersion that is difficult to model by a multi-dimensional Gaussian function in the continuous HMM (CHMM) recognizer 114 (FIG. 1), resulting in poor recognition accuracy. Thus the present invention advantageously utilizes the value of the scaling factor to optimize discernibility while limiting dispersion.
[0068] Continuous Hidden Markov Model recognizer 114 (FIG. 1) utilizes a statistical method of characterizing the spectral properties of the frames of a speech pattern with the assumption that the speech signal can be characterized as a parametric random process and that the parameters of the stochastic process can be determined in a precise manner. An observable Markov model is one in which each state of being corresponds to a deterministically observable event (for example, whether it is raining or sunny), and the output of the model is the set of states at each instant of time (e.g., the days when it is raining) where each state corresponds to an observable event. A hidden Markov model, on the other hand, is a doubly-embedded stochastic process (e.g., tossing more than one coin behind a curtain) with an underlying stochastic process that is not directly observable (hidden behind the curtain), but can be observed only through another set of stochastic processes (coin-tossing) that produce the sequence of observations. Thus, for discrete symbol observations, an HMM is characterized by (a) the number of states in the model, (b) the number of distinct observation symbols per state (e.g., alphabet size), (c) the state-transition probability distribution, (d) the observation symbol probability distribution, and (e) the initial state distribution. The present invention utilizes an isolated word recognizer for a system of V isolated words to be recognized (each word is modeled by a distinct HMM), having a training set of K utterances of each of the words (spoken by one or more talkers), where each utterance constitutes an observation sequence of some representation of the characteristics of the word. For each word v in the vocabulary, the HMM parameters for (c), (d), and (e) above must be estimated to optimize the match to a training set of values for the v th word. The present invention recognizes each unknown word by measurement of the observation sequence via the perceptual spectrum and phonetic feature analysis of the speech. This is followed by a probability calculation of model likelihoods for all possible models, and finally selection of the word with highest model likelihood. The probability computation is typically performed using the maximum likelihood path (Viterbi algorithm). For a detailed description of HMM, refer to Rabiner & Juang, Fundamentals of Speech Recognition , pp 321-389, Prentice-Hall Signal Processing Series, 1993.
[0069] Due to the perceptual speech processor 112 and phonetic feature mapper 113 of the present invention, the phonetic feature 104 inputted to continuous HMM recognizer 114 is superior to those of conventional ASR systems, thereby producing more robust and accurate speech recognition. FIG. 20 is a graph of Recognition Rate versus SNR for an experiment adding white noise to input speech signals not in any training set. FIG. 20( a ) shows the results for recognizing the top candidate to match the speech input and 20 ( b ) is for the top three candidates (because of the many homonyms some speech must be further distinguished based on context). The upper left-hand side of the graph is the area of best speech recognition performance. The curve labeled PF(PS) represents the phonetic feature plus perceptual spectrum processing results (in other words, the present invention) and is farthest to the upper left. PF(SE) represents phonetic feature (FFT spectrum envelope) (i.e., speech processing with perceptual spectrum but without perceptual spectrum processing) and is next best. MCEP represents a conventional speech spectrum parameterization method known as mel-scale cepstral coefficients and is less immune to noise than the systems of the present invention. CEP represents cepstral coefficients alone, without mel-scale translation, and is more to the right of MCEP demonstrating the efficacy of the mel-scale. REF (reflection coefficients) and LPC (linear predictive coding) are other conventional speech recognition methods giving less desirable results. Thus it can be seen that the present invention achieves accuracy and robustness in speech recognition. FIG. 21 is a graph of the recognition rate versus SNR results of another experiment of three noisy speech tests using nine Mandarin vowels and projection similarity as inputs to continuous HMM 114 , resulting in enhanced recognition accuracy. PF(PS) representing the present invention again produces the best results. PRJS(PS) represents projection similarity of the perceptual spectrum (i.e., the present invention without the phonetic feature processing), and PS is the perceptual spectrum alone (i.e., without the projection similarity calculations of the phonetic feature processing). The present invention not only achieves more robust and accurate speech recognition, but is also more computationally efficient than conventional methods since the speech spectrum parameterization is reduced from a typical 64 to 9. Phonetic feature mapping is also more immune to noise, partly because of its emphasis on the critical spectral components and ignoring the distortions caused by noise.
[0070] To demonstrate that the present invention effectively improves speech recognition, FIG. 22 is a graph of Outside Recognition Rate (%) (using different speakers) versus Inside Recognition Rate (%) (using a single speaker). Points towards the upper right-hand corner demonstrate the best robustness and accuracy. Again PF(PS) shows the best results compared to all the others. FIG. 23 is a graph of Noisy Speech Recognition Rate (%) (environmental noise) versus Inside Recognition Rate (%) (where there are more ideal listening conditions). Points towards the upper right-hand corner demonstrate the best robustness and accuracy. Once again PF(PS) shows the best results compared to other conventional speech recognition methods.
[0071] While the above is a full description of the specific embodiments, various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be used. For example, although the examples shown were for Mandarin Chinese, the concepts described in the present invention are suitable for any language having syllables. Further, any implementation technique, either analog or digital, numerical or hardware processor, can be advantageously utilized. Therefore, the above description and illustrations should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims.
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A complete system and method for accurate and robust speech recognition based on the application of three perceptual processing techniques to the speech Fourier spectrum to achieve a robust perceptual spectrum and the accurate recognition of that perceptual spectrum by projecting the perceptual spectrum onto a set of reference vowel spectrum vectors for input to a speech recognizer. The invention comprises a perceptual speech processor for preceptually processing the input speech spectrum vector to generate a perceptual spectrum, a storage device for storing a plurality of reference spectrum vectors and a phonetic feature mapper, coupled to said perceptual speech processor and to said storage device, for mapping said perceptual spectrum onto said plurality of reference spectrum vectors.
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